self-publishing success for indie authors

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4 Truths to Make the Most Of Publishing

There’s a lot of myth and misconception out in the world about publishing, self-publishing, and what they really entail. 

And that makes sense.

Most people don’t grow up knowing the ins and outs of the publishing world. Until we actually release a book of our own, or witness someone close to us do it, we rely on fragments of information from movies and other media to imagine what publishing must be like. 

Often, that results in people either underestimating how tough it can be, imagining writers make vast sums more than they actually do, or believing traditional publishing to be the superior path without any clear evidence to back that up. 

Instead of wading into the river of publishing with blinkers on, it’s far better to have a full and accurate picture before getting started.

So, without further ado…

Start with the basics of publishing

Before you go too deep into the more complicated parts of publishing, start with the fundamentals.

Think about the process that is required for a book to become reality and go from being an idea in a writer’s mind to a finished product in a reader’s hands. 

Once you have an understanding of the big picture as a whole, try and think about how this ties in with your aims and objectives.

Let’s take an example, What if you want to publish a book within the next year or two?

Some things to consider would include:

  • The timescale needed to publish.
  • Understanding how much it costs to publish and how you would source this amount.
  • The types of platform you could publish on.
  • Any challenges to be aware of before beginning your project.

It’s good to have an understanding of these key basics before delving deeper into more niche aspects of publishing.

Go deeper into the ins and outs of putting a book together

Congratulations, you’ve learned the basics of publishing!

It’s now time to go deeper and learn the ins and outs of what it means to release a book in this day and age.

If you intend to self-publish and do everything yourself, you need to know all of the precise, detailed tasks you can’t afford to overlook. Even if you intend to outsource, you still need to know these, as otherwise it’s impossible to know what to task people and the type of help to seek.

Try and keep in mind:

  • Practical aspects like setting up a financial system for tracking your book sales, learning about copyright and other legal elements, and creating accounts for various author promotional platforms.
  • Hands-on elements like making sure your book’s layout looks great and its spine is attractive and in the correct format.
  • The process of launching your book and monitoring its performance after it goes live.

There really is no better teacher than experience, so don’t always expect things to turn out as you expect. But try and have at least a little foreknowledge before finding things out for yourself. 

Bust the myths that mar the publishing world

So now you have a big-picture view of publishing as a whole, as well as a good understanding of what it will practically look like for you.

But, before you jump in, it’s important to have a clear reality check.

If you’re basing your publishing efforts on false hope, as soon as those hopes aren’t met, you run the risk of burning out and not wanting to move forward with your plans.

Some of the common misconceptions people have heading into publishing include:

  • Misunderstanding the financial picture. Even most mainstream, traditionally published authors make less and at a slower pace than a lot of people imagine. 
  • The realities of traditional publishing VS independent publishing. Conventional publishing houses have lots of drawbacks and are hard to access for the majority of writers.
  • That success isn’t instant. Even authors who seem like overnight successes have mostly been practicing for years. If you want to publish, be honest about being in it for the long haul and the amount of effort that might take. 

If you’re committed and realistic there’s no reason at all you can’t succeed in the world of publishing. Just be real with yourself about your aims and what it will take to achieve them.

Know the state of modern publishing

Don’t assume that the things that used to work well in publishing will always work well.

A lot changes, such as the tools that modern authors use and the places they go to publish their books. 

Before you’re ready to get started for yourself, think about these three questions:

  1. Where will you publish your book? Will you publish on Kindle exclusively, publish on Kindle and elsewhere, or avoid Amazon altogether? Research this decision carefully and know the pros and cons of each approach. 
  2. What will you use to write your book? There is a vast selection of different writing tools out there. Explore your options and find the best need for your fit and budget. 
  3. How will you promote your book? You can use up to date options like CPC advertising, 3D book cover marketing assets, and anything else that will help your book find its way into the hands of the right readers.

Being aware of the current best industry practices isn’t to say that the age old fundamentals don’t matter. They do and always will.

But failing to be aware of any changes or opportunities for advantage is also a major error to avoid. 

Like anything, book publishing isn’t perfect. It has its pitfalls as well as its rewards. 

But having a realistic and full understanding is the only way to succeed. 

Written by: Chandler

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