Your Words in the World—4 Tips for Self-Publishing Your Novel
by Guest Blogger Lizzie Weakley
If you want to bypass big-name publishers to get your novel out to the public, self-publishing can be a great option. Whether you want to publish your book in print or e-book format or both, there are many resources that you can use to take control of your publishing. Here are four tips that you should follow if you’re thinking of self-publishing your novel.
Get Your Book Professionally Edited
Self-publishing means that you’ll have to hire your own editor instead of having your manuscript checked over by an in-house editor at a publishing company. Trying to do all the editing yourself or having friends or family members look over your manuscript may not be enough to catch all spelling, punctuation and grammatical errors. A professional editor can catch all these fine details. Even it can be expensive, hiring an editor can be worthwhile if you want your novel to look as professional as possible.
Raise Funds
You might need to raise funds to get your book published. The fees to cover editing, cover design and book printing could be beyond your budget, and launching a fundraising campaign on an online crowdfunding site can help you get the money that’s needed. Another option is to ask friends and family members to lend you some money or apply for a loan with a financial institution, but you should be confident that you’ll be able to pay back all the money in full in a timely manner.
Use Reputable Online Publishers
Certain publishing websites allow writers like you to self-publish their novels. Amazon book publishing makes it possible for you to publish an e-book, a book in print, or in both formats. Some of the top online publishers also provide marketing services that can help your book get seen by more people. Best of all, these online publishers will only take a percentage of sales, which means that you can publish your book for free and won’t have to pay anything until it sells.
Market Your Novel
In addition to the marketing support that some self-publishing companies provide, you can take proactive measures to get your book noticed by the masses. Social media is a great tool for advertising a self-published novel. Asking an expert who knows a lot about your book’s topic to endorse it may also work. Even print advertising in newspapers and magazines can be effective.
Self-publishing often comes with many rewards. If you know the right ways to self-publish your novel, you’ll likely achieve greater success.
