Self Published I Know I Love You
Things I Wish I Knew Before I Cocky-Published My Start Book
Don't make the same mistakes as I did
I had always been writing poems for equally long as I can remember. My poems have been published in several online platforms and accept won some major international writing competitions. But, the urge to have my work out there in a book was overwhelming. I wanted that coveted laurel of being called a 'writer' and non just a 'blogger'. So, when the manuscript of my get-go book (that happened to be a collection of poetry called Stolen Reflections ) was completed in early 2018, I was impatient to get it out in the world every bit soon as I could.
Within a few days, I cocky-published the book, and it went on to go an Amazon bestseller in verse.
Information technology was a wild ride, and as worth the time and effort involved. Withal, every bit the days passed and the feedback started pouring in, I realised I had probably been a tad besides impatient in publishing the volume. If I had waited a few more months and done proper enquiry, I might have gotten better results in terms of more sales and a more complete, polished book.
This is not a guide on how to self-publish a book. If you are looking for an article like that, I had written ane some time dorsum.
In this article, I have compiled the lessons I have learned since then and the mistakes I am non going to commit again. These are the things I wish I had known earlier I self-published my starting time volume.
Office One: Putting the Volume Together
When information technology comes to compiling the manuscript, here are the major lessons-
The importance of editing
I think this is a universal truth: writers are blind to their own mistakes. No matter how many times they read their own writing, they are never able to spot all the tiny errors in spelling and grammar they might have left behind. That is where an editor comes in. For the offset rounds, you can use an editing app (I used Pro Writing Aid, but Grammarly is just equally impressive).
- How else would you know that "realidue southe" is British English and "realizeastward" is American, and consistency is essential?
- Or that "Dad" and "dad" take different meanings and usage?
- An editing app will suggest tons of changes in your writing, but, yous don't necessarily have to abide by its suggestions blindly. The best office of using an editing app is that you will get a different perspective.
But, there are times even an editing app fails. In my case, in that location were places in the manuscript where I had written "vicious" in place of "felt", and the apps were fooled. No matter how perfect an app is, the office of a human editor cannot be underestimated. I had assumed that the editing app made me invincible, but, when a reader pointed out a typographical error in my volume two months later its release, I realised my mistake. And here is the lesson you acquire: ever hire an editor.
The cover pattern
Gone are the days when "Don't judge a volume by its cover" was solid advice. In times when books become props for Instagram photographs, the importance of a beautiful encompass cannot be denied. It is advisable to rent a professional person editor and get your comprehend designed past them. This is 1 regard I struck gold considering the encompass of my first book was designed by the very talented tikklil who did a great job of bringing my dream come live.
Even so, if "contained publishing" spells out DIY for you, there are several apps that help in creating beautiful covers. For my 2d book, I designed the cover myself using Canva. Another apps that you lot can use to create bonny covers for complimentary are Adobe Spark, Placeit, and Edit.org.
The publishing
The biggest regret I accept most my publishing journey is that I spent all my savings on a vanity publishing service for my start book — thousands of rupees I accept no way of recovering solely through book sales.
My get-go selection was to self-publish the book online for free using Amazon KDP, simply sadly, they don't take the choice of printing paperbacks in India. I ultimately ended upwards publishing with NotionPress, a vanity publishing service. Naive that I was, I found myself swayed by the list of services they offered.
- They had options for distribution in 150+ countries
- Delivery to remotest corners of the world
- List across Amazon, eBay, Kobo, and Volume Depository.
While they did indeed fulfil all these claims, they invested no fourth dimension or endeavor in spreading the word about my book. Naive that I was, the harsh truth I had been blind to back so is this: what is the bespeak of my book being available in 150+ countries if no 1 in those countries has heard about me?
If you are a author looking to cocky-publish your first book, please don't commit the aforementioned fault I did. Several companies have the selection of Impress On Demand paperbacks (your book gets printed simply when a new order is placed, and no inventory is kept to cut costs), the nearly famous of them being Pothi.
Part Two: Mail Publishing
One time you lot have completed the writing, the several rounds of editing, and the book cover design, information technology's time to hit the publish push button and reap the rewards of your hard piece of work. You publish your volume, post well-nigh it on all social media platforms, sit down back, and wait for the bestseller ranks to start pouring in. Here are some hard truths yous demand to digest before you lot get-go counting your profits.
The number of likes is non the same as the number of sales
Your book delivers value. Information technology is the best you have written in ages. Simply wait, why is nobody buying your volume?
Welcome to the earth of volume publishing, my dearest friend.
Your friends and family volition "support" you and exist "proud of your dreams". They will like and comment generously. A few might even share your posts on their social media feed, only, sadly, this is where all the back up they extend volition stop. Do not estimate the number of sales on day one to exist equal to the number of likes on your book announcement mail service.
The number of orders is not the same as the number of reviews
Let'south face up information technology: no one writes a review for every product they purchase online. Readers are the same. There might be many who ordered your book, but then never got around to reading information technology. Here'south an estimate that I learned from my numbers: approximately 10% of the people who order your book are going to review it.
Part Iii: The Marketing
Lesson i of beingness a self-published writer: you accept to abandon all shame. I don't hateful shame in general, but, if you have whatever doubts near talking virtually your book in public, y'all have to let them go. You don't have a publisher. You oasis't hired a marketing expert. If you don't talk about your volume, who volition?
Hither are some marketing lessons I learned from self-publishing my starting time volume-
The importance of book reviews
No matter how much you talk almost your book or how many excerpts you post online, nothing influences the mind of a potential heir-apparent like book reviews. The reviews don't necessarily accept to be good. In fact, a well-idea-out negative review can make a reader want to read a volume more a five-star review that simply says "Corking volume".
Now, let's come up to the big question: How to get volume reviews?
- Before yous release it, ship out at least 100 copies of your book to readers all beyond the globe. Some will accept your asking, some volition deny it. Virtually of those who accept will probably never read your book, let alone review it. But, going by the 10% rule, if you tin can get 10 18-carat reviews on Goodreads on the mean solar day of release, half the battle is already won.
- Enquire your friends and family members to write reviews. Don't hesitate to send out gratuitous copies.
- Appoint with people. Make personal connections. To every person who comments on your post saying they have purchased your book, drib a response and ask them for a review.
- Hither is a fox I have seen several authors try. Make your book available for free online. Then, host a contest on your social media where the winner volition get some valuable goodies (book merch, signed paperbacks, a service that yous provide — the selection is yours). The requirement for participating is that the people take to download your book and write reviews for it on Amazon and Goodreads. The one with the all-time review is the winner. This is a win-win situation for anybody, no matter what the outcome of the contest is.
Sales fuel more sales
Here's a absurd thing Amazon does: if a brand new volume is doing slap-up in terms of sales, it is shown to every online book shopper in the "You might also be interested in" section. As an writer, if you can ensure a proficient number of sales in the first few days, Amazon will take care of the residual. They will transport mailers to customers, they will put your book at the summit of search lists, and they will sponsor advertisements. The bottom line is this: if y'all can ensure some sales, these will keep multiplying, and you volition run across a pyramid upshot, all thank you to the great marketing tactics applied by Amazon.
Here are some ways to ensure a skilful number of sales in the offset calendar week -
- Repost all the book reviews from readers on your social media. The more people talk near information technology, the more than involvement in the book you volition generate.
- Take price-slash days where you lot make the book available online at a highly discounted price.
- This might exist considered unethical, just, I have seen many authors prefer it: host giveaway contests where the readers are sent Amazon gift cards to purchase your books.
Since this article is not explicitly about marketing, I will soon put together a detailed piece on the paths I undertook to market my book without spending a unmarried penny (and ended up selling enough copies to state a traditional publishing deal).
Part Four: Closing Notes
Writing a volume can exist a life-irresolute journey. It will teach yous a lot not but most yourself, but will also make facts about the world around you clearer. Notwithstanding, it tin can be a piddling overwhelming — considering more than than 50% of the piece of work that you will have to exercise includes everything else except writing. It is natural to feel a little lost, and each time you feel exhausted, retrieve why y'all started on this journey in the first identify.
Here are a few closing notes-
Expect to lose money
Yep, your book might become a bestseller, and yes, yous might have a gaggle of fans clamouring for you to write your adjacent. Simply, if yous venture down the self-publishing artery, information technology is difficult for a offset-timer to make coin from your book. Remember that there are things more valuable than money. Sometimes, you lot do it to establish yourself in the book marketing sphere. You practise it to build a customs. You do it to lay the seeds of a fabulous futurity ten years down the line where y'all are a full-fourth dimension writer.
Trust the process. Your time is coming. Simply do the work and the results will handle themselves.
~ Tony Gaskins
Think why you write
At the end of the twenty-four hour period, you lot are a writer, not a marketing expert. Yous write considering y'all dear literature. You write because in that location is no other outlet for the turmoil raging within your soul. You write because you know of no other style you lot tin can deal with the vagaries of everyday life.
Speaking from experience, there is no feeling in the world more precious and more fulfilling than belongings your book, the fruit of your hard labour, in your own easily. It is a powerful moment — one that tin make you lot realise that everything yous did forth the way, all the times you gave upwardly on your hobbies to work — all of it added up to this beautiful bundle of pages huddled in your hands.
This is your moment. This is why yous write. Don't e'er forget that.
Source: https://writingcooperative.com/things-i-wish-i-knew-before-i-self-published-my-first-book-7a26b9cb811d
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