5 Keys to Self-Publishing Your Book

Writing a book can help you sell your expertise, and connect your ideas with readers. Many successful writers are using self-service, low-cost tools to publish and sell books on places like the Amazon.com Kindle Store and the Apple iBookstore. So can you, for a lot less effort and money than you might think.

1. Find Your Readers

While writing your book is important, your first job is to tune into readers and find where your book matches their need. Do your market research to answer questions like:

• Who is the book for?
• How do you reach them?
• What are the tools?
• How do you get them? 

If you want readers, you have to work for it. Put as much energy into finding readers as creating the book, and do this before you write the book. Check out The Book Designer blog by Joel Friedlander for a sample marketing plan and other useful advice. Hot tip: Joel recommends writing the back cover copy before you write the book.

2. Hire an Editor

You need an editor. You need an editor. You need an editor. While much of the book-creation process is in your own hands, recognize you need help developing your manuscript and fixing errors. Objective feedback on your writing is invaluable, says Robin Martin of Two Songbirds Press. A former literary agent, Robin warns that "feedback from family and friends is not objective." Better to get help from the pros:

• Professional Readers - evaluation and critique
• Developmental Editors - develop the manuscript, find the hook
• Substantive Editors - eliminate problems of crafting (heavy copy editing)
• Copy Editors/Line Editors - identify and fix inconsistencies and technical errors

Find an editor using these organizations:

• Editorial Freelancers Assocation
• National Association of Independent Writers and Authors
• American Society of Journalists and Authors
• Bay Area Editors Forum
• Publishers Marketplace

3. Use a Literary Agent Service

A literary agent service provides self-publishers with essential tools for accessibility and discoverability. Accessibility means getting your book off your laptop and into a usable format like print or ebook format. Discoverability is where readers find your book in popular ecommerce sites like Amazon.com.

Smashwords works with independent authors to sell books on the Apple iBookstore, Barnes & Noble, Sony Reader Store, and others. Using Smashwords is easy. Upload your perfectly formatted Microsoft Word document, and it generates HTML, ePub, and doc formats, suitable for web use, plus Android and iPhone devices.

CreateSpace is an ideal service to publish your book on the Amazon.com Kindle Store. It too provides easy-to-use tools and services to get your book in the hands of millions Kindle device owners.

4. Distribute via Print-on-Demand

Print-on-Demand (POD) is an economical distribution method used for books favored by independent publishers and authors. Books are printed only when orders are received, avoiding pricey printing runs and inventory costs. Printing full color books using POD is expensive, and it is not recommended for photo books. POD is an economical alternative for most other titles. Experts recommend authors target POD first, then eBooks. Both Smashwords and CreateSpace support POD.

5. Build Your Community

Invite readers to be part of the story using the social web. Tips to create a base of raving fans for your book:

• Promote yourself – tap into social networking sites to build your fanbase
• Engage your audience – interact with readers using your website, blog, Facebook page, twitter profile, and more
• Post frequently – invest at least 5 hours per week updating your friends and followers and posting to your blog
• Experiment with media – podcasts, videos, interactive web sites are effective storytelling tools.

You will be rewarded with higher search rankings leading to more book sales.

Summary

Whether your aim is to reach potential clients or employers, or to fulfill your dream of being an author, publishing your book is within your reach. Carla King helps authors overcome self-publishing hurdles, like accessiblity and discoverability. Pick up her excellent Self-Publishing Boot Camp Guide for Authors eBook, or better yet, sign up for a workshop.