The process of self-publishing

There's a process to self-publishing that consistently yields best results. The process itself may be boiled down to some simple-sounding steps:

1. Write the story.
2. Edit and revise the manuscript.
3. Design the book's interior.
4. Write the back cover blurb.
5. Design the cover.
6. Proofread the book.
7. Upload the files.

The process may be simple, but there's a whole lot to unpack in each step. Although you can do every step yourself, I highly recommend you don't.

Think of it this way: a traditional publisher employs a team of editors, designers, writers, and artists to produce the books they publish. They do not release the author's manuscript to the public without investing thousands of dollars in its quality. I highly recommend indie authors who self-publish their books follow the same best practices as traditional publishers.

1. Write the story. If you're not a skilled writer or storyteller, then consider hiring an experienced ghostwriter to write it for you.
2. Edit and revise the manuscript. Depending on the quality of your written content, your manuscript may need multiple rounds of editing and revision to whip it into shape sufficient for public consumption. Editors do more than fix typos and grammar errors. Hiring a skilled professional editor and revising accordingly will improve the quality of your content.
3. Design the book's interior. Book design entails more than filling the pages with words. Fonts, margins, spacing, image size and placement, and more directly affect the reader's experience. Understand that e-book design differs from print design. Unless you're competent at page design, hire a pro.
4. Write the back cover blurb. This is copywriting. The back cover blurb does not exist to summarize the story, but it's purpose is to intrigue potential readers and convince them to buy the book. If marketing copy ain't your thing, then it's best to hire a copywriter.
5. Design the cover. Graphic art employs artistic capability with design chops to create a cover image that aligns with genre expectations and remains distinctive. Today's preferences for complex design techniques mandate hiring a skilled design pro.
6. Proofread the book. You'll be astonished at the errors that slip through editing when the pages have been formatted. You'll cringe when you see what the designer missed and the copywriter got wrong. It won't be because they or you are negligent or incompetent, but because their job isn't proofreading. A proofreader can't guarantee 100% error-free product, but he or she can immeasurably improve your work by fixing what's wrong.
7. Upload the files. Online publishing platforms lead authors through the upload process step by step, but the author must be somewhat computer literate to do this without getting frustrated. You'll a smidgen of marketing expertise to enter keywords for SEO. You'll have to understand which files to upload when. And there's more. If you're hesitant about the upload process, it may be worth saving yourself the exasperation to hire someone to guide you through the process or do it for you.

You may need to hire a pro for every step of the process, but that won't mean it's not your book. You come up with the idea, and you control the process.

Being a self-published author means assuming and accepting the responsibilities of a traditional publisher on your own behalf. To produce a product that compares to what traditional publishers produce, you need to exercise the same care and invest in your book's quality.

I'm one of those aforementioned professionals, and I can help you produce your book.

#henhousepublishing #ghostwriting #editing #bookdesign #proofreading