I'm a big fan of self-publishing. I'm a self-published author and it's what I talk about, write about and advise to people about.
But when I think about the term "self-publishing" for more than a second, I realize it's not an accurate term. A better one would be "self-managed publishing" because the truth is, no author is capable of publishing a book entirely on his or her own. It's a big project and it takes a lot of people. In my mind, the biggest advantage of traditional publishing is that a large publishing house has a huge team of seasoned experts who can help with all of the things that an author might not realize goes into a book.
If you're considering self-publishing, here are some key things to keep in mind when you plan your book.
1. Editing and proofreading: No book comes out amazing on the first try. Or the tenth try. Any author needs a good editor and a good proofreader. An editor will help with the pacing and development of the book overall, and a proofreader will make sure the grammar and spelling work.
2. Formatting: Unless you are a tech-savvy writer, formatting your book will be a frustrating challenge. I recommend finding someone who does it for a living.
3. Cover design: You may have an idea of what you want your cover to look like (I did), but unless you're a professional artist who understands book covers, I recommend against trying to design your cover alone. There are questions like, "Will it look good as an icon?" and "Will it stand out from other covers?" that are important to address- and best addressed by a professional.
4. Marketing: Many authors don't want to think about marketing. Others who do may not have any idea what a marketing plan is or how to put one together. Don't fret. There are plenty of people out there who know all about those things and are willing to help. Talk to a few.
Those are some of the big things that not every author who self-publishes can do on their own. A great place to look for help with any of those aspects is Writer.ly, an online service that connects writers to service vendors. Kind of like Elance or oDesk for writers.
Does anyone else have suggestions of pieces of the puzzle I missed or deeper questions on any of those aspects?
Image courtesy of Cryptonaut via flickr
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