New Book Authors Publishing Guide for Beginners

The process of publishing a book today stands as an effortless endeavor when contrasted with the ruthless industry of the past, where achieving success demanded navigation through literary agents and traditional publishing houses. During that period, market competition reached extreme levels while only a few manuscripts managed to pass through the merciless gatekeeping process. The digital era now allows anyone equipped with a keyboard and internet access to declare themselves an author, regardless of their work’s merit for publication.

For new book authors, publishing their work can be a thrilling and challenging ordeal, both physically and mentally, and that’s where this guide will help you explore the ins and outs of publishing.

Self-Publishing vs Traditional Publishing: Which Is Right for You?

Before we get into helping you decide which one of the two is right for you, let’s remember this: there is no one-size-fits-all rule to follow; the only thing that matters is what’s accurate for you and your book. Some authors will happily tell you their tales of success with traditional publishing, while others swear by the virtues of self-publishing. The truth? It’s to determine what’s right for you.

Traditional publishing is the classic publishing method, which was used way before Amazon became a thing, hence the name. After finishing their manuscripts, authors usually find a literary agent, and if everything goes well, a deal is negotiated. Self-publishing, on the other hand, allows the author the freedom and control to manage everything from marketing to writing. This way, authors keep all their rights and profits, but they also handle every aspect.

Navigating the Self-Publishing Journey

Before we get knee deep into how the process works, ask yourself, “Where are you as an author?” and the answer will guide you as you move forward in this journey. The self-publishing journey is certainly not as glamorous as many tend to portray, especially for first-time book authors venturing into uncharted territory. While a lot of people make it sound like a DIY dream come true, the truth is that it is a lot more complicated.

Not only do you write the book, but you also have to see to every other thing, from editing to marketing, with little or no help. Sure, you keep total control and profits, but you also bear the entire weight of failures. For most new authors, writing is mostly all about passion, but at the same time, it could be a hobby or a stepping stone towards a bona fide writing career. When we talk about understanding your genre, every new author needs to know the ins and outs more than a debut author. Similarly, an established author needs to be writing hundreds, if not thousands, of words per day.

Ten Key Steps to Mastering Self-Publishing

Moving forward with just an idea and turning it into published work is an entire process, but luckily, we have a straightforward path to follow with defined steps, and here’s what they are.

Step 1: Write and Edit Your Manuscript

Initially, writing and editing your manuscript may seem simple; after all, it’s just about writing a manuscript, right? But in reality, many authors rush through this process without considering the quality. Writing is hard, and simply cutting in lines won’t help you stand out. Once your manuscript is done, editing is absolutely crucial. Whether for plot, structure, or grammar-your book will simply appear amateurish without professional editing.

Step 2: Choose a Publishing Platform

Now, the next step is to choose the appropriate place to publish your book. Truthfully, many authors blindly jump right in when it comes to choosing a publishing platform, not knowing what they’re in for. Sure, Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing is what almost every author considers for both print and eBooks, but just because it’s popular does not mean it’s everyone’s cup of tea.

IngramSpark, for instance, has better print distribution to bookstores and libraries, but it isn’t widely known by authors. So, make sure to do your research pick the one, truly the one that is best according to your author marketing strategy, rather than easiest or most talked about.

Step 3: Design a Professional Cover

A book cover is, indeed, the first thing that any potential reader will judge, and if you think that a do-it-yourself cover would ever suffice, I would say, ‘Goodbye!’ A professional-looking, and a really eye-catching cover is not just the icing on the cake-it is your ticket to sell the cake! Many new book authors, while publishing, skip this step, thinking that a cheap self-made cover would suffice, but it merely screams “amateur.”

The right cover that portrays the genre and tone of your book could be the deciding factor between making it and breaking it. At this level of competition, a cover that is truly designed professionally will ensure your book gets the attention it deserves.

Step 4: Upload Your Book

Once you have your book written, edited, formatted, and armed with a professional cover, it is time to upload it to your selected platform. Newbie authors, however, too rapidly rush into this phase and make rookie mistakes. Every platform, from KDP to lesser-known publishing companies for new authors, has its our guidelines and specific requirements, and ignoring those can hit you hard.

Just because you think a simple Word doc or a low-resolution image will do, you’re wrong! For KDP, eBooks are submitted in Word or PDF form, while print books require a high-quality PDF with images at the right resolution. A botched upload will make your book look unprofessional or, worse, get rejected.

Step 5: Launch Your Book

Your book launch is everything, yet too many new publishing authors don’t take this as seriously. It is no longer a time of hope; it is time to strategize. Pumping energy into a launch is all about the virtual events, giveaways, and discounts, and this may never happen unless you have gotten those all-important early reviews from bloggers and/or influencers. This means that with good sales during launch, you really need to make a good launch plan and not underestimate its power.

The Takeaway!

Self-publishing is not as simple as it seems. The pedal behind the metal: There are no shortcuts to success, just hard work. The tragedy of today is that so many authors believe that if they can write a book with a cover on it, they’ll magically attract money, but the harsh reality is, if you don’t get it right from the start, your book will sink in a sea of mediocrity. For new book authors to have any chance of being noticed and standing out from the clutter, they must learn to invest in every step, from editing to marketing.