Planning to Publish a Book? Here’s What You Need to Do

Writing a book is one of the most exciting things you can do, but before you can publish it you need to make a lot of decisions. You might find yourself confused by all the options, especially as a self-published author.  With so many options it’s easy to get overwhelmed, but the process of publishing a book doesn’t have to be difficult.

You have several options when it comes to getting your book in front of readers, and you will want to choose one that takes advantage of your talents and the unique aspects of your story. However, before you choose the right path, there are some important things you should know.

Choose The Method Of Publishing

The first step before you go on the journey of publishing a book is to decide which route you want to take. There are many publishing options, but the two main ones include traditional and self-publishing

Traditional Publishing

Publishing a book traditionally is like submitting your manuscript to an agent or publisher who will then work with you to make it suitable for publication. You need to pitch your story idea ahead of time, set up meetings, and generally go through all of the steps needed before you can sign on the dotted line. For this service, you must give up some rights concerning how your book can be distributed, but in exchange, you have more control over when and how it gets published. This is usually the ideal option for authors who are looking for long-term success through their books. 

If you are trying to gain credibility as an authoring Australia, publishing a book through traditional means can be very beneficial because it allows you to join the ranks of other successful authors. The majority of Australian book publishers go with a traditional method, so if you want to be taken seriously it’s best not to go with an independent route unless your circumstances prevent traditional publishing. However, the downside of traditional publishing is that since you don’t own the publishing rights to your book, you don’t control the production values. You will only have input in how it looks if you are working with a big publisher, but even then it is limited.

Self-Publishing

Self-publishing gives authors more control over their work and lets them set their standards for how it looks and feels. This option is attractive since you get to call all of the shots on everything from editing, advetising, and marketing to designing a cover and picking a printing method. However, this comes at a price because there are things that only experience can teach that “old pros” take for granted–things like knowing what size paper to use or where best to place elements on the page so they look their best. For this reason, many self-published authors hire professionals to handle the technical details of their book (editing, formatting, and design) after they’ve finished writing it.

Get Familiar With eBooks

EBooks are an important part of the self-publishing movement since they offer instant distribution around the world at very little cost. They are also easier to create than print editions and can incorporate any type of multimedia (such as video) with ease. On the other hand, some people find digital formats difficult because many require HD screens for best visibility and others let readers change the font size or style which requires extra effort on your part to make sure your work will still look its best.

Another option many authors write to write about is print-on-demand, where a physical book is only printed when an actual order comes in from a bookseller or directly from consumers. The cost of this type of printing is generally more expensive than traditional offset printing because on average it costs around $2 per sheet of paper. However, it does reduce storage needs and eliminates concerns with overstock since books are never “printed” unless they have been purchased first.

Make Sure You Have an Online Presence

Whether you decide to engage in traditional book publishing or self-publish your work, make sure you have at least basic online marketing. The primary method is to build a website with information about your book and yourself as an author. A blog is another way to build up your platform and demonstrate your expertise in a specific field of interest, plus it will give you more content for people to share on social media sites (including full text for any excerpts from your books). Just make sure your site is easy to navigate, isn’t cluttered with excess fluff, and has a professional design. 

In addition to using social media platforms for marketing purposes, you can also create accounts on Google+ and GoodReads where people interested in certain genres tend to gather online. Also, consider taking part in forums specific to your genre so that potential readers can see you as an authority in the field.

You Will Need A Good Editor

Another important decision is whether or not you need an editor since some people feel they can edit their work while others prefer leaving this task to an experienced professional. The main difference is that editors are trained to catch inconsistencies, remove clichés, and alert you to passages where the pace slows down so it doesn’t become tedious for the reader. They also know how to identify areas that need more detail or explain things in a better way than your current phrasing allows.

However, this service does come at a cost since most editors charge a per word rate, a flat fee for a certain number of pages, or take royalties from each copy sold. So you need to decide if your book is worth hiring someone to give it this additional boost or if it can stand on its own without any extra help.

All in all, publishing a book is no easy task, but it can be extremely rewarding if you educate yourself on the process. Since there are many steps involved and plenty of places where things can go wrong, don’t hesitate to seek out professional help when necessary. After all, your book deserves the best treatment possible so that it has the best chance of succeeding in a competitive market.