You have written a brilliant manuscript, and now you want to publish a book of it, but you know nothing about it. Shudder! What will you do now? Panic, right? Wrong!
No one is born a publisher. So, you can also learn the nitty-gritty of successfully publishing a book! Oh, now we are talking!
Choosing the traditional route might be a back-breaking process that can take many months, if not years. Hmm! Thinking of abandoning your masterpiece? Ha!
Not so fast, dummy! Luckily, there is an alternative route, too, and that is….
Spoiler Alert – Self-Publishing!
Count your lucky stars because we have written this step-by-step guide to assist you in getting started with publishing your book on your own! That is right!
This guide sheds light on every basic, from self-publishing to launching your masterpiece.
So, let us begin!
10 Basic Steps To Publish A Book
Nowadays, authors have a lot of publishing routes to choose from. However, there is no “correct” way to successfully publish a book. Thus, the steps mentioned below must only be considered as the best practices, not mandatory actions.
Step No. 1 – Choose A Publishing Route
The first and foremost thing you are required to do is decide which publishing route you will opt for. So, before embarking on a journey, decide whether you want to self-publish your books or hire the best book publishing services in Canada.
Have you determined which path you will continue? Awesome! How about we cover some tips that every author must pay heed to no matter which path they choose to publish their masterpiece? We think it is a great idea! If you think so, too, then read below!
Step No. 2 – Edit The Draft
The best thing any author can do for their manuscript is to edit it thoroughly. Yes! It is true! No matter if you are submitting your book to agents or self-publishing it, either way, you will be presenting your book to people to read, judge, and decide its impact. So, in order to successfully publish a book, make sure to get rid of any mistakes, errors, or weak sentences.
Step No. 3 – Get Feedback From Editors And Critique Circles
Regardless of whether you hire a publisher or not, honest third-party feedback is extremely helpful. So, during the editing process, feel free to share your manuscript with trusted parties to get their opinions.
To aid your collaborators in offering more honest feedback, you can ask them to anonymously submit their forms with their opinions on certain elements, such as prose, plot, pacing, characters, etc.
Moreover, to ensure that their feedback is constructive, ask them to give a solution to every problem instead of just pointing it out.
Step No. 4 – Title Your Manuscript
To successfully publish a book, you need to have a catchy title. Coming this far, you might already have a book title in your mind, haven’t you? WHAT? You don’t have anything? Well, dum-dum, it is fine. You can choose a title for your manuscript in this step, as now is the perfect time to nail it down!
Step No. 5 – Format Your Book For Publication
Now that you have a polished manuscript, you are all set to format your book with chapter headings, page numbers, and aligned text. Again, it is vital whether you are sending your work to agents or self-publishing your masterpiece; either way, you need to make a great impression with an expertly formatted book. If you plan on sending your book out to agents, all you need to do is format your manuscript in a readable and standardized manner.
Step No. 6 – Design A Book Cover That Converts Readers
Next up, to successfully publish a book, you need to ensure that your book cover is eye-striking enough. Your book cover gives readers a crucial first impression of your work. It means that it must not only catch the eye of your prospective audience but also let them know that you wrote a book especially for them.
Step No. 7 – Write A ‘Publisher-Ready’ Book Description
Another significant factor in getting people to purchase your book is your book description. Thankfully, it is easy to optimize your work for better sales. Although there are a lot of ways to do so, the most promising ones are:
- Hook your audience with a catchy headline
- Introduce the plot or main idea, but do not summarize the whole story
- Leave them wanting to read more, etc.
Step No. 8 – Create A Book Launch Plan
A book can only sell itself in fools’ paradise. So, to successfully publish a book, you need to have a killer launch plan. The first few days after publishing your book are going to make or break your book. Thus, start planning as early as you can. Your launch plan must be able to raise awareness, kick up a fuss about your book, tap into an existing audience, and much more.
Step No. 9 – Publish Your Book Online
Yay! You are all set to publish your masterpiece. You will be as happy as Larry to know that self-publishing a book is a piece of cake. Hard to accept, right? But it is true! As long as you have your materials prepared, you should have no issues. However, if you are having trouble self-publishing your book, then you can seek help from any of the ghostwriting CA companies online.
Step No. 10 – Market The Book To Increase Sales
After successfully publishing a book, your masterpiece is hopefully attracting the attention of readers already. However, it does not mean that your work is done; instead, it is far from it. Really? Yes!
The last step would be to market your work to the maximum. You already have the ball rolling with your outstanding launch plan, but it would be wiser if you take a bit more essentials into your account. For instance:
- You can connect with authors
- Do more blog tours
- Make the most of price promotions
- Employ third-party advertising services
- Always be prepared for opportunities and more
- How can I successfully get my book published?
There are a lot of ways to get your book published successfully. Some of the best practices are listed below for your ease:
- Identify your prospective audience
- Submit your work to a literary agent
- Prepare a submission packet
- Submit directly to a publisher
- Embrace non-fiction
- Accept that poetry and short stories do not sell well.
- What is the best time of year to publish a book?
The best time of the year is most probably the months of February and March. This is because the weather is not at all ideal during those months, so it forces people to go through their web for their next adventure. However, there is one exception – children’s books! You have to wait for the year’s 2nd quarter if you are a children’s book author.
- Can I use AI to publish a book?
Yes, why not? AI can offer valuable insights into readers’ buying patterns, preferences, and spiraling trends. It ensures to do so by analyzing data from numerous sources such as online forums, social media, and book reviews. This information assists publishers in making informed decisions about book promotions, content creation, marketing strategies, and much more.
- How much can it cost to self-publish a book in 2024?
It can cost about £400 to £4,000 to publish a book. This cost mainly depends on the services that you need (i.e. marketing, editing, formatting, cover design, etc.), the word count, and the genre of your masterpiece.
Summing It All Up!
We agree that publishing a book is undoubtedly a huge undertaking, regardless of whether you choose to self-publish or opt for the traditional method. The best part is that if you have read the steps mentioned above, you are well aware of your options as well as the best practices.
Therefore, we are sure that you know everything there is to know in order to attain your lifelong goal. So, fix your eyes on the prize, make the most out of this journey, and don’t forget to celebrate when you successfully publish a book. Trust us! We are extremely excited to see your masterpiece getting published.