Millions of writers worldwide work for months, even years, to develop a perfect manuscript. It may look like an easy job to an outsider, but only a writer can understand the painstaking process of writing, revising, and writing several drafts.
Another struggle that every writer faces is finding the right ways to share their work with the world. After all, you cannot take any chances with a creation that took so much hard work and dedication.
Thanks to the advancement in the field, many writers have the opportunity to look into what self-publishing is. It is the most cost-effective way to share your work with people and gain public recognition as an established writer.
Here are some effective tips that can make self-publishing easier for novice writers.
Table of Contents
1. Edit Your Work
One of the primary rules of becoming a good writer is understanding that there is always room for improvement. You may have written the finest work of your career, but a lot more can be done to take your work a step ahead.
Of course, you do not have to aim for perfection, but you must dedicate your efforts to bring your work close enough to it. Therefore, it’s best to repeatedly review your work for inconsistencies, grammatical errors, and tone changes.
Novice and experienced writers are recommended alike to hire the services of professional editors. They have years of experience in the field and can help you identify many places for improvement in your work. Of course, their services are necessary for self-publishing your work.
2. Create an Eye-Catching Book Cover
Book covers are the first thing that catches the attention of a potential reader. That is one of many reasons authors hire experienced book cover designers to help them with the developmental process. Of course, a catchy and quality book cover design is more important for self-publishing authors.
A good book cover is an important marketing tool for your book. A high-quality print and a good book cover design can help your book stand out among thousands of competitors. No one can tell your book from other books published by other major publishers.
3. Look for the Right Services
It can be hard to look for the right self publishing companies, especially as a novice writer. In many cases, beginner self-publishing authors are left at the mercy of scammers who claim to publish books but never get the job done.
In such circumstances, it is very important to take your time to choose the best self publishing services for your work. It would be best to read their reviews, talk to some of their previous clients, and authenticate their services before saying yes to the deal.
4. Start Marketing Early
Millions of writers aim to self-publish every year, and millions of others publish their work in the traditional ways. With so much competition at hand, it can be hard to get your book across to serious potential readers.
It is unrealistic to think that readers can stumble across your book because of its quality or novelty. There is a lot of effort that needs to be put into ensuring that your work is found by the right readers and you can create a strong fan base.
Therefore, make sure that you plan your book promotion before starting your self-publishing journey. It is important to market your book with several platforms, such as guerilla marketing offers, social media advertising, book reviews, and the author’s website.
5. Build a Community
Self-publishing authors must consider the importance of marketing their books early. It is important to understand that your book does not need to be marketed only when it’s out to the public. This journey starts a lot before your book is published.
You must start creating and engaging your audience early by understanding them and creating a plan accordingly. This platform is an ideal place for you to engage your potential readers and get them excited about what is headed their way.
6. Set Realistic Expectations
There is a lot of competition in the writing field. However, it’s good to have high hopes; you should not expect to become a bestseller. It takes time for every writer to find a place in their particular genre of writing, as self-publishing has given every writer a story to say their piece.
You may not sell millions of copies on the first attempt, and that is okay. It takes time and resilience for one to succeed as a writer. Therefore, it is best to take your time and set realistic goals as a writer to be achieved one by one.
7. Make an Email List
In today’s technology-driven world, it is not enough to tell people about your book through a poster outside the bookstore. Today, you need to get creative and smart about marketing your book and getting it across to the right people.
It is not a difficult task to create an email list. You can simply offer a product or add-on to your readers every time they visit your website in exchange for their email address. This way, you can have a long and useful list of potential readers.
This list will not help you just once. Instead, you can use this data every time you are about to self publish a new work. You can also send those updates about your professional life, events, gatherings, and much more.
8. Learn From Others
Self publishing can be a long and challenging journey. Some writers, especially novice beginners, can get overwhelmed easily. When all else seems to fail, it is always a good idea to turn to the ones with more experience in the field than you.
There are a lot of courses and podcasts arranged by experienced self publishers to offer guidance to new people in the field. You can also try your luck by reaching out to famous self publishers through the mail, and they can be nice enough to offer you some help and hope.