Six Ways to Jump-Start a Self-Publishing Career

6 Ways to Jump-Start a Self-Publishing Career

By Charles Bailey

Are you looking to get your book off the ground?

For a few authors, taking that step into self-publishing can be a natural and simple extension associated with their activities in the past. Yet for other authors, this leap can feel overwhelming and unnatural. 

Since most of us know that it is difficult to provide your book with the best that it deserves when you are feeling out of sorts, it makes perfect sense that you should be finding the best way forward to achieve success. 

If you have made the decision to publish your own book, there are a few different ways to proceed. 

Below are 6 useful tips to make sure you start off your career in self-publishing on the right foot. 

#1 - Treat It Like A Business

For many authors, writing is often regarded as a hobby. It could be a refuge for private creativity or an escape from the stress and demands of our day-to-day lives. 

Yet book publishing happens to be a business, and as a self-publisher, you hold the responsibilities of making sure your business runs efficiently and that you are able to bring in profits. 

Find out how to promote and sell your book here.

#2 - Maintain Accurate Records

You are on your way to becoming a successful content provider, or maybe a popular information entrepreneur. Your abilities to make the best choices as the company starts to grow will depend on the quality of your information. 

Making sure you keep track of what is going on in your business, gaining a thorough understanding of loss and profit, along with the right way to prepare accurate projections and budgets when it comes to all the publishing projects you work on all form a part of the requirements of a business.

#3 - Maintain Relationships With Your Peers

The act of networking with other people that are self-publishers will expand your existing resources when it comes to resources of your own publishing community. 

Social media platforms have made it a much easier task to approach people, while the independent and local publishing groups happen to be a fantastic source for expertise, community, along with cooperative-marketing opportunities. Make sure you join one today. 

You can also use relationships with your peers to drive eBooks, which can help you set the stage for traditional self-publishing, explains proofer Russel Betland. He notes “we all have the desire to write the great Australian novel, don’t think you have to start with a traditional format. Having created an eBook for my website I began to see the skill set required for pushing through a longer book, and you can use this method too!”

#4 - Make Your Voice Heard

Many self-publishers have a deep connection to their own subject matter. This is usually the reason that they wrote these books, to begin with. 

A few of the most successful self-publishers are opinion leaders or activists that have fierce loyalty when it comes to what they believe in. Your opinions will assist you in defining yourself when it comes to your targeted audience, and provide clarity to others about who you really are.

#5 - Learn About The Marketing Mindset

In the days that you were just an author, chances are you were more focused on the overall developments of your manuscripts. But when you become a publisher, things change. 

For example, your local bookstore could become a potential community outreach and signing location. The subjects that your books contain have an influence on how you view the opportunities that the world is presenting to you. While marketing your books will become the new ways in which you interpret what the world has to offer. 

Alister Claire from Credit Capital explain that an investment in yourself can also kickstart a career. They explain “with smaller lenders now rivaling traditional lenders for finance, it’s easier than ever to get funding for publishing. This can be used to finance self-publishing costs or to create marketing buzz to get your book off the ground.”

#6 - Learn How To Become A Broadcaster

In the role of an author, you probably already feel at ease when it comes to communicating. With the focus on the development of an “author platform” before the publication date, you create the opportunity to reach your audiences through either email newsletters or a blog, or in any other way that you feel matches up to your specific readership. 

Implement dialogues or at the very least develop a dedicated space where the media and fans will have access to information about your books, press materials, and marketing appearances. 

Bonus Tip - Get Started On Your Next Book

All the groundwork you have already made from establishing your personal company, finding out ways to market and produce your book, along with all the efforts you have already placed into your peer networking and communication channels is easy to use when it comes to the next book you are about to release. 

In the process of planning another book, especially when it relates to the subject contained in your 1st book, it will help you to establish your own publishing business as unique and different when compared to the majority of other self-publishers. 

You will find yourself in a role that blends 2 remarkably divergent careers when you become both a publisher and an author. 

So make today the day you get started!

MORE ABOUT TODAY'S CONTRIBUTOR

"Charles Bailey is a freelance writer and university student based in Sydney. Majoring in Computer Science and Technology, Charles is also fond of fishing. When not at his desk creating content, he is outdoors soaking up the sunlight or going fishing with friends." 

MORE ABOUT THE BLOGGER


 Howard-Johnson is the multi award-wining author of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. She is also a marketing consultant, editor, and author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers including the multi award-winning The Frugal Book Promoter (http://bit.ly/FrugalBookPromoIII), now offered by Modern History Press in its third edition. Carolyn's latest is in the #HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers is How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically. Learn more on her Amazon profile page (http://bit.ly/CarolynsAmznProfile). Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers (http://bit.ly/Last-MinuteEditing) is one of her booklets--perfect for inexpensive gift giving--and, another booklet, The Great First Impression Book Proposal (http://bit.ly/BookProposalsII) helps writers who want to be traditionally published. The Frugal Editor (http://bit.ly/FrugalEditor), now in its second edition, is the winningest book in the series. Carolyn also has three frugal books for retailers including one she encourages authors to read because it will help them convince retailers to host their workshops, presentations, and signings. It is A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques (http://bit.ly/RetailersGuide). In addition to this blog, Carolyn helps writers extend the exposure of their favorite reviews at TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com. She also blogs at all things editing--grammar, formatting and more--at The Frugal, Smart, and Tuned-In Editor (http://TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com)

The Benefits of Self-Publishing

The Benefits Of Self-Publishing Your Book

By Charles Bailey

Do you want to publish your very own book?

You have spent hours creating your plot and have all your character profiles.  

You have spent days looking at background information and months or years writing your novel.  

And you’ve spent a lifetime dreaming of the day you could pick up a bound copy of your own creative dream.

But with the ability to secure a book deal through traditional means becoming harder and harder, and hybrid-publishinghasn’t worked, what’s next for your dream?The answer is simple - self-publishing.  

This might cause you to wonder what the benefits of self-publishing your manuscript are.  

So we’ve gone and figured it all out for you. If you’re dreaming of becoming a published author but struggling to find a way forward via traditional publishing, here’s why self-publishing is right for you.

#1 - The Creative Control

The first and potentially the most important benefit of self-publishing is the control. Throughout this process, you will retain all of the creative control. 

There are 4 stages that generally make up the publishing process and they are writing, editing, design, and printing. 

When you self-publish, you can choose if you want to hire a professional to help you with these stages. Regardless of what you decide, you will be working for yourself and will not have to answer to anyone else. 

This is an important consideration for those with highly creative book goals. Cake-maker Pearl, from Pearl's Creations, reinforces this and says“as a cake maker I have a creative vision for a cookbook that has been in the back of my mind for a long time. However, I would not feel comfortable compromising on this vision just to say I was published. Instead, I’ve researched the self-publishing route as a way to write the cookbook of my dreams, without giving up control.”

#2 - The Financial Rewards

You have done all the hard work, so why should someone else be paid for it? 

With self-publishing, every cent that the book makes will go directly to you which is not the case with traditional publishing. You can then use this hard-earned money to get more advertising and make sure your book is out there for everyone to see. 

It’s a myth that marketing has to be expensive, with the marketing experts from Search It Localexplaining “marketing has become extremely accessible for entrepreneurs with many options available for those looking to publish. Consider starting a free website on Wix or similar, boost Facebook Ads for a minor fee, or even try your hand at guerilla marketing to drum up interest in your self-published book prior to launch. There are endless free or cheap options for marketing your new book.”

#3 - Pricing Control

With self-publishing, you get to decide how much your book will cost. Of course, if you are selling your book for a dollar, it will generally take forever to break even on the original costs. However, you will make more friends this way and the lower costs will increase the potential readership. 

On the other hand, if you charge $100 for a 100-page novella, there are few people who are going to purchase the book. You need to choose a sensible price for the book. This is possible because you have complete financial control and you could even give discounts. 

#4 - The Networking Opportunities

You will go through several stages in the production of your book. Along the way, you will be discussing the book with other people, researching your marketing channels and considering the press release for the book. Whatever happens in your publishing journey, they are all opportunities for you to network with people in the same situation or who can help you. 

#5 - The Self-Publishing Guarantee

When you work with a larger publishing house, they are going to be selective. They only choose to publish books they are sure will make them a lot of money. Generally, they will be looking for successful authors who are guaranteed to sell.  

Self-publishing your book will offer you a different type of guarantee. If you want to publish your work, you can. There will be no editors or publishers who say that you cannot or will not want to take on a new author.  

#6 - Publishing Later Works

There are very few retailers who are willing to stock a single book self-published author. If you are able to afford self-publishing a few books, you can use them to strengthen your reputation as an author. 

This will open avenues in the future with some of the traditional publishing houses being more willing to take on your next book. As the previous books you have are self-published, you can edit them and re-release them with the publishing house. 

At The End of the Day - This Is Your Book

Self-publishing allows you to do all the work for your book. You have gone from the first exciting idea for the plot to getthe first copy of your book delivered to you. According life coach Eiran Trethowan,this feeling of satisfaction can inspire you to go on and repeat the success with another book. She explains “in self publishing, youhave put in the effort and the book is completely your creation. You need to be proud of this and treasure your masterpiece while getting it out for everyone to read. Psychologically this can trigger a desire to recapture the same feeling, and actually help motivate you to achieve even more.”

There are a lot of successful self-published authors who continue to grow.  

Whether you want the fame and fortune of being an author or just want to share your work with the world, self-publishing is a provenoption.  

Don’t let your hard work end up in the recycling bin or gathering dust, take your destiny in your own hands, and become a self-published author.

AUTHOR BIO:

Charles Bailey is a freelance writer and university student based in Sydney. Majoring in Computer Science and Technology, Charles is also fond of fishing. When not at his desk creating content, he is outdoors soaking up the sunlight or going fishing with friends. 

MORE ABOUT THE BLOGGER

 Howard-Johnson is the multi award-wining author of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. She is also a marketing consultant, editor, and author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers including the award-winning second editions of The Frugal Book Promoter and The Frugal Editor. Her latest is in the series is How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically. Learn more on her Amazon profile page, http://bit.ly/CarolynsAmznProfile. Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers is one of her booklets--perfect for inexpensive gift giving--and, another booklet, The Great First Impression Book Proposal helps writers who want to be traditionally published. She has three FRUGAL books for retailers including one she encourages authors to read because it will help them convince retailers to host their workshops, presentations, and signings. It is A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques (http://bit.ly/RetailersGuide). In addition to this blog, she helps writers extend the exposure of their favorite reviews at TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com. She also blogs at all things editing--grammar, formatting and more--at The Frugal, Smart, and Tuned-In Editor (http://TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com)