My Self-Publishing Journey and What I’ve Learned So Far…

It’s no secret that I’ve been wanting to publish a book, and that I’ve been working on publishing a book this year. Hours and hours I have spent researching and studying self-publishing and everything I should know and I’ve walked away knowing one thing.

There isn’t that much good info on self-publishing out there.

I joined many conferences, zoom meetings, watched videos, looked on blogs, and even through sites like Ingram spark. Every single thing had the same ending. Pay me this money and we will do the work for you. Everyone is trying to sell something at this point, and I feel as though the internet is so overstocked with people trying to make easy cash. So here are a few things to know about self-publishing if you have a book you’d like to publish with little to no cost.

Photo by Elaine Howlin on Unsplash

Don’t wait to finish the book before marketing…

Seriously. This one blew my mind. You really need to start marketing and getting the word out there about your book early. If it's just a work in progress start posting WIP progress updates, character descriptions, talk about the themes and problems the story covers, etc. Use TikTok and Instagram to get the word out early that you are starting to work on a book, and use hashtags! If you gain a following while you are working on the book, these people will definitely want to be the first to get their hands on your book when it’s complete. I mean, they’ve been here since the beginning! That is an early sale of your book! Plus, it will lighten the load on marketing towards the end, and cut costs on having to pay others to market. Be consistent with posting times and try to set a schedule.

Formatting doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg…

You heard me, there are two ways I know how to format a book instead of paying thousands to someone else but be ready for some work. The harder way I only suggest if you have pictures and specific formatting in your books, such as pretty fonts and pictures.

If you find you want more elaborate work, you will want to use Canva for book formatting. Yes, it is a photo editing app, but it is how I formatted my book, it works. It is extremely time-consuming, but it is a free program to use. Once you get the hang of it, it’s fairly easy. So just pop on a good show and get ready for repetitive work with Canva.

If you want simple formatting, Reedsy offers a free book editor which allows you to write your book and export it into an e-book file and print-ready file for a variety of book sizes. So this is easier but does mean less creative freedom in formatting as they only have three font choices and photos do not format well through their system. I used it only for my e-book and used canvas for my paperback copy.

Either way, you can format it for free! This is a major cost saver for writers who don’t have a ton of money to invest in the beginning.

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Beta Readers are your friend…

You will want feedback on your book throughout the process, and for the lucky few, getting your friend to help is an option, but some people need more in-depth feedback, which is where getting a beta reader comes in handy. Many beta readers start at $5+ on Upwork, and give pretty detailed feedback on your story and how to make it better.

Some even make notes of spelling errors and awkward flow, which helps before publishing. So I highly recommend posting a job on Upwork for a beta read for your novel or short story before publishing. Hire 2+ because more opinions will help you figure out the best ways to polish your story.

Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and if you need an ISBN or not…

It is far easier than you would think to publish through the big brands. Amazon is the simplest. So I will go over the two separately.

Amazon you just have to fill out some personal information (like applying for a job) and upload your manuscript, cover, describe the book, and then set up a cost based on the fees for printing (if it is a physical copy) it is insanely easy to get a book published on here. This is why marketing early, and putting effort into a cover is crucial for your book to thrive here. For Amazon books, they offer free ISBNs, but that means the book will only work within Amazon’s system. If you want to see your book in multiple retailers you will want to buy one, but for starting authors with a low budget, the free one is smarter.

With Bowker.com (ISBN site for the US) it costs $125 for an ISBN, and $25 more for a barcode that you will want.

Barnes and Noble takes a little longer to process, you need to submit a W-9 form for them to review to create a vendor account so you will be allowed to sell, and they are a little behind on reviews. They will also need to review your book before you can publish it. They do have a very simple system for uploading everything and filling out book information though. One major thing to know is that self-publishing through them does not guarantee your book on their shelves, they will have to order it and send it to stores which they will only do if the book is in demand or if you request from an individual store that they get it in stock. Your local store will most likely do it if you ask them as a local author. Barnes and Noble do also offer free ISBNs, but this does mean the book stays within their system. So again, if you want to publish with both you will want to buy an ISBN.

Photo by Clark Young on Unsplash

Final Thoughts…

Overall, it is not that hard to publish a book, it is too easy, which is why you see many self-published books out there now that flop. If you want your book to shine, the effort you put in is what you will get out of it. Put in the time and research and love into your book, and you can do it successfully for a very fair price. Most importantly, don’t do it as a cash grab. Writing a book is so much more than a quick money scheme. Write the book you want to read, and there will be others like you who want to read it as well.

I hope this had helpful advice for anyone else out there struggling to find self-publishing information!