Do you want to share a gripping fictional story filled with multi-layered characters, or help others learn something new by putting your life experience into words? No matter what drove you to become a writer, your dreams of publishing a book are easier to achieve than you think. We’ve missed out on many potentially life-changing works throughout history because of bureaucracy and strict publishing house requirements, but now times are finally changing. In the era of technology, self publishing a book has become easier than ever. No agents, no middlemen, no shady editorial deals. With nothing more than an Internet connection and basic marketing knowledge, you can put your writing talent in the spotlight and even start an accomplishing career as an author.
Step 1: Get the best possible version of your book ready.
Self publishing a book gives you full control of the process, and you won’t have to deal with the rejection of publishing houses. Still, your book needs to be the best it can be if you want it to sell. So, before thinking where you’ll publish it, first, you have to go through this checklist to make sure it meets quality standards:
- A catchy title
- A cover that makes people curious
- Spelling, grammar & style corrections (if possible, hire a proofreader or editor to speed up the process)
- Proper formatting
Step 2: Sign up for Kindle Direct Publishing
Maybe your book will one day hit the shelves of a physical library. But until then, self publishing it in digital format is the best way to make yourself known. And besides, it’s super easy! All you have to do is go to Amazon and sign up for Kindle Direct Publishing. This is a simple, 2-step self-publishing program that takes just a few minutes to join, and this is where you’ll start your journey.
Step 3: Upload your book.
After creating your KDP account, upload your book by choosing the “Upload eBook Manuscript,” which can be found under “Your Bookshelf” on the KDP dashboard. When uploading your eBook, Amazon lets you choose up to seven relevant keywords for it. These are the keywords that readers will use to find your book, so choose carefully. A great starting point is to look at similar books in your niche and draw inspiration from the words and phrases they use.
Step 4: Adjust the book’s price.
Apart from the title and cover, your book needs a competitive price. The wisest course of action for new authors is to launch the book at a really low-price, such as $0.99. Then, as the book starts to sell, increase the price by $1 every week. When the sales begin to drop, that can be an indicator that the price is too high for the value offered, and you can lower it again to boost sales.
Step 5: Market your book.
You put a lot of time and effort into writing and polishing your book, and now it’s time to let the world know it exists! Don’t worry, you don’t need a huge publishing house to back you up, because you can just as easily create hype by making a free website for the book, promoting it on social media, sending it to book bloggers for review, and encouraging readers to rate it.