The Self-Publishing Process 1 Critique(s)/Feedback 3 Developmental Editing 4 5 Author Bio, 2 Dedication, Cover Design Acknowledgements 6 Copy-Editing Marketing 11 7 Typesetting Ebook Formatting 12 8 Proofreading Ebook Conversion 13 9 Printing POD Author Check 14 10 Physical Distribution Digital Distribution Physical Stores Digital Stores Introduction Are you on the verge of self-publishing your book but aren’t sure where to start? Hopefully this guide will help! We aim to give you a summary of each stage of the self-publishing process and let you know how we can help you if you need it. Not all the stages apply to every book. You might decide to put out your book as a digital-only release, in which case the steps relating to printing and physical distribution won’t apply to you. The steps highlighted in purple are the ones we can help with. We understand that you’re probably on a limited budget and might not be able to afford to get us – or anyone else – to do all these things for you. That’s fine! It’s up to you to choose what you want to do yourself and when you need a hand. We’re just here to point you in the right direction. After all, you’re a writer, not a marketer or a typesetter or an editor or a graphic designer. You want to free up your valuable time to write, and that’s where we can help. Director Help For Writers Ltd www.helpforwriters.me [email protected] 07814 153560 1 Critique(s)/Feedback Have you asked a few friends and family members to cast an eye over your book before taking it further? Most writers do, which is a great start. But can your friends and family be totally honest with you? There will always be some who just want to encourage you, and they won’t point out any major flaws in your work. Others may try so hard to be helpful that you feel inundated by suggestions and aren’t sure where to turn next. The more input you can get at this stage, the more work, time and money you’ll save further on down the line. Share extracts with a local writers’ group, use online beta readers and find as many ways as possible to get a variety of opinions about your work. Remember to give something back Whether you’re trying to get input from a real-life writers’ group or people you’ve connected with online, it’s important to remember that they’re writers too, and their own work is their top priority. Don’t go barging in demanding help – give something back by offering to provide feedback on someone else’s work. If you put in the effort to become part of the community, hopefully you’ll find a welcoming and helpful group of writers to give you constructive criticism! How we can help We provide a critique service where we give an opinion on aspects such as style, tone, plot, characters, pacing, etc. 2 Marketing ‘But I haven’t finished my book yet!’ I hear you say. You’ve got plenty of feedback on your manuscript, you’ve taken it all on board and you’ve made some major revisions. You’re about to go through it with a fine-tooth comb looking for spelling mistakes. There’s still a lot of work to be done – after all, you haven’t even got a cover image yet! How can you think about marketing your book? You need to start your marketing right at the beginning. You might even have started already, in which case, more power to your elbow! The process of promoting your book will last right up to the book launch – and beyond. While you’re finalising this draft, start to create a ‘buzz’ and get your potential readers excited about what’s coming. Now is the time to grow your following, both online and in the real word, and generate interest in your forthcoming book. You’ve already published a book … If you’ve published books before, great! You have a readymade fanbase to tap into, and you already have a lot of information about which marketing methods and channels work for you and your audience. Use your previous books as a springboard to promote this one. How we can help We can give you a helping hand and take the pressure off with our marketing service. We’ll have a chat with you about your book and your plans, and together we’ll decide what help you need and draw up a personalised marketing plan for you. Don’t wait until you’ve got the finished product in your hand – get the ball rolling straight away! 3 Developmental Editing Developmental editing is sometimes called structural editing. A developmental editor will look at your manuscript as a whole, covering areas such as plot, characterisation, themes, voice, dialogue, pace and flow. They’ll look at the ‘big picture’ and how everything fits together, and should also pick up on major inconsistencies and inaccuracies. Developmental editing is complex and time-consuming. It also usually results in a significant amount of rewriting, so make sure you have this wrapped up before moving on to copy-editing or proofreading. Are you ready? Now is the best time to write a synopsis. Don’t forget that a synopsis is different from a blurb! It should be about one A4 page long and contain all the major plot points – including spoilers. A synopsis should describe what happens in your book. Writing a synopsis is a great way of picking up on plot holes or things that don’t make sense. You can correct these issues before sending your work to an editor, saving them time and you money! How to find the right editor for your book Look for an editor who works in your genre. They know what keeps a reader from putting the book down, and can help make your book one of those can’t-put-down books. With the ease of finding editors online, you’re not limited to someone based in your country – but make sure their first language is your language. We don’t just mean English; do you write in UK or US English? Everyone’s familiar with differences like ‘colour’ and ‘color’, or ‘tap’ and ‘faucet’, but did you know that punctuation is different as well? There are lots of other subtle grammar rules to consider, so do yourself a favour (or favor) and choose an editor who is fluent in your book’s primary language. Don’t be afraid to ask editors for references. You could ask the referee about their experience working with the editor, if deadlines were met, if the final cost was as quoted, how the editor improved the book, and if they have worked or would work with them again. Working style is also important. Are you looking for someone who will take your book, edit it and send it back to you? Or are you looking for someone who will walk you through every step and consult with you about changes and recommendations? Most editors know how much communication and involvement they like to have, so if you have a strong preference one way or another, discuss this with them to see if you’re a good fit. Personality matters You and your editor are a team with the goal of making your book the best it can be. It’s essential that you work well together, so choose someone you like and with whom you have a ‘spark’. If you don’t like the way they communicate with you or the vibe you get from them, keep searching. 4 Author Bio, Dedication, Acknowledgements While you’re still editing your book, think about what you need as well as the main text. All the stuff that goes at the front is referred to in the trade as ‘preliminary matter’ or ‘front matter’, and there’s a lot that can go here – especially if your book is non-fiction and has lots of illustrations and tables – but there are some things in particular that you might want to think about including. The following list is just a guide – not every book has a foreword or a preface, for instance – but if you do include them, the pages should appear in this order: • Title page (title of the work, name of the author, publisher’s name – we recommend you set up your own ‘micro-publishing’ company for this purpose) • Imprints page (publisher’s name and address/website, publisher’s logo, date of publication, publishing history, copyright information, ISBN) • Dedication • Foreword (written by someone other than the author) • Preface (written by you, the author) • Acknowledgements • Contents Remember that these pages will also need to be checked for spelling, punctuation, accuracy and consistency, so don’t leave them to the last minute! This is particularly important if you’re creating an ebook only, and not a hard copy. Because you’re dealing with a digital file instead of a printed one, it’s easy to forget about these conventions, but once the file has been formatted as an ebook, it takes extra work to insert more pages and will cost you time and money. If they’re rushed, you may not have time to get them professionally proofread or give them due attention yourself. 5 Cover Design While you’re getting your work edited and making sure you’ve got your preliminary matter together, it’s also a good time to think about your cover design.