What You Should Know about Self-Publishing

LECTURE OUTLINE

– Reasons to Self-Publish vs Reasons not to Self-Publish

– Form of Business Enterprise: Individual vs LLC

– Need to apply for registered copyright or not?

– Purchase ISBN numbers (KDP assigns its own ASIN #)

– Going it on your own or contracting for Publishing services experts

– Your reason for publishing a book: personal legacy or making money

– Honestly analyzing the market place for your book if revenue is your goal.

– Selecting key words

– Research Amazon categories

– Preparing your manuscript:

• Role of Beta readers

• Revisions

• Editors and additional revisions

~ Developmental Editor

~ Copy or Line Editor

~ Proof Reader

~ Interior formatting

~ Consider including a reader magnate (to collect names for building an email list)

– Creating a Book Cover:

• Cover design and formatting

• Author headshot photo and bio

• Write a compelling book summary

• Obtain praise blurb(s)

• Business Logo

• Each version of the book requires a different cover format

– Preparing for Launch Day

• Book launch team or Advance Copy Readers (ARCs)

• Create a website to promote your book

• Purchase an emailer application and set up to create and grow mail list of readers

• Create presences on other social media platforms

• Upload final file formats to KPD (Amazon’s POD arm) and Ingram Spark

• Choose to use Kindle Select/ Kindle unlimited or not?

• Pre-sales (are not included in Amazon rankings) vs. launch day

• Set up launch promotions:

~ KDP Free ebook promotions

~ Other Book Promoters –

• Free ebook blasts to their email lists

• Free ebook giveaways

~ Media press releases

~ Obtain industry recognized expert reviews – Kirkus, Goodreads, Readers Views etc.

– Launch day and beyond

• Celebrate! You’re a published author

• Throw your launch team, friends and family a launch party

• Watch ratings and reviews come in (lots of fun!)

• Watch Amazon category rankings soar (hopefully to #1 in Kindle free books)

• Market, Market, Market

~ Go to book fairs

~ Visit libraries and bookstores with a detailed sell sheet to ask them to stock your book

~ Contact books clubs and offer to speak at their meetings

~ Contact media book reviewers

~ Hold Quarterly relaunches

~ Organize Zoom events

~ Consider recording an audiobook