Writing a book is one thing, but self-publishing it is different. Approximately 90% of self-published books sell less than 100 copies. That is a staggering number, and though indie authors are getting more respect and notice, it’s still an incredibly tough field. Then, there are the influencers who create a trending video and sell thousands of copies daily. There is plenty of in-between, but it takes practice to reach it. Let’s explore how to self-publish your novel and sell it.
Disclaimer: This is not legal advice but my own experience.
You finish your first draft. Now, what do you do?
1.) First, get a good copy of Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style and read it. It’s very short, but you can at least edit out some of your more basic mistakes.
2.) Read through your draft at least three to five times. Check for grammar, plot holes, inconsistencies, etc. Will you find them all? No. But you’ll give your editor an easier time.
3.) Find Beta Readers. Once that’s done and you’re as ready as you can be, pick some friends, coworkers, book club ladies, etc, to read through this rough second draft of your book. Do not pick random people or people simply because they’re your friends. Choose people who are readers of your genre or niche.
Choosing a beta reader who isn’t interested in your genre could result in bad feedback that doesn’t enhance your story. If you give a horror lover your romance novel, you may be told to kill off your protagonist instead of changing her hair color or career.
I like to use Google Docs to engage with beta readers. It’s easy to use and view.
4.) Once trusted beta readers have finished reading your manuscript, read through all of their feedback and incorporate the ones that make the most sense for your goals.
5.) Now you’re ready for the professional. You need an editor. Again, it’s essential to use an editor with experience in your genre and a background in editing. If you want to hire an editor but are worried about cost, I’m a big user of upwork.com. I hired my editor and cover artist here for a fraction of what it would have cost other places. In my case, it worked out, but be careful of scams. Make sure you read reviews and ask questions. Vet your potential collaborators carefully.
6.) Hire a Cover artist—covers matter. If you don’t have a background in book cover design, do not attempt to launch without a professional. This isn’t just a doodle on a pad. This is a book you’ve worked long and hard on. A cover is one of the main things likely to convince someone to buy your book. Many readers buy books based on the cover alone and figure out the plot later. This will be a big selling point; you want it to represent your book well. Look at other covers of books in your genre that have historically sold well. Don’t copy but emulate their styles. Are they dark or light-colored? Illustrated or photographed? Sleek or Soft?
7.) Now that you’ve finished your professional edits and designed a cover, it’s time to set a launch date. My suggestion is to set your launch date a month or two in the future. The reasons for this are marketing-related. Give your book enough time so that both preorders can be made and ARC readers can finish the book.
Preorders help with your initial sales and create hype for the book. The key to preorders is making sure you tell people about your book. This can be done via social media, word of mouth, setting up your newsletter, and registering your book with sites that deal in your genre, like Goodreads or, in my case, why-choose.com. You’ll find that every genre has these genre-specific or even niche-specific sites. Make sure your book is counted among them.
ARC Readers are Advanced Reader Copy Readers. These are readers who receive your book when it is already completed and fully edited but before its release date. ARC readers are different from beta readers in that they do not typically give feedback that is integrated into edits in the book as the book is now finished. ARCs are usually given out in the hopes of garnering reviews before the launch date. Though Amazon does not allow prelaunch reviews, most book-based social media sites like Goodreads, storygraph, and Bookbub do. These reviews can be essential in gaining new readers. Plenty of readers purchase books based on reviews alone. Yes, you will get a few negative reviews. That is the nature of writing and reading. But, if you reach your target audience, those reviews should be majority positive. If you’re convinced the reviews will be negative and are too afraid to recruit ARC readers, go back to your book and work out why. If you’re not confident about your book, then who will be? I have a healthy newsletter following and gain many of my ARC readers through that subscription, but there are plenty of third-party sites that can help you obtain ARC readers.
8.) Market! In the weeks or months leading up to your launch date, you must be persistent and consistent about marketing your book. You don’t need a fancy marketing degree to do this, but you must research. Post and speak about your book daily to as large an audience as possible. Go into specialty niche groups to talk about it (but follow the rules; don’t self-promote where you’re not wanted). Newsletter swaps, group promos. Do the research and get your book in front of as many eyes as possible. It takes up to six exposures on average for someone to finally purchase.
9.) Launch! The days leading up to your launch date need to be filled with nonstop promotion. Again, you don’t need to spend money, but you do need to talk about it anywhere and everywhere. On the day of, I suggest live streams, posts, videos, and giveaways. Make the day special.
Thank you for your interest in my self-publishing steps. If you want more self-publishing ideas and advice, please sign up for my free newsletter HERE.
Happy writing and reading.
