How should you go about publishing a book?- Self Publishing
In this day and age there is so much opportunity and hope for the up-and-coming creatives of the world. When it comes to the world of book-writing, there are a few options people can consider.
With social media alive with a creative atmosphere, self-publishing is a viable option. Creating your own following, blending with a community of like-minded individuals or just releasing work and seeing how people feel is a good indicator of where you can go. Blog sites such as Medium and Wattpad are good places to start with some people even using them as base platforms to release books overtime. Medium has a large following in article and story writing but, much of their viewer base comes for informative and intellectual pieces. Wattpad however seems to be more tailored towards story writing. Allowing people to tag characters in pieces, write episodically and even a writer’s pick section to get your pieces out there for a large amount of Wattpad users to explore.
Alongside these options come platforms like Instagram and Facebook where you can make certain pages and groups to help your following grow. All these profiles can be linked together with a few clicks and copies, so the ease of access is there for people of all ages. With apps like Linktree you can also give one click access to your viewers. Linktree provides a space for all of your links (to your blog pages) from one link. Still following me here?
But how difficult is it to print your books when you self-publish? It is a question a lot of people will ponder. But, fear not! Amazon is here. With a print to order option and an even cheaper e-book option for people to access your works on Kindle, for a lower price than a paperback or hardback copy. The results of royalty can vary but it tends to be around 70% for a book between £1.50-£6.50 increasing and decreasing as the price lowers or increases, respectively.
The problem for self-publishing comes down to marketing and the reader base’s general attitude to self-publishing. Writers may seem unprofessional and unprepared in the eyes of many viewers without going through the rigorous process of rejection in the attempt to find a large publisher to back you. This can lead to the idea that your book isn’t polished and ready for release. However, it is down to the author to prove that through their writing. Also going back to building up a base of viewers on social media is a good way to show people how far you have come. The main thing to take from this is take your time. Revise and edit your work. Make it the best you can and then some. Just always be prepared for comments and reviews to not go the way you wish. It is a high-risk venture but, if it is your passion then follow it.
Marketing is another big aspect. Without a large amount of capital behind you, or the resources of a large publisher marketing and other bigger pieces of your book may be harder to master. Going back to social media: If you have a large enough following it may be easy to start marketing. Equally, if you have a lot of money, finding avenues through google advertising and other big marketing giants can make the whole process a lot easier. Then it comes down to the physical and imagery aspects of your book. Cover art, blurbs and formatting are the basics. Formatting can easily come through your edits. Cover art (front and back) can come at a much larger cost, unless you have some contacts willing to help a friend out. There used to be certain sites that would help you with such a process like CreateSpace but, as of 2018 they merged with Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). This instead just gave authors a direct route for publishing but, offered no services in helping writers through their journey.
Overall, we can see why there is a struggle in deciding which route to take and why publishers with big names and reputations are at the top of list for current authors. The stress of certain aspects being taken off your shoulders can come at a great cost for those unproven, so is it worth it? That is up to you. Whether you have the money or whether you have the mental attitude to work through the rejection and repetition.
On the other hand, there is a way at working your way in as a new author. Building yourself a tailored following. Building up your links and connections for help throughout your journey. A good piece of advice is focus on the people you have in front of you that are willing to listen and read. The people that are willing to spread the word about you and put in the time to help you along your journey. That may come through some work from yourself. Favours for favours. Social networking, marketing your strengths and your personality.
Publishing itself is quite easy. It is what you do before and after that will boost your position. Believe in your idea, be prepared to put in the time to make it the perfect piece you want. Don’t rush out that first big write-up as that will give you your start.
In terms of a following: If you take to socials make sure your posting is consistent. Make sure you give similar creatives the time they would give you. Balance your work and your presence, so that you have enough of both to grow. By no means is it easy, but for some who are starting up it is a good route for finding tips and finding what works best for you. These are key to creating an after-effect for your book once it hits the selling stage.
Lastly, good luck to all those out there following this dream. It is a long road with a lot of bumps along the way. The strongest will to let your uniqueness shine reflecting your creativity will push you to great things. You just need the belief to see it through.
