Independent publishing has become a huge force in the publishing industry. Authors are taking charge of their book’s fate and using the Internet to successfully market their own books. Authors also like the idea of collecting 100% of the royalties from book sales.

Although self-publishing can seem daunting, by following these 25 steps you can have a quality book in as little as four to six months.

Step 1: Finish the manuscript

Step 2: Decide on a Title

Step 3: Clean up the manuscript as best you can

Step 4: Have friends and family read your book. Ask for feedback

Step 5: Hire a professional editor

Step 6: Decide on the book’s size (e.g., 5 x 8, 6 x 9, etc.)

Step 7: Hire a professional cover designer

Step 8: Hire an interior layout designer

Step 9: Create a publishing company

Step 10: Write back cover copy

Step 11: Get testimonials and/or reviews from those in your genre

Step 12: Get a professional author photo

Step 13: Purchase domain name(s) (e.g., Book’s Title, Publisher’s Name, Your Name/Author Name)

Step 14: Purchase Web hosting package (for book’s Web site or author’s Web site)

Step 15: Purchase ISBN (www.isbn.org)

Step 16: Get Bar Code

Step 17: Get LCCN (Library of Congress Control Number)

Step 18: Obtain Sales Tax license(s)

Step 19: Hire a reputable printer

Step 20: Register with Bowker’s Books in Print

Step 21: After layout: send to a professional proofreader

Step 22: Start marketing your book for pre-sales and to create a buzz
- Online (social networking sites, author groups, Amazon.com)
- Reviews from newspapers & magazines
- Offer a weekly newsletter to build a readership
- Join organizations
- Become a speaker
- Contact independent book stores
- Other: Niche marketing

Step 23: Accept the proofed copy

Step 24: Order your books from the printer

Step 25: Start working on your next book

Confused or don’t have enough time to go through these steps? Hire an author’s assistant. One who’s trained in helping you walk through the steps to self-publish. V and E Services specializes in guiding authors through the self-publishing maze. From manuscript to self-publishing success! Contact me for more information: Karen@VandEServices.com

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 9th, 2009 at 10:59 pm and is filed under Authors, Entrepreneurs, Publishers. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.