It's the age-old question, isn't it? So, what do you actually need to self-publish a book?
I think this one really depends on who you ask because there is a lot of nuance that goes into it. This answer might change depending on your goals.
But the short of it is: you need a completed story.
That's it. And, again depending on your goals, sometimes even that is negotiable.
In today's post, I'm going to talk a bit about the recommendations for self-publishing pitted against the actual necessities of the trade.
Goals
Let's start by talking about various goals so we can discuss what's needed at each stage.
First, there's the goal to simply have a book in print. Then, there's the want to have a book in print and distributed. And lastly, there's the goal to have a book printed and distributed, and to launch a writing career.
Each subsequent goal is going to have added recommendations or steps.
For ease of definitions, "having a book in print" means one copy of the book in your hands. It could be paperback or hardcover, designed and typeset or not. The gist of it is that you wrote something, put it through a printer, and received it as a bound book.
"Distribution" means the book is now available from a catalog for bookstores to purchase and shelve or list on their website. For most self-published authors, this means just online. But depending on the amount of risk you're willing to take on, this could be in stores as well. Distribution makes the book available directly to the consumer.
Printing a book
If you just want to have a book in print, all you need is your words and a printer. You could design a cover. You could also typeset (or format) the interior to read well in print. But for one copy, that's not a necessity.
If this is the route you want to take, I would recommend using the company Lulu. They have an option for distribution, but they're one of the better companies for printing a single book at market-level quality. You have complete control over the design, as well.
Trim size. One thing you will need to consider is what size the book will be. This is referred to as "trim size". Most commonly, books range from 5" x 8", 5.5" x 8.5", and 6" x 9". Each genre has a different average, and each format (paperback vs. hardcover) does as well.
Distributing a book
But let's say that you don't want just one copy of your book, you'd like it to be available for purchase wherever books are sold. Then there are some more things to consider. These include levels of editing, cover design, typesetting and interior formatting, and some legal tidbits.
At the core, again, all you're going to need is a book that you wrote and a place to distribute it for you.
However, if you want the book to be indistinguishable from traditionally published books, then here's where we may want to go:
Edits. There are various types of edits, and different editors call them by different names. For a brief breakdown, there are four main types.
Developmental Edits
These edits focus on big picture items like plot, flow, character arcs, etc. This edit is typically done just after the first or second draft when elements of the story are still being nailed down. On average, they run from $1000-$4000 USD depending on things like word count and editor experience. Some editors offer payment plans or run discounts occasionally, so if you would like a dev editor and want to save, that might be something to look for.
Alternatively, if you feel confident in your writing and revising ability, this step could be skipped by connecting with solid alpha/beta readers and critique partners. While often not as thorough as paying for an edit, having a few rounds of readers can help to smooth out those pieces without having to pay thousands for an editor's eyes. Just make sure the people reading have the best for you and your story at heart. It doesn't help anyone to be told the reader would rather have read a different book altogether.
Line Edits
Line edits are often confused with copy edits, and different editors may even consider them in a similar vein. The gist is that line edits focus on the flow of each sentence. They read for clarity on a line level. You might get feedback from a line editor that sounds like, "Could we use a different word here?" (We're nit-picky like that.) This edit is all about the prose and solidifying the author's voice.
If you're confident in your sentence flow, this may be an edit you could skip. I would suggest, then, either reading the text aloud and seeing how the flow of each sentence sounds, as this will help to catch awkward phrasing and words. Or, you could use a text-to-speech app and listen to it as you make revisions.
Copy Edits
Like line edits, copy edits focus on the story at a line level. However, where line edits focus on how things sound, copy edits focus on "Is this correct?" Your copy editor will look at grammar, syntax, spelling, etc. They look at story consistency and making sure your character who had brown hair in chapter 1 doesn't suddenly have purple hair in chapter 7.
Copy edits could be skipped if you are confident in your spelling and grammar, and you're good with a style guide and a dictionary. The most important thing with a copy edit is that the book is consistent with itself. For example, if you're spelling out numbers under ten (seven instead of 7) and writing the numbers above (42), then that should be the same throughout the book. You don't necessarily have to follow something like the Chicago Manual of Style word for word, but you also don't want to be changing styles in the middle of the book.
Proofreading
This is the last step in the editing process, and it's often best to hire a proofreader who hasn't yet touched the book. This is because editors are human and things get missed - even with the best editors out there. Having fresh eyes makes it more likely that things which have gone overlooked up to this point will be caught. The proofreader - although often considered an editor - isn't really an editor at all. They're quality control. A proofreader is going to read the manuscript to find any mistakes, typos, etc. that are still in the document after it's been prepared for printing.
This is a step I don't necessarily recommend skipping, but you might get away with it if you have good eyes or great friends who are excellent at finding mistakes.
Covers. If you're providing your book for distribution, it will need some kind of cover. While the obvious choice is to hire a cover artist, that's not always in the financial cards. If that's the case, you might look into graphic design software such as Canva (or InDesign for those more advanced). One thing to note here is that, if you're doing it yourself, make sure you understand imaging rights and if you can use certain objects or images on a commercial cover. Sometimes there are stipulations around which pieces can be used and how they can be used.
Formatting. Somehow, the interior of the book will need to be formatted to fit the print size you want. There are interior formatters for hire just like there are editors, but if you want to cut costs, there's basic software you can use to do it yourself. Atticus is a very user-friendly platform with a one-time fee that basically formats your interior for you. There is a bit of a learning curve, but it's relatively short. And once you own it, there are no ongoing fees.
Printing. Listing a book for distribution ultimately means choosing a company to print the book on your behalf. There are plenty of options for Print on Demand services these days, so it's just a matter of doing a bit of research and deciding which is best for you and your goals. Some of the most common options are Ingram Spark, Amazon, Draft2Digital, and Lulu. But there are also smaller options like Barnes & Noble if you're in the states.
Each company is going to have different prices and slightly different options for printing. (Do you want paperback only? Hardcover? Do you want a dust jacket with your hard cover? etc.) So be thorough when you're looking, and know that different printing options are going to have different price tags. A hardcover is going to cost more to produce than a paperback. Will it be affordable for readers while still making you some money?
Costs. That leads into pricing. Offering a book for sale inevitably means choosing a price to list the book at. You could sell your 200-page fantasy paperback on Amazon for $53 a piece, but you're probably not going to see a lot of sales unless it's the best book that's ever been written. Make sure to do research on average pricing for the genre and size of book you're offering.
ISBNs. If you're distributing a book through a printer, it will need an ISBN. There are a few different ways to go about this. Most places nowadays will offer a free ISBN simply for printing with them. While this is a cost-effective option, there is a bit of risk involved as it means the printer then owns that version of your book. Should you wish to take it and print it elsewhere, you may run into some issues. (The way around this is simply to make a few changes as it's then no longer the "same" book, but it's an added step that purchasing your own ISBNs would avoid.)
Additionally, every medium of publication requires a different ISBN. So your paperback and hardcover versions of the same book need different ISBNs.
Copyright. While Intellectual Property Law states that something is copyrighted to you as soon as it's written, this isn't always easy to prove in a court setting. Sure, we hope that it would never come to that, but it's always easier to have a certified copyright for your book if it's going to be in the public eye. It gives a piece of paper from the administration certifying that the book belongs to you.
Launching a career
While this goal isn't all that different from choosing to distribute a book, there are just a couple more things to consider.
Royalties. Remember that mention about pricing? That's because there's a market. Each genre has its own market, and there are pricing expectations from readers about how much a book is going to cost them. If you want to make money, you'll need to find the price point that still offers you decent royalties (the amount you make off each book sold) but that readers are also willing to pay.
Marketing. Additionally, you might want to consider how readers are going to hear about your book. We all may wish we publish a book and someone important hears of it, tells all their friends, and suddenly the book is a best seller. Realistically, that's unlikely, and so it's important to have a plan to reach readers. This may include a pre-order campaign, giveaways, partnerships, ads, etc. Marketing is an added cost that may or may not feel worth it. Most of it can be done by simply putting boots on the ground and hustling hard. It can be a lot of work to get the word out, but it is doable on alone.
Street teams. However, if you're not a go-it-alone type of person, street teams are a great option for "free" assistance. Street teams help an author with things like cover reveals, book announcements, and general word of mouth shares. Often, they do this in return for something, just not cash. Street teams are usually the first to hear about new books, book related information, and other details you provide. They may also receive book related goodies from the author as thanks.
Wide distribution. Above, we also spoke about choosing a printer/distributer, but if we're launching a career, it may be wise to distribute "wide". This means listing the book with as many different companies as possible, giving your book the best chance at reaching readers. Many self-pub authors will choose to publish with Amazon, Ingram Spark, and Draft2Digital. (Just make sure that you're not overlapping on distribution. You don't need to choose the setting on Ingram to list on Amazon if you've already manually listed on Amazon.)
Well friends, I think that may be my advice for the day! Self-publishing can be quite the beast, but if we're not having fun, then why are we doing it?
Feel free to drop any questions in the comments or reach out to me on my Contact Page.
Happy writing,
Erin
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