I know a lot of readers don’t actually visit the blog directly, but read articles in their feed reader or in an email message. And I’m glad we have those available, otherwise we wouldn’t be able to keep up with much of what goes on in the self-publishing world.
So if you’re reading this in your email, you won’t see the big ad I’ve put in the sidebar for a new, free self-publishing resource I’ve put together for those of you thinking about getting involved in self-publishing, or if you’ve gotten started but still have lots of questions.
Believe me, I know how confusing all this stuff can be. I self-published my first book in 1986. I had been working in the publishing business, but I had no idea how to get an ISBN, not a clue how to get testimonials or book reviews, and little idea about most of the publishing process.
Long Time Coming
I’ve wanted to put together a PDF like this for a while, and I’m glad I found the time to do it.
Here are the questions I included to cut down on some of the “frustration time” new self-publishers go through:
- Your author platform
- Editing
- Going DIY
- Reader research
- Print/e-Book decisions
- ISBNs
- Cost of self-publishing
- Subsidy publishers
- Book covers
- Book marketing
There are links and suggestions for each topic. I was pretty happy with myself when I finally finished it.
What’s Missing?
But the more I thought about it, the more I realized something was missing. Sure, the guide was useful, but it needed more. Then I realized what it was.
What newcomers needed was also a list of the most common mistakes people make when they get started, so I added those, too. In each case you’ll find:
- a thorough explanation of why this is a mistake,
- how to avoid it, and
- links to resources if you want to find out more.
Here’s a sample:
Now I was much happier. In 24 pages, I had packed in about as much content, tips, recommendations and resources links as I could without making it a mess. I added an introduction about the “new” self-publishing and why it’s so much more complicated than it used to be.
If you’re on my email list, you already received a link to download this new free guide.
If you’re not on my email list, this is a good opportunity to jump on board.
This is my Priority Email Notification list. What that means is that you get articles that I don’t publish on the blog, free resources I come across, and early notification when new things are happening.
It’s a good thing.
You can get your own copy of this new guide here: 10 Things You Need to Know About Self-Publishing
I’d love to know what you think of it!
Photo by Emre Danisman
There is nowhere to put your email to get the ebook
I found this PDF to be quite informative and encouraging. However, I am chiefly interested in the e-pub format for my work. Later, if I ever do a graphic novel, I will consider the possibility of using PDF. Paper is on its way out for fiction and may be on very thin ice for the instructional market as well.
Thanks for the article. It was really good to see the box about graphics on the screen/in print – that (or some similar advice) helped when I designed my own book cover.
TOO GOOD TO KNOW. This is very educative for those of us who may not want to wait endlesly for traditional publishing. Kudos to you!