#238 Tips for Self-Publishers
May 12, 2021
Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash
I love writing and when I discovered self-publishing - well I knew I had to jump in. Now it's a staple in my business. In my experience, there are many ways to tackle the task - at the end of the day you want to get 'er done!
Ten tips to help you with some of those decisions:
1. Let's face it, the first step is the one that is in front of us. Some people need to see the complete path to get it done. Fair enough. But one thing that stands in the way for everyone is the writing. All of us want to be published but we don't want to write the darn thing. Overcome it by recording it on audio and getting someone to convert that audio into a word doc. Get 'er done!
2. Join a local organization like Writers Federations of Nova Scotia. It's a great place to connect with like minded people and you will meet the pace setters, the generous people who will help you when you're stuck. There will be folks with resources - no sense reinventing the wheel.
3. Cut editing costs by getting 4 friends who are decent writers to read it for you and take their feedback seriously. I would then send it to a reputable editor for the finishing touches. There are many great suggestions that come out of a professional editing experience. It will make you a better writer. Ever pick up a book and come across 15 mistakes in the first 3 chapters - it interrupts the flow of the reading experience - don't be that person.
4. Get a cover designed on Fiverr for cheap. Keep costs low. If you're not worried about cost, support your friends who have a graphic design business. They could use your help.
5. Getting the book on Amazon requires you to be tech savvy. That's not my cup of tea so I outsource it. But you can learn it quite easily on YouTube. There are so many great videos for the do-it-yourselfer.
6. Learn about print on demand. When I wrote my first book in 2010, the only option was to buy a large volume of books to keep the costs low. The risk there was that I could end up with boxes of books in the closet collecting dust. Fortunately I pre-sold the books so I was able to unload them fairly quickly. The beauty of Print on Demand (POD) is that you can do the small runs. If I have a workshop of 50 people, I can request 50 and have them shipped to the venue. Makes sense.
7. Write a small e-book as a FREEBIE for your business. It allows you to collect emails for your mailing list. Check out my most popular opt-in here. Get your free copy of Money Mindset: How Changing My Mind About Money Helped Me To Succeed As An Entrepreneur I've written a dozen opt-ins that help people to get to know me and what I do. It starts the "know, like, trust" cycle.
Get that book written, the world is waiting for read your masterpiece. We all have a message to share.
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Debbie Adams - veteran entrepreneur
