Cheap and Easy Way to Publish Your Book
Becoming a published author does not have to be a torturous experience.
When I decided to write a book I looked at my publishing options. I had no idea what self publishing was or what traditional publishing was. I found out the hard way, that even if you pay alot of money for a company to handle all the details for you, the result is tipically not what you'd expect.
So you wrote a book. Now what? Well, by now you have probably done your fair share of research on any and every possible publishing company. By now, you probably know that it will cost you and arm and a leg to publish with a credible company. This was the most frustrating part of my publishing process! Don't worry. Follow the steps bellow to self publishing with high royalty rates!
1. Have friends and family members proofread your book. These are people who won't shy away from telling you exactly what they think of the content. Have them point out any mistakes so you can correct them before submitting the manuscript to anyone.
2. Publisher. There are many book platforms out there but one that stands out the most is Amazon.
Amazon has millions of members all over the world and is easily acessible to all.
Create an author profile on CreateSpace.com and read about their services. You'll have to fill out some information about the book and the author. You will want to come up with a good book description as well. Check out some usefull articles on creating the description here, here and here.
3. Interior. Add your title to your profile and upload your manuscript. When your manuscript is complete, you will have the option of previewing your work. If the books interior does not look the way you want it to, than you have to go back to your manuscript file and format it yourself.
4. Formating. Another nerve wrecking step, for me at least. It is fairly easy to do. Take a look at the video tutorials bellow.
If you are working on OpenOffice click here for tutorial.
If you are working on a Word document click here for tutorial.
Follow the steps and upload your file again. Make sure you preview it again just to make sure it looks the way you want it to.
5. Cover. Thankfully, CreateSpace offers many templates for cover creation. First, choose a cover image. If you don't have one yet, browse throught artists on Instagram and find a piece that fits your book. Ask the owner for permission to use their art for your book cover. If they agree, make sure you get a written consent from the owner. This is a great way to get some exposure as well. Once your book is out on the market, they will tell all their friends and followers about it. If you are not comfortable approaching people than just google 'Public Domain Images' and choose one that fits your books theme.
Once you have your image, follow the steps in the Cover Creator to manufacture your own cover.
6. Now that your manuscript looks great in the previewer, it's time to lock it all down. Submit your fully functional manuscript, comeplete with cover and description. You will have to wait for someone to check and make sure everything is in order. In my case, I waited six hours to be able to proof my book. As for the ISBN, (Barcode) CreateSpace will set one for you for FREE!!
7. Ebook. Times have changed. Some people want the physical book in their hands and some just don't want to make their home look like a book warehouse. This is why you NEED an ebook version. These will most likely sell more than the Paperbacks.
CreateSpace is part of the Amazon chain but you will have to go elsewhere to publish the ebook
Go to AmazonKDP.com and sign up. You will be able to fill out the same information and upload the same files for your interior and cover. They will even issue your an ASIN for your ebook. All FREE!
All of the instructions above are free!
If you don't mind spending a few bucks for marketing than visit this page.
Fiverr.com is a great way to get the services you need for $5! Check them out and browse through the galore of low cost gigs. Gigs start at $5 and increase as you add extras. That'sstill alot cheaper than what publishers ask for.
Please know this. If you publish with someone like Xlibiris or any other self publishing company, you need to know that bookstores like Barnes and Noble will not carry your book! They don't carry books that are self published. What you could do is search for local Independant Bookstores and contact them about consigning your book.
Also, please read the Amazon Terms and Conditions because there are rules in there you'll want to know about. Example, you can not distribute your ebook on any other platform for the duration of your agreement, which is usually 90 days.
Whichever way you choose to publish your work of art, there is no denying the saftisfaction after it is all set in stone. Feelfree to contact me with any questions. To buy my book, which I have published in the same way click here.
Good luck on your journey!
