Publishing a book is a journey on a rocky path that involves several stages, from writing and pre-editing to editing, formatting, selecting the right cover, and marketing. While the process can be daunting, knowing what to expect at each stage can help ease the stress and make the journey more enjoyable. Let’s go through all the different steps involved in publishing a book.
Writing
The first step in publishing a book is writing it. This is the part where you put your ideas on paper and create a draft of your novel. It is important to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve with your book, such as the theme, genre, and target audience. This is probably the fun and pleasant part, as you don’t care about the style, typos, or plot holes. Here you just listen to your characters and follow their lead.
Pre-editing.
Now, here is where you start crying. Once you have a draft of your book, the next step is to pre-edit it. I suggest leaving your manuscript aside for one or two weeks before starting this process. This involves reviewing your manuscript to check for inconsistencies or plot holes. What during the phase of writing seemed great now sounds ridiculous. You will feel like your novel is nothing but rubbish, and the imposter syndrome will strike. In this phase, keep calm and see how you can improve it. So you delete, add, change, and polish. Only after this phase, when you no longer think you have failed in writing a good novel, you can ask friends or beta readers to give you feedback on your book.
Editing
After pre-editing, the next step is to edit your book. This involves checking for grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, and typos. This is crucial, and you need to hire a professional editor to look at it and give suggestions on how to improve the plot, characterization, style, and much more. This brings to a new level of depression, but even in this case, remember that everything can be fixed, and by polishing your novel, you will have a jewel in your hands.
Formatting
Once your book is edited, the next step is formatting it. This involves choosing the right font, spacing, and layout for your book. You can either do the formatting yourself or hire a professional formatter.
Choosing the right cover
The cover of your book is the first thing that readers will see. Therefore, choosing the right cover that will grab their attention and entice them to read your book is important. I strongly suggest hiring a professional. This is a critical step; your book cover should align with your audience’s expectations. Good knowledge of your genre is a must and requires a lot of research. This doesn’t stop at the first book because the trends are evolving, and your cover should develop accordingly.
Marketing
The final step in publishing a book is marketing it. This involves creating a marketing plan and promoting your book through various channels such as social media, book signings, and interviews. It is important to have a marketing strategy to ensure your book reaches its target audience. This is also a very important step, and as a self-published author, you must do a lot of research. Some research tools are available for free, while others need to be purchased. There are several platforms where to market your book, but the most successful are offered by Amazon ads and Facebook.
During your career, you will be approached by thousands of people who are ready to take your money for five minutes of visibility. Don’t rush; join one of the many writer’s communities to ask their opinion whenever you get offers. You will find more precious information this way than by spending money uselessly.
In conclusion, publishing a book is lengthy, steep, and draining. By knowing what to expect at each stage, you can make this journey more enjoyable and successful. I hope you have enjoyed this blog. Take care and stay tuned.
