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Once you finish writing your book, you may wonder what the next steps are. You’ll be faced with a myriad of possibilities, but at their core, they all boil down to whether you want to traditionally publish your book or not.
What Are Your Publishing Options?
Traditional Publishing
With traditional publishing, authors pitch their work to publishers, either on their own or via an agent, which is more common. Many traditional publishers don’t accept submissions directly from an author, making landing an agent necessary in most cases.
When a traditional publisher is interested in a book, they’ll offer the author a contract. Contracts can vary by publisher. Usually, in exchange for specified rights and a portion of the profits, the publisher shoulders the burden and cost of production, printing, and distribution. With legitimate traditional publishers, the author has no out-of-pocket expenses.
For some authors, it can take three years or longer for their book to be accepted and to be able to proceed with production.
True Self-Publishing
In true self-publishing, the author is the publisher. All profits (minus printing costs and wholesaler discounts) go to the author, but the author must shoulder all costs (unless crowdsourcing or some other funding means are used), as well as figure out how to accomplish each task a traditional publisher would normally handle.
Self-publishers are faced with hundreds of decisions, including whether to hire professional help or try to go it alone. For authors who want a quality finished product, it’s essential to hire experts, whether they be individual freelancers or full-service companies.
While we recommend authors hire assistance with editing, design, and other aspects of production, authors can easily set up titles on IngramSpark and/or KDP to print-on-demand or find an offset printer to print in bulk with higher quality. Authors can purchase their own ISBNs and register their copyright. It’s just a matter of learning what to do and when to do it.
There are many companies that cater to self-published authors, so it’s important to vet them thoroughly and explore your options in detail before making a decision. Not all companies have the same offerings, and there are many companies that will claim more than their fair share. Just remember that as a self-published author, there’s no reason to sacrifice any of your rights, earnings, or control in order to produce and publish your book.
The remainder of this post will focus on those who choose to self-publish.
What Services Do Authors Need?
Before hiring anyone, it’s important to understand which services should be outsourced and which are simple enough to complete on your own. Part of that includes knowing what versions of your book you want (softcover, hardcover, eBook, etc.) and where you wish to print and sell them.
We go into greater detail about what services authors should use in our previous article. For now, suffice it to say that authors shouldn’t proceed with publication until their books have been professionally edited, designed (inside and out), and proofread. You may also need help with eBook formatting, audiobook production, website design, and marketing.
How Can You Make Your Books Available?
During the production of your book, you should have obtained your ISBNs (one for each version of your book) and read up on the copyright process (learn more about those concerns here). Your ISBNs should appear on your copyright page, so it’s helpful to get this matter taken care of during or before the interior layout process.
Once book production is complete and you have the appropriate final files, it’s time to upload them to your chosen printer. You should have determined whether you want to print-on-demand or use an offset printer. Both have their pros and cons, but most authors find POD printing to be more convenient and affordable.
KDP and IngramSpark are the primary POD printers. Even companies who purport to publish your book for you usually go through KDP or IngramSpark for printing and distribution. KDP and IngramSpark accounts are relatively easy to set up. They both have detailed help sections if you run into any problems, but as long as you hired a service that knew what they were doing, your files should upload without a problem.
Even though the title setup process is simple once it’s demystified, you might find yourself wanting some hand-holding. At 1106 Design, we offer our customers assistance with IngramSpark and KDP title setup, and we make sure the files are uploaded in YOUR name. Since you own your IngramSpark and KDP accounts, you receive any status updates and sales reports, and all revenue goes right to your chosen bank account. That way, you’re always in control.
Self-publishing can be confusing and frightening for many authors. It takes a lot of courage, perseverance, and willingness to learn in order to take such a huge step in your author career. While it’s natural to make mistakes, especially when just starting out, they can be costly. So, you should be mindful about the steps you take and the people you trust with your book.
To learn more about how 1106 Design can help you avoid mistakes and make your book the best it can be, feel free to reach out.
