Writers have two options when it comes to publishing their books; they can do it independently or rely on a publishing company. Both options come with their upsides and downsides. However, doing the hard work on your own will trump having another party digging into your profits. Here are some of the crucial tips to self-publishing.

Research

No matter what project you are embarking on, extensive research is always necessary, and this should be your first step. Decide on what topic you wish to write. In fact, before deciding whether to publish the book on your own or with help, you should already have an idea on what you wish to write.
At the research stage, the work should be figuring out how much effort you need to put in your book for it to be a success. It is necessary to gain a deep passion for your chosen topic as this will motivate you to follow through with the writing.

Formulate a plan

If you fail to plan, then you also plan to fail. This saying has proven accurate time and again. As such, come up with what content you want to feature, how many chapters you wish to write and other such relevant factors.
With a plan at hand, you will know when you are veering off the original plan and will be able to get back on track. Engaging another writer at this stage is helpful as they have been through it and can point out some mistakes in your plan.

Get to writing

With a topic in mind and a plan at hand, you are set to start writing. Before typing, it’s best to set up your word processor in a way that it matches the dimensions of your intended book. This move will save you time spent in editing as you finish up the book. You can also talk to a printing company, and they can guide you on which dimensions you should use for your book. With this out of the way, you can then focus your energy on your writing.
Staying away from your book for long reduces the flow, and you can start seeing gaps in the message, and this can affect the overall quality of your work. As such, try as much as you can to remain on course. Keep checking it as you move from one chapter to another to make sure that the message is clear.

Review stage

Writes are oblivious to their writing mistakes. It can be quite difficult to listen to someone correcting a book which you have worked on for a long time, but it will be worth it in the end. Hire an editor or two the minute you start writing, and they will look through each chapter as you move along. In this way, you will reduce editing time spent when you get to the end. It also helps you catch onto the errors you keep making and will make your writing better over time. Once you get to the end, hire different people to go through your book. It may seem like a lot of money, but lack of consistency as well as errors in your work will cost you dearly once your book is out.

Design stage

Your cover is the fundamental thing that people notice about your book, and it should convey the intended message without much thought. Freelance designers on the market offer varying rates and they have portfolios you can go through to figure out if they are the best fit for you. Remember that though you are working on a budget, your cover can make or break you and you must pay a great deal of attention to it. You can as well source for a designer from your writer friends or a printing company.

ISBN Number

Make an application to Nielson for an ISBN which you will then convert into a barcode. They offer these numbers in blocks which comes in handy as you can use the rest in your subsequent books. Creating a barcode is not as hard as it sounds and there are many online sites where you can do this for free.
You can opt to have this carried out by a company, but it will cost you. Instead of spending the extra cash, learn something new and do the conversion yourself.

It’s time to print

There are several printing companies on the market, and you need not limit yourself to one. Shop around for the different prices and choose one that offers high-quality services for a reasonable price. The company will walk you through the available options on formats and paper qualities, allowing you to take charge of the situation.
Most companies offer you a discount when you are printing in bulk, and this will save you some good money. Before publishing your book, check for any mistakes that you did not see during review unless you want to end up recalling hundreds of books. Note that paper quality affects the weight of the book and thus keep this in mind if you plan to send physical copies to international locations.

Publicize your work

Let people know that your book is out. Start with close friends and family as you work your way into social media. Marketing is everything and sending some copies to local media will go a long way in spreading the message. Getting a celebrity to endorse it will help get the word out faster and is an excellent move.

Shelves

Most shops take books once they are already out there as it is a way to reduce their risk. As such, that is why you start by publicizing before getting it on shelves. Visible books sell faster when compared to those that are not strategically placed; so ensure that your book is in a visible position.

Online sales

A lot of business transactions take place online nowadays, and as such, there is a big audience awaiting you online. From discussion forums to blogs all the way to news sites, the advertising avenues are countless. Before you start online marketing, research your target market and know which sites they visit most to catch their eye. You can also post the book on bookselling sites to enable people to get the book from the comfort of their homes.

Writing and selling books is not easy. However, rest assured that most of the profits you make will come your way as you have a lot of control over the process. What’s more, nobody can stand in the way of your creativity as you don’t have an appointed editor disapproving your ideas. Have fun!