Whoever said that self-publishing was easy didn’t get the full picture. Self-publishing has many moving parts that it can be quite difficult at times to get everything working in sync properly. That’s why lots of folks try self-publishing a try but give up on it quite quickly. The reason for this is because they are not fully aware of the difficult aspects related to publishing.
In this article, we are going to describe the three hardest aspects of self-publishing. Now, this discussion isn’t meant to discourage you. Instead, it’s meant to give you the insights you need to figure out the best way for you to make sense of the hardships you’ll have to face. That way, you can be armed with the solutions you need to make your books a success.
Getting the Manuscript Right
This has to be the hardest part that any author has to face. Authors must get the manuscript just right in order to for their book to become successful. Now, deciding if a story is good is quite subjective, there are several issues to consider. For starters, typos and grammatical mistakes need to be weeded out. These not only look bad on a finished copy, but they can also make understanding complicated for the reader. Also, loose, vague, and unclear writing can be detrimental to a book’s overall feel.
So, a good way to solve this is to get “beta readers.” These readers serve as test subjects that can provide you with feedback on your book. That will enable you to come back and finetune any aspects of your book. Once your book has been edited, you can ask other folks to go over it. Of course, different people see things from different angles. Yet, getting feedback from real people is always a great way to get the manuscript just right.
Getting the Cover Right
Unless you are a professional graphic designer, it’s best to get someone to do this for you. You can hire a pro to do this for you on Fiverr. Also, if you know someone personally, by all means, get them to do your cover. You need to make sure that your cover reflects the spirit of your book. Often, it’s best to go with a simple cover as opposed to an overly-elaborate one. There are times when you might want to go a bit over the top. However, it’s always best to err on the conservative side. The last thing you want is to confuse your readers regarding your book’s topic. If possible, try to get your beta readers to give you’re their opinion on two or three cover designs. Otherwise, share your covers and social media and collect feedback. You’ll be surprised at how willing people are to share their honest and positive feedback.
Getting the Marketing Right
Even if you have a great book and a dynamite cover, your book might still have trouble getting off the ground. This could be due to inadequate marketing. Most of the time, this is the result of not being clear on your target audience. When your target audience is not clearly defined, marketing efforts might be inappropriately targeted. As such, you need to figure out who your readers are. Then direct your marketing efforts toward them. For example, use your social media posts to reflect who you are looking to target. If you fail to do this, you may find that your book will not resonate with the right readers. In the end, this could spell trouble for your endeavors.
With these ideas in mind, please make sure to plan your book launch carefully. You’ll be glad you did!
