It takes an entrepreneurial spirit to achieve success through independent publishing. Much like a successful CEO, you won’t find these individuals hiding behind closed doors or waiting to be discovered. Self-publishers take responsibility for getting their work out into the world, which takes a few special traits to achieve.
1. Preparedness
Successful independent publishers learn all they can about the publishing industry and never stop learning. Visit your local bookstore and see how books are shelved, review price points for similar books, trim sizes, and various formats. Look at cover treatments by genre. Read cover copy, book descriptions, and author bios. Look online, also, and pay attention to bestseller lists to see what kinds of books are selling well and how they’re positioned. Read book reviews to see what kinds of books are being reviewed and where, and just become more cognizant of the book industry in general. How do you hear about books, and where do you see them advertised?
You can also subscribe to publishing blogs, newsletters, and podcasts (all of which IngramSpark offers), attend conferences and events, and take online courses, such as this one, to help you grow your publishing and industry knowledge.
2. Drive
Successful individuals wake up every morning with a sense of purpose. Don’t languish in bed or procrastinate. Take carpe diem literally and approach each day with a vigorous plan of action. Balance your day with communication, research, planning, and execution. Passion is how successful individuals stay driven. Successful independent publishers care about what they do, and they understand the commitment needed to see results. They stay true to what they believe and won’t compromise if it leads to loss of quality.
1. Get Your Book Edited
Good writing sells books, bad writing doesn’t. Spend some time discovering which writing methods work best for you, then chase your muse to a finished manuscript. And while style is important, correct grammar should be followed faithfully and consistently throughout a book. Your content will not seem professional if basic grammar isn't correct.
Self-edit to get your manuscript where you think it needs to be, then step away and let a fresh pair of eyes take a look at what you’ve created. Start with an editor with experience editing books in your genre, with whom you feel comfortable, and who fits within your price range.
Professional editing is a must with self-publishing. No book is perfect, but editorial assistance can help you get a lot closer. There are several different kinds of edits, so be sure you know which you need before you hire an editor.
2. Consider Your Book Design
Your book cover design is an important tool for marketing your book to readers, and your interior design is necessary to provide an enjoyable reading experience. If either is less than it should be, readers will take note.
Despite the cliché, readers judge books on their appearance first and their literary merit second. With great print quality and good design, no one will be able to tell your self-published book from one that’s published by a major traditional publisher. And while you can educate yourself on what makes good book cover and interior design, if you aren’t a designer by trade, it’s best to hire a professional in order to achieve a professional look.
3. Find a Good Book Distributor
Distributors vary widely in price and services. Print-on-demand services, like IngramSpark, are some of the most cost-effective methods of distribution for self-publishing a book, and IngramSpark’s reach to both online and physical retailers covers the major retailers your book needs.
4. Be Realistic
There are plenty of realistic author goals you can achieve, so set thoughtful goals for yourself and your book, which we’ll discuss more in Chapter 5 of this course. Once you’ve determined your goals, put steps in place to achieve them; success doesn’t happen overnight.
5. Purchase an ISBN
An ISBN provides important data about your book to booksellers and labels you as the publisher. Purchasing your own ISBN ensures that you are listed as the publisher of your work. Chapter 7 of this course will provide more information about ISBNs.
6. Look Out for Overly Expensive Services
There are a lot of self-publishing scams out there that will "publish" your book and never do a thing with it. There are also a lot of publishers that offer "turn-key" services. Do your research and utilize recommendations from trusted industry publications, self-publishing associations, and your fellow authors.
7. Market Your Book
If you aren’t a major public figure, it’s unrealistic to think you can publish your book and it will organically become a bestseller. You have to promote your book in order for it to succeed. You can do this via guerrilla book marketing efforts, book reviews, book publicity, social media advertising, and so much more. Be sure to plan your book promotion and get a handle on your book marketing strategy before you publish for the best results.
For a few ideas, take IngramSpark’s Author Platform or Social Media Marketing Courses after you finish this one.
8. Make Friends
Writing tends to be a solitary activity, but rubbing elbows with other authors and professionals in the writing community can have big perks. Join the indie publishing community to find like-minded individuals willing to help you publish successfully.
They may be willing to give you endorsements for your book or help get the word out. Make friends with local booksellers and librarians, because they are influential when it comes to recommending your book to readers and helping you grow your audience. Never use a fake blurb or endorsement to promote your book. Those kinds of tactics have a way of coming to light and will get you attention for the wrong reasons. Actively work to get legitimate reviews of your book from people who are unrelated to you, prominent in the publishing industry, or recognizable in your book’s genre.
9. Offer Multiple Formats
Don’t restrict your sales by only having your work available in one format. You probably have a reading preference, and your readers do too. Make sure your book is available in multiple formats so as not to exclude any potential sales. Some readers read ebooks only; some readers only read paperbacks; and libraries tend to prefer hardcovers for their durability to withstand multiple checkouts. Weigh the costs and benefits of each market made available with different formats and consider how it fits into your publishing plan.
10. Never Underestimate the Power of Good Book Metadata
Your book’s metadata is your secret sales force, and while the terminology may sound intimidating, it’s really just the basics of your book including title, book description, author bio, price, ISBN, publication date, subject categories, and more. It’s what you use to label your book and what determines its online and in-store discoverability. Take the time to get this right, because it could mean the difference between book sales and a book that’s never found.
Because this is so important, IngramSpark also offers a course specifically on enhancing your book’s metadata, so be sure to check that out after you finish this course.
When a reader purchases a book, they don't purchase it because a specific publisher published it. They purchase it because it fulfills a need and is well-designed, edited, and marketed.
It’s now possible to produce a professional-quality book outside of traditional publishing, and it’s important that independent publishers and self-publishing authors meet industry standards. But it’s also important that the book industry acknowledge that books ought to be judged on their substance rather than their business model. Just as publishers, self or otherwise, are responsible for producing books that adhere to industry standards, the book industry as a whole is responsible for creating an environment that allows nontraditional publishers the means to succeed.
This chapter was compiled from the following posts on the IngramSpark blog:
"5 Things You Need Before You Print a Book" by Leila Dewji, founder of I_Am Self-Publishing
"Professionalism in Self-Publishing" by Angela Bole, CEO of the Independent Book Publishers Association
"The Top 10 Mistakes Authors Make and How It Costs Them" by Brooke Warner, publisher of She Writes Press
"Reducing Bias Against Self-Published Authors" by Angela Bole, CEO of the Independent Book Publishers Association
"10 Successful Independent Publishing Behaviors and Traits" by IngramSpark
"8 Tips for Self-Publishing a Book" by IngramSpark
"How to Self-Publish a Book: An Introduction to Self-Publishing" by IngramSpark
