“I was told not to self-publish…it will kill your writing career before it starts.” This advice was pressed to author Lisa Genova from a literary agent just a short time before she did self-publish her novel on early onset Alzheimer’s, Still Alice.
Genova did self publish—and flourished. She spent a year successfully selling and promoting her book. Several media spots in her local Boston area helped gain a wider audience and shortly after winning the Bronte prize for excellence in romantic fiction her book was auctioned out to traditional publishers on a six-figure contract.
It’s no secret that self-publishing is gaining steam in the book world in it’s own right, with it’s own advantages. And in the case of Genova and many other authors, self-publishing can be a calling card of sorts, helping get your book noticed all over the industry, and even in those big (often cloistered) traditional houses.
While it is never guaranteed that any particular book will be picked up by a traditional publisher, there are a few key elements in self-publishing that will help your book gain as much attention as possible. And why not enjoy all those advantages of successful self-publishing, regardless.
- Custom Cover Design. You’ve got great content, pertinent and insightful. Truly great words to share. How do readers find those words? A professionally, custom designed book cover.
- Cover Scribing. Now your cover has sparked interest. Where to next? The book back cover or webpage synopsis. Writing sales copy is a specific skill. Have a professional copywriter help sharpen those few, important paragraphs.
- Editing. Now you’ve got an open book in reader and reviewers hands. What will they find? A published author and professional editor once commented that even after proofing her manuscript for the 50th time she couldn’t manage to catch many apparent problems. An editor herself, she reluctantly opted for another professional editing service—and claimed that decision to be among the most significant in her entire publication.
These 3 key elements are among just a few of the services and options available with the rapidly growing world of full-service self-publishing.
As always, have fun and keep writing!
Sincerely,
Karl Schroeder
Self Publishing Advisor 