Authors often want to know how to best invest the money they have set aside for self publishing their book. The answer is simple yet complex. It is simple because there are certain things that almost every book needs in order to reach a certain level of success (i.e. custom cover, professional interior layout and design, etc.). Then it’s also complex because every book is different and strategies that work well for some books don’t necessarily work well for others.
For instance, if you are an author who is writing a non-fiction book, editing is more important to your overall success. If you don’t edit your manuscript, you can be viewed as a poor resource. When you write a fiction book, editing is less essential (though still very important). Readers of fiction can be (not always) a bit more forgiving of grammatical mistakes as long as they don’t render the book illegible. Either way, I would recommend editing, but if you have to cut your budget somewhere, you can spend less on editing as a fiction author than we would recommend for a non-fiction author.
You also need to figure out where you want to sell your book. Do you want to reach an online only audience? If so, you may want to invest into things like Kindle eBook Formatting, Search Inside the Book, See Inside the Book, etc. If you’re going after an offline audience, you may want to invest a return program which makes your title more attractive to brick-and-mortar bookstores.
Lastly, you may consider the price of your publishing package (if you choose to go with a self publishing company like Outskirts Press). What bells and whistles are available? Does it include what you’re looking for? You have to make sure you are getting the best bang for your buck here. Evaluate cost carefully.
DISCUSSION: What are you spending your self publishing dollars on?
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ABOUT WENDY STETINA: Wendy Stetina is a sales and marketing professional with over 30 years experience in the printing and publishing industry. Wendy works as the Director of Author Services for Outskirts Press. The Author Services Department is composed of knowledgeable customer service reps and publishing consultants; and together, they all focus on educating authors on the self-publishing process in order to help them publish the book of their dreams. Whether you are a professional looking to take your career to the next level with platform-driven non-fiction, or a novelist seeking fame, fortune, and/or personal fulfillment, Wendy Stetina can put you on the right path. |
Self Publishing Advisor 