How to self publish, part one
So having just completed my first novel, some people might be wondering how do you do that.
Well, I happen to be the perfect person to ask because when I started this process I had no idea either.
I am by no means an expert in the subject, but that's sort of my point. I came into this whole thing without any real concept of what it would take. My plan is to post several blog posts over the next few weeks chronicling how I navigated the process so it can hopefully help others do the same.
I'm approaching the topic as if you just completed your first draft. I might make some follow up posts discussing advice I've found helpful for this, but for the time being this seems like a good starting point. The first step: read it. Do a thorough self edit. When you're done, do it again. If you have some time to spare, take a few days or weeks off. Give your brain some time to get some distance from the project and maybe work on something else. Then edit it again with fresh eyes.
Take it from someone who works as a reporter, no matter how many times you look at something or how many sets of eyes you have look at it, mistakes will still slip through. You have no idea how many newspapers have gone to press discussing an event at the "pubic library."
The next thing you want to do is start with some of the preliminary steps. If you plan on selling your book, you will want to register as an LLC, or limited liability company. This provides you with certain legal protections once you start publishing your book and allows you to deduct what you spend on creating your books since you are doing so as a business entity.
Which reminds me: publishing a book costs money. The costs are nothing that are going to break the bank, but it does require an investment. Hiring editors, buying ISBN numbers, paying artists and a dozen other things are going to cost you money before you are able to make a penny off your book.
How do you register as an LLC? It varies state to state, but here's a good starting point on legalzoom.com: https://www.legalzoom.com/business/business-formation/llc-overview.html
Do your research. Even just google "How do I form an LLC?" and type in the state you live in.
The other thing you want to do while you're in the self-editing phase is set up a social media presence. Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram are all good options. The more of yourself you can put out there the better. Include information about yourself as an author, information about the book, and anything else you can use to grab peoples' attention and get them interested in your book. Keep in mind, if you want to be a professional writer you want to come across like a professional.
I'm going to link some resources in these posts that I found helpful and my first is a reference book about self publishing that helped get me started. It is focused mainly on nonfiction writing since that is what the focus of her own books are, but it is a useful guide to anyone starting out called "You Can Write a Book!" by Julie Beyer, MA. She walks you through the first steps of writing and publishing in a very direct and easy-to-understand manner. I highly recommend it.
It can be found for purchase here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0976724685/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i3
I hope you enjoyed this first post and will return for my next one: showing your work to other people and surviving the heart attack that follows.
Eamon
