So You Wrote a Book—Now What?

Image Source: (Andrew Neel / Unsplash)

Congratulations! You've written a book! Now, you want to publish it but aren't sure where to start. I've written a brief guide outlining the basic steps involved in getting a book published, and some choices you will have to make. 

Choosing a Publisher

The first decision you have to make is the publisher: a traditional press, a vanity press, or self-publishing. There are advantages to each, and which one you choose depends on your goal. 

Traditional Publisher

A traditional publisher is attractive for a lot of authors, and it comes with a certain prestige. A traditional publisher looks at all of the submissions they get and pick a select few. The publisher will take the risk on a book—they cover all costs and, in turn, they keep most of the profit. Authors are paid a percentage of the sale of each book, generally ranging from 5 to 25% depending on the book's format (hardcover, trade paperback, ebook, audiobook). Authors are typically given an advance, and once royalties rise above the advance they are paid periodically to the author. If there is no advance, royalty rates are typically higher.

It's never guaranteed a book is going to sell, and only a few books rise to the level of bestseller. Traditional publishers usually pick books they think have the potential for significant sales. A larger publisher will have more resources to invest in editing, design, and marketing than an individual author, but in trade, the author gives up control of their book. Many authors choose to self-publish because of this, but the trade of risk and control can mean more sales.

Vanity Press

The term "vanity press" refers to publishers who require authors to pay for their services. Authors can get drawn in by the promise of all-in-one packages: editing, design, and marketing all in one place for one fee. There can be hidden fees or the company may not deliver on the quality of edits, design, or marketing. If you are looking to publish a book for family or friends, it can make sense to pay someone to design and print 50 copies. Authors who are looking to make money should generally avoid publishers that charge for their services. Book sales are never guaranteed, but a better product speaks for itself. A vanity press makes money from authors, and doesn't care how well a book sells. If you aren't sure about a company, look online for reviews or ask other people in the industry for advice.

Self-publishing

A route that is becoming more popular is self-publishing. This gives the author control over every single decision and all the profits. Of course, you take on all the risks and costs for publishing your book. With more authors choosing to be their own publishers, there are more resources.

Editing

I plan to thoroughly cover the different types of editing in another post, but I will briefly cover them here. It is important to note that not all editors have the same process, so they might do things a bit differently, but these are the most common practices. 

3 Main Stages

Developmental editing focuses on story elements like structure and narrative, its content, and how it is presented. Developmental editing, sometimes shortened as DE, includes an editorial letter or note along with comments in the manuscript. This is typically the first type of editing a manuscript goes through (not including an editorial assessment). This type of editing can also be called structural or content editing. If seeking to be traditionally published, an author may invest in a round or two of developmental editing to present a more polished book in submissions. 

Copy Editing, or CE, is where the language gets focused on. A copy editor will look at global issues and line-level language. This type of editing often includes both an editorial note and a style sheet, where decisions on how numbers, punctuation, and spelling are made. A copy edit is going to make sure everything is consistent—maybe your character's name is Brian for the majority of the book, but he is called Ryan in the first chapter. An editor will also check details and facts if needed, like a statistic or the name of a city. 

A proofread is generally the last step before a book is published. The focus is on fixing errors; adjusting awkward phrases or moving commas is done in the copy edit. The book might be formatted before or after proofreading.

Finding an Editor

Knowing what type of editing you are looking for will determine what editor you choose. Editors often specialize in one type of editing or genre, but not always. There are benefits to choosing an editor with experience in your genre, but choosing a better editor is more important. But how do you know if an editor is good at their job? Look for editors with portfolios, professional credentials, and experience. Ask for client references, look at the reviews of books from their portfolio, and compare their prices. If an editor isn't charging very much, it might be because they are new or because they aren't as good. More experienced editors may be more expensive, but you are paying for someone who is knowledgeable. Editors might have certificates or degrees; quickly searching the certificate can tell you if it's actual training or just meant to look good. Formal training means an editor might have less experience, but they won't have to learn on the job the way someone without it would.

There are companies who offer editorial services, but make sure you carefully consider any company before hiring them. There are companies that do wonderful work, but there are also companies that take advantage of authors. Look at reviews of a company, and look at the editors employed by the company. Most of these companies have a page with profiles or bios for each editor. Look up a couple of the editors and read any reviews of their work. 

There are also sites that have a pool of freelancers who bid on your project. Cheaper is not always better, and make sure you read reviews of the company.  

Design

Traditional publishers will handle all of the design of a book, but self-publishers are going to be responsible for this expense. Design services can be expensive, but the design will impact sales. If you don't have design experience, it can be very difficult to do the design yourself.

A cover is almost as important as the story itself. People do tend to judge a book by it's cover, and if a cover looks less than professional people will assume the story reflects that. A cover should take cues from the genre, but also look good on a shelf or as a thumbnail. It's easy to forget that people buy books online, but buying online means a reader's first impression of a book is often as a thumbnail. Covers that are designed to look good as a thumbnail and larger image are going to be more successful. 

Don't forget the interior of a book needs to be designed as well. It might seem easy, and there are lots of programs to help authors do this themselves. But the interior of the book is where your reader is going to spend most of their time. Every Page should be consistent and readable. 

Finding a Designer

Finding a designer is a lot like finding an editor: you want to look at portfolios, client references, and credentials. Designers might have a specific style you are looking for or experience in your genre. Prices also reflect a designer's experience and training, so cheaper isn't always better. Pay attention to the specifics of their offer, because they will specify how many revisions are included, the type of file, and copyright terms. 

Design firms are an alternative to freelancers, but they are often more expensive. There are benefits of going to a company instead of a freelancer, namely their resources. Make sure to look at reviews and the company's portfolio before committing.

Be wary of sites that have a bidding system for designers. These sites are well known for designers who offer low prices but deliver poor quality designs, or even stealing from someone else's work. 

Marketing 

For a lot of authors marketing their book can be very intimidating. It's hard to know what you need to do or how to go about it. The book is part of your brand, so you have to market both yourself and your book. Creating a strong brand means readers are more likely to buy your books. But don't forget that a strong brand doesn't work without strong books.

Marketing a Book

While you don't want to start marketing a book on the day you start writing, you do want to start before your book is published. But before you start, you want to create a marketing plan, and stick to it. There are resources online, or you can consult fellow authors, or even hire a freelance marketer or publicist. Putting together a plan will allow you to create a cohesive message, and that will be the best way to sell more books. Your plan should have prelaunch, launch, and postlaunch stages. 

Building an Audience

If you are working with a publisher they will often take on the bulk of the marketing, but it's always a good idea to build your audience. Social media is a great free tool for authors. It can drive traffic to your website, help sell books, and make you more attractive to publishers in the future. It can be overwhelming when figuring out where to start, especially if you are starting with a brand new profile. The first step is to figure out where your readers are. If you write books about knitting, Pinterest would be a great place to focus on. Concentrate on putting out consistent and quality content on one platform.

Publishing a book involves more than writing—but seeing your name on that book cover and knowing you are now a published author is worth it! This post is a brief overview of the process a book goes through to be published, but I will be breaking each piece into its own post along with other helpful advice. You can subscribe to my newsletter below to get notified of new posts.