I’m often asked, “How do you get published and is it expensive?”
It used to be that the only way to get a book into print and into the hands of readers was with a publishing deal. But not anymore!
Now there are so many different options for getting your book into print and I thought it would be helpful to talk about the one most people use these days – self-publishing.
Please keep in mind that there are many online self-publishing services now available, so if my approach doesn’t feel like a good fit for you, feel free to research and find a better option.
Self-publishing 101
I am, as you may know, a self-published author, which means I do most of the legwork myself with writing, editing, proofreading, formatting, and designing my books.
The first four steps I do in plain old Microsoft Word. This allows me the freedom to be location independent because I can write wherever I am and on whatever device I happen to have with me, and the files all live up in the cloud, so I have 24/7 access to them.
I design my covers in Canva (though there are lots of graphical tools out there). While it might not be the perfect tool for the task, I know how to work with it to get the result I want. However, if your budget can include working with a graphic designer, I’d recommend it, as DIY cover design can be pretty time consuming!
On-demand publishers
The one part of the whole process I can’t do myself is publishing the book, so for this I use an on-demand publisher. Actually, I use two.
For children’s books where volumes are tiny (maybe one or two books) and need colour and illustrations, I use Vistaprint. I’ll create the fully formatted pages in Microsoft Publisher, export them as JPEG images and then buy a photobook. And voilà – you have a cute little hardback book!
For my novels, I use Lulu.com. They’re an American on-demand publisher and it’s incredibly cheap to get everything set up with them. The other big player in this space is, of course, amazon (via KDP). I have used them and, while their process is a bit quicker and cheaper, the quality and flexibility aren’t as good. Take a look at both and choose the one that best suits your needs.
Both KDP and Lulu provide Word templates in the right page size, so all you need to do is create the formatted document, copy in your text, check it looks right on the page and then save it as a PDF and upload it to their platform.
Then you generate the cover using their online wizard (or if you’ve created your own cover, like I do, you can just upload your design). You can choose from hundreds of fonts to add text or a photo to the back, and then their system creates a print-ready cover.
You can also get your ISBN from them, which is essential if you want to sell your book via the major online channels.
And how much has this cost so far?
Nothing! Not a single penny has changed hands – even the ISBN is free.
The only time you pay is when a book is printed. Every time someone buys one of my books (let’s say the book is £10) of that £10 Lulu, as publisher, deduct the cost of the book (approx. £7 but it depends on the page count, size and quality) and they’ll also take a commission (roughly £1) – then anything else is your royalty, which they send directly to you – cool hey!
To be clear, you set the price point for your book. Knowing what to charge is a bit of an artform, and prices change all the time. So, pop into your local bookshop and see what similar books are selling for. That helps you price for the right market.
You can also sign up for global distribution, which allows Lulu to list your book with the major online distributors like Amazon, Waterstones, etc. You need to be aware though that these retailers will also take a cut, and your book price will jump by around 40% for their commission (another cost that’s deducted when you sell a book).
I personally use Lulu’s global distribution package because it provides the opportunity for someone who likes my books to review them on Amazon. Plus, they list their books with UK suppliers for high street booksellers, which in theory means I could sell my books there too. Again, there’s no fee for this, but before you can be listed, you MUST approve a copy of your book, meaning you need to buy a copy to check it’s okay.
To be honest, before I’m happy to release my book I always get a review copy, check it, make changes, order another copy, spot some other error, change it again and order another pre-approval copy!
Given all the time and dedication I’ve put into creating my book, I’d much rather invest in a few extra attempts to ensure I’ve got it right, than release my book only to have an absolute howler picked up by a reader!
And that’s all there is to it (!).
If you have dreams of writing a book and need some expert help, visit contentalchemy.co.uk and take a look at Book-writing Gold, my academy to step you through every stage of becoming an author.
