And again, Live is the time of your life.
In case you’ve decided to go self-publishing, you’re at the beginning of an uphill road.
You need to be a:
- Producer — hire a designer to illustrate and design your cover. No, the picture of your grandma is not a good enough cover. Nor your picture from Mexico. It’s been a wonderful vacation there, but what does it have to do with your book? I know, the mantra is “don’t judge a book by its cover”. And yet, that is what we’re doing over and over again. Sometimes, the solution is to hire an illustrator and a designer.
Also, hire a designer to design your interior. The layout should be professional. You cannot afford to put your readers through pains by not presenting them with a professional layout (typography, leading, margins, titles, subtitles, quotes, folio, content, etc.) We’re so used to reading professionally designed books, that it all seems simple. Yet, it’s a lot of work to bring to the readers books professionally designed.Then, sign a contract with a self-publishing company that will print your book (the POD way) and produce your digital versions of it. Some of these companies will also offer some distribution services. You need to do your homework and decide which ones you need to hire for the success of your book. - Publicist — You need some quotes about your book from people who know what they’re talking about and have some influence on your possible readers. You can use these blurbs on your back cover, or in your marketing campaign.You will also need to get in as many reviews as possible, so you get some traction on different social media channels.
How about getting some interviews for different publications? And articles on your book. And maybe a podcast or two about your book. Oh, and don’t forget about some literary critics’ attention.
- Marketing and Advertising — Create some ads for your marketing campaign. Or hire a specialist to create them. That designer may have some more use for you.Also, don’t forget to write your marketing materials for the campaign. And strategically schedule it and decide the mediums for it depending on your readership. Gather data from your first tries and make some decisions on adjusting the campaign.
- Emperor — Once all is done and said, and numbers start to come back and you’ve sold that first million copies it’s time for you to feel like the emperor that you are.
And then it’s time to wake up. Your sales will not number in millions. In fact, depending on where you are, you can sell only a thousand copies and still be a best seller for that region. This is important information, the publicist in you will use it later on.
No matter the sales number, don’t forget for a second the hard work that you put into this book. Into turning it into a real product that now has a life of its own.
And don’t forget that your job never ends. As with your children, your book will be in constant need of your attention, promotion, and pride in them.
You’re a UX writer now. Congratulations!