WRITE-BYTES #38

 

WRITE-BYTES #38 (ENJOY!) The whole byte for this week appears below for your convenience. To see all prior BYTES published, go to www.lindasgunther.com
June 2, 2023
SELF-PUBLISHING YOUR BOOK

Some years ago, I had the pleasure of teaching a one-day workshop at a local college. The course was titled: Self-Publishing Your Book. Over 40 people showed up in the classroom where we had an energizing, interactive and hopefully content-rich experience. It was during the “hey day” for self-publishing.

Amazon had a wing of business called CreateSpace, an amazing resource for authors ready to take the leap into getting their book self-published and “up” on Amazon. The consultants and tech people at CreateSpace were stellar in terms of their professionalism and quality of service. They guided me through the journey which was a bit tricky. There were lots of moving parts involved and always a support phone number to call.

Did it cost $$$? Sure, but about $1,000 or thereabouts. Not catastrophic. This didn’t include the additional cost of the ISBN number which is purchased through Bowker. The CreateSpace service featured: formatting my manuscript, recommended layout, copyright, spacing, book cover design, back cover design and more.

There was also an author dashboard which still exists where I could set up my book in multiple markets across the world, decide pricing, build my book synopsis, and create my Author Central page on Amazon. I eagerly, yet awkwardly learned the tricks of the self-publishing trade. Great skills to pick up!

After writing four self-published suspense novels in 2016, I crafted the Self-Publishing Workshop to help writers with the specific steps required in the CreateSpace process as well as how to avoid pitfalls in this process.

As facilitator of the workshop, I listened to what kind of books participants wanted to write. It was all over the map; fiction, self-help, business, how to guide, as well as memoir. Some had a manuscript close to being finished while others had a dream of writing a book and a concept in mind. So, I had everyone craft a skeleton of what they each imagined as their end product (book title, cover design, tagline, bare bones plot or key message targeted). For many, it was their first time laying out a framework for their dream book. They left the workshop with a “kit” for self-publishing and a more solidified vision for their own project.

Of course, nothing stays the same and CreateSpace as we knew it was shut down by Amazon not long after I presented the workshop. However, they still retained the author dashboard, a great tool which transitioned over to Kindle (KDP).

At that point, manuscript format, font choice, pagination, book cover art/font or layout services were no longer available from Amazon or KDP. However, an author could upload their camera-readied front and back book cover and formatted manuscript, and get their book published for both Amazon and Kindle. But any layout or formatting needed meant that the author had to either contract with a middleman to meet the exact Amazon readiness requirements, or do it themselves. Not easy.

After CreateSpace shut down, I had to research other options and decided to use semi-hybrid publishing services to get my books formatted to meet the unique standards required from Amazon. It became a more complicated, piecemeal process. For my next book project, I worked with a high-quality service provider in Colorado. They did all the layout and formatting at a higher cost than CreateSpace, but did a great job. For another book I worked with a bookstore which was a somewhat convoluted process and not too favorable in terms of making a decent financial return on book sales.

Yet again, things changed. KDP has decided to come to the rescue. I’m guessing they listened to feedback from frustrated authors. And now, I believe, they are offering a more comprehensive array of services, including book formatting, layout, manuscript upload readiness and “go live” services which were once provided by CreateSpace.

I am currently in the final stage with my memoir which will be titled A BRONX GIRL (a collection of short stories about “growing up in the Bronx during the 1960’s”). So, I may indeed seek out the full range of KDP services for this next self-publishing adventure. Or, I may decide to go the more traditional publishing route and hold out for a big-time publisher to pick up my book.

Should you decide to take the self-publishing route, here are some tips that may be helpful:

-Edit your manuscript with feedback from beta readers and editors. (Only YOU can do this!)
-Have your manuscript formatted for both e-book and print. (This is so important.)
-Connect with a book cover designer. (You will need this for both front and back cover.)
-Get your author website designed and “up” because it will be the foundation of your marketing platform. (Hire a web designer or acquire an app and develop skills to do this.)
-Figure out your overall marketing strategy before your book is out there.
-Review your book proof carefully.
-Acquire your ISBN number from Bowker. (This is required for your book to be specifically identified and traceable.)
-Keep in mind that there are lots of options out there for self-publishing. (Alternatives include Ingram Spark, KOBO, Barnes and Noble Press as well as many other smaller presses.)
-Pop the cork when your book goes “live.”
-Remember that a self-published book can actually become a best-seller! It’s an Indie way of making it happen.

One caveat: be aware that there are publishing and marketing scams out there, so don’t take a cold call or email at face value. Do research on anything that seems too good to be true:-)


Stay tuned for next week. Look for this BLOG every FRIDAY which will l be posted at 9 a.m.

Next week’s WRITE-BYTES post will be titled CINEMATIC SCENES IN YOUR STORY.