Planning To Publish A Book? Here’s Some Important Advice

It’s an exciting moment for anyone when they finish writing their own book.

They’ll be in proud possession of a manuscript, and wondering how to get it published.

In the marketing world, it’s important to build relationships with customers and increase loyalty, but what do you do if this is your first book?

In this article, we’ll provide some important advice for anyone who’s planning to publish a book.

Invest In A Quality Book Cover

This is one of the most important marketing tools that you’ll have as an author. It’s the first thing that potential readers will see, and it’s what will make them decide whether or not to pick it up.

The front cover should also look good as a thumbnail because this is how it could be displayed online.

You may wish to check out the front covers of similar books to yours to get some inspiration.

Perhaps you can create your own book cover using software such as Photoshop or by seeking inexpensive help from websites like Fiverr.com.

There are many specialist websites that can help you find a book cover designer, and they feature peoples’ profiles and provide the opportunity for live chat support.

Such sites can tell you how to find the right cover designer for your book, give an indication of cost and connect you with a professional.

Make Sure Your Book Is Edited And Formatted Properly

If your manuscript isn’t edited by someone, it may look unprofessional and amateurish in the eyes of potential publishers.

They will not appreciate poor grammar, meaningless sentences, or typos.

You should ideally hire a professional editor to go over your book before you submit it for publication.

After all, a better-finished product will reflect positively on you as an author.

Use an appropriate font and font size, with paragraph formatting that makes it easy for people to read your content.

For this, you can get help from a business book ghostwriter who can provide valuable advice and make your writing more polished and professional. It’s important to remember that the way your book looks reflects not only on you but also on your message and overall brand.

If you approach a publisher directly, check their submission requirements beforehand to ensure that your manuscript is compliant.

Also, be sure that your work is a good fit for the publishing house (e.g. in terms of genre).

Approach The Publishers

If you don’t do this task yourself, you have two alternative options. The first is to find an agent who will act as a middleman between yourself and the publishing companies.

Their job is to help sell manuscripts to publishers and negotiate contracts on behalf of their clients.

The second option is through submission services that reach out to publishers on peoples’ behalf.

Don’t just send a manuscript, but also provide some form of accompanying letter or video book trailer. This will make it more likely for the publishers to take notice and contact you in response.

Understand The Pros And Cons Of Publishing Companies

These are the potential benefits:

  • Access to a wider audience
  • Professional editing and design services
  • Marketing and publicity support

However, there are also some cons:

  • You may not have as much control over the final product or the marketing of your book
  • The process can be slow, so you may have to wait a long time for your book to be published
  • Publishers usually take a large cut of the profits from book sales, so you may earn less money than if you self-publish

Consider Self-Publishing

When you self-publish a book, it means that you will be doing everything from writing the content to publishing and distributing your finished product.

Many self-published authors choose this path because they want complete control over their work or don’t think an agent would help them sell enough books for it to be worth the effort. 

You may wish to consider self-publishing platforms such as Amazon KDP or Ingram Spark.

Amazon has become extremely popular for self-publishers because it costs next to nothing to get it published. People can buy it, lend it, gift it or even choose to return books to Amazon, so this platform is an ideal place for both publishers and readers.

The process is straightforward, and the work can be done relatively quickly. It’s important to be aware that many self-publishers don’t earn much money from their books.

Understand The Pros And Cons Of Self-Publishing

Here are some of the benefits:

  • You are free to do whatever you want with your book
  • If it’s not selling well, no one is telling you what to do differently. You can change the cover or price as many times as you like
  • There are much lower barriers for entry than traditional publishing (e.g. no agents required)

Here are some of the potential negatives:

  • You don’t have the help of a publisher, who might have better expertise in book design and marketing.
  • It requires working harder because you have to take care of things like editing, marketing, etc yourself.

Choose The Route That Suits You Best

After weighing up all of these pros and cons, it’s important to decide on the method that is right for you.

There is no universal ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answer with book publishing.

If you’re happy and sufficiently skilled to do everything yourself, go for self-publishing.

If you’d prefer to have a publisher take care of things like editing and marketing, traditional publishing might be a better option.

Think About Sequels

If your readers love your writing, they’ll want more books from you.

If you don’t plan sequels in advance, it’s going to be difficult once that first novel has been written.

This is because the next book in the series should already have been planned out before you finished the first.

If you plan sequels, you should allow for better long-term world-building and character development.

Timing is important in this regard because you’ll want to be releasing new books at specific intervals to maintain existing readers’ interest.

Be sure to cross-reference each book so that people who read one of your works will know that there are others.

In terms of success, if one becomes popular, it may raise the profile of the others at the same time.

Hopefully, this information has been helpful to you, and you now understand the different options available. If you write a good book and produce it well, be sure to fully research the marketing angle.

One year from now, you may be on the best-sellers list and looking forward to a career as an author.