Wondering how to self-publish a book the easy way? I’ve been there. The publishing process can feel overwhelming because there is so much information out there on how to publish and how to publish well.
When I first started out, I didn’t realize that how I wrote my book would influence my publishing process. But the truth is, it does! Thankfully, I’ve learned so much since writing my first book over a decade ago.
Pair that with the fact that we’ve taught over 8,000 authors how to write, publish, and market their books over the last 10 years, and you are set to learn all you need to know about how to self-publish a book the easy way!
How to self-publish a book the easy way: what you learn
- How easy is it to self-publish a book?
- What is the easiest type of book to get published?
- Can I self-publish my book for free?
- How much does it cost to self-publish a book?
How easy is it to self-publish a book?
You can self-publish a book the easy way in just a few easy steps. In fact, you can even write, publish, and launch your book in as little as 90 days, the way many of our students do.
To really break down the process for you though, I’m taking you through 9 steps that will help you not just articulate why you want to learn how to self-publish a book the easy way, but how to launch your book well.
1. Why do you want to self-publish?
Simon Sinek, a speaker and author I’ve followed for years, stresses the importance of pinpointing what he calls your why.
You can apply this same mindset to learning how to self-publish your book the easy way by asking:
- What about writing a book intrigues me?
- Do I want to work through the actual writing process or just be an author?
- What do I hope to accomplish by learning how to self-publish a book the easy way?
Answering these questions will help set you up to accomplish your goals because you have made them clear to yourself. Clarity is foundational to how to self-publish a book the easy way.
The first time I wrote a book my “why” was just to see if I could write a full-length novel. Your why doesn’t need to be a super complicated answer. Simply be honest with yourself about why you want to write a book.
2. What do you have to say?
Choosing what you have to say often comes down to noticing mindsets that are unique to your own perspective, life circumstances, and background.
Just as there are different themes in storytelling, each one of us has different themes we tend to write about. For example, I often write about the writing craft on my blog and cover more cultural commentary on my Substack.
Ask yourself:
- What experiences do I bring to my writing that are unique?
- What types of characters do I gravitate to and come back to?
- How could my perspective help someone else grow?
- Is there a fresh angle I can take on the topic?
Articulating what you have to say will help you learn how to self-publish a book the easy way by nature of knowing what your book will be about.
3. Choose your team
One of the most crucial aspects of learning how to self-publish a book the easy way is to choose a team that will help you succeed. Look through various self-publishing success stories, study how they succeeded, and who they surrounded themselves with in order to win.
The self-publishing company you choose to publish with can help set you up for success you never dreamed of achieving alone. When I wrote my second book, I worked with a 21-time, New York Times bestselling author.
He guided me through the entire writing process:
- Ideating
- Writing
- Editing
His guidance set me up for success that I never would’ve achieved on my own. Guidance is another foundational block to learning how to self-publish a book the easy way.
4. Write your book with a coach
Speaking of guidance, writing your book with a book coach can put you leaps and bounds ahead of where you would be on your own.
If you’re wondering if you should hire a writing coach, ask yourself the following:
- Would feedback help me succeed better, faster?
- Could I benefit from a professional’s expertise?
Choose a coach who works with your genre to reap the most benefits!
5. Edit your book
My writing mentor stressed the phrases “edit, edit, edit” and “all writing is rewriting.” Your first draft should never be your final draft, no matter how long you have been writing.
Developmental editors can help you organize your plot points (fiction) or key themes (nonfiction) and provide constructive criticism to help your book shine.
Terry Pratchett is attributed with the well-circulated quote, “The first draft is you telling yourself the story.” Once you tell yourself the story (first draft) it’s time to edit it so you can best tell your readers the story (subsequent drafts).
6. Prepare to market your book
Book marketing can include everything from book cover design to uploading to Amazon. Learning how to self-publish a book the easy way often includes working with a team qualified in self-publishing so you don’t have to go it alone.
If you can’t work with a team right now, consider making use of free platforms like Canva for your book covers and starting a launch team (more on this below!). Canva can make learning how to self-publish a book the easy way really easy.
7. Launch your book
I’ve worked on launch teams for years and the experience has taught me so much about publishing.
Launch teams are free and made up of readers who are eager to promote your book. Launch day is crucial, so be sure to build a standout team of readers to help you.
8. Promote your book via speaking
Podcast tours, in-person speaking events, book fairs, and more can help you promote your book right up to and following your launch day.
If you don’t feel super qualified to speak, remember that just as all aspiring authors start unknown and unpublished, we all start with zero speaking gigs under our belts.
Fun fact: My first paid speaking gig was a three-hour, pre-conference workshop. Yes, I had to teach for three hours straight for my first ever paid speaking appearance.
9. Brainstorm your next title
Once you have learned how to self-publish a book the easy way, and proved to yourself that you can in fact publish, it’s time to brainstorm for your next book!
If you want to make it as a writer you must keep writing. Whether you write a book series or plunge into another genre entirely, begin brainstorming what you’ll write next. It’s never too early to plan ahead.
Learning how to self-publish a book the easy way includes making the next book easy to write by brainstorming early.
What is the easiest type of book to get published?
The easiest type of book to get published is the one you’ve written. It’s hard to make your dreams of becoming a published author a reality if you don’t sit down and actually write.
However, if you want to know how to self-publish a book the easy way and bring in those sales, you may want to look into publishing romance. According to Words Rated, “Romance novels generate over $1.44 billion in revenue, making romance the highest-earning genre of fiction.”
Romance spans sub-genres as well. From Alex Aster’s anomaly that is her Lightlark Saga to Francine Rivers’ Redeeming Love, a New York Times bestseller, romance sells no matter the sub-genre.
Of course, be sure to write a genre you love. If you strongly dislike writing romance but feel you must in order to succeed, your readers will pick up on it through the page. Write what you love and market well. Leave the rest with your readers!
Can I self-publish my book for free?
You can certainly publish a book for free, and here’s our 7 step guide on how to do so. Part of learning how to self-publish a book the easy way means defining what “easy” means for you.
If you want to publish for free, you can most definitely do so. No matter if you spend $0 in publishing and marketing your book or invest quite a bit, the book you put into the world should reflect your care for storytelling.
When you self-publish a book for free it doesn’t need to look cheap! Pour yourself into making your book the best it can be and the market will speak for you.
How much does it cost to self-publish a book?
You can self-publish a book for free, as stated above, or you can invest in doing so. Here’s an in-depth breakdown on the cost to publish a book, but you can expect anywhere from a couple hundred dollars to figures in the thousands.
Much of this cost depends on who you choose to invest in and what type of marketing you engage with. If you hire a phenomenal editor, you’ll pay for it, but your story will also tell the tale.
If you choose to really delve into marketing, your costs will also reflect this, but as long as you wrote a book the market loves, your sales should tip the financial scale in your favor.
How to self-publish a book the easy way: take your next step
Now that you know how to self-publish a book the easy way, it’s time to take your next step. Use our free resource below and get started today!
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