5 Ways to self-publish Your Book

Ways in which you can self-publish a book.

When an author decides to self-publish a book, he or she is often confused about the steps to be followed. Here is self-publishing simplified, for all authors.

To publish a book a traditional publisher needs to undertake many steps. These steps are, designing the book coverinterior layout as per international standard, page setting, complex editing of the manuscript, assigning ISBN, distribution, sales. When an author decides not to look for a traditional publisher to publish his book, he now has a whole host of options open before him. Self-publishing a book is one such option. To self-publish his book he can choose any of the 5 options available to him. Here are 5 choices an author has to self-publish a book.

First lets understand the term self-publish

As the name suggests self-publishing is when an author puts himself in the driving seat. He decides who will undertake the different steps involved in transforming his manuscript into a book. A book that does full justice to his passion and effort. Publishing is not one step but a series of steps. These steps require training, experience and expertise for a professional end product.

The author can decide that:

  • he wants to educate and train himself in all steps that are involved in publishing till he reaches professional proficiency in each step involved in publishing his book.
  • he can take the help of individual friends or professionals, each an expert in any one of the multiple steps involved.
  • he can download free or paid-for templates and use them.
  • he can go to a self-publishing company and take their professional help in all the steps involved in the publishing process.
  • he can use a mix of any of the above options.

In all the above cases the author is self-publishing his book.

Author’s objective 

In using any of the above options the author must keep in mind that the output or the end product must be of outstanding quality i.e. expertly/professionally done if he wants to give his book a fair shot at success.

Marketing in any form of publishing, traditional or self-publishing, is largely the outlook of the author and is an important tool to help his book succeed.