Three weeks ago, I got downsized out of my day job. Sorrows. Prayers. Six weeks of severance pay before panic sets in. Since then, I’ve started taking more seriously the idea of self-publishing a series of novellas that I’ve been working on for the better part of the last 18+ months. I’ve taken a class on publishing, am nearly done with my MA program: I’ve got this and I understand it.
Except egad, I did not understand everything I was going to need. So, I wanted to share some things I’ve learned as I’ve started navigating the process of putting out professional level work all on your own.
GOOD THINGS ARE EXPENSIVE
I hate to start this off just thinking/talking about the numbers, but it’s important to acknowledge and know this off the bat. Yes you could, in theory use an AI generated cover. But, pushing aside my personal issues with the ethics of AI aside, they just don’t look great. Paying an illustrator/designer is going to cost money. Hiring an editor (yes, you should get one if you can) or other writing/reading professionals also is going to cost you money.
No matter how good your own writing is looking good and marketing are JUST as important. And they aren’t free.
ISBNs aren’t just numbers
One I didn’t think about until I started diving more into the process: getting an ISBN costs you money. If you wanted to publish through Amazon (for example) these are included. But, if you wanted to list your ebook on another platform outside of the Amazon one, you’d have to purchase another. Or, if you wanted to print your book with a local printer instead of relying on the limited printing possibilities of KDP, you’d need your own. As a US writer, that means $295.00 for 10 ISBN numbers, to cover hardcover (if you want to go that route), paperback, and e-book versions. With some left over for your next book! It might not seem necessary, but also take in to account if you wanted to sell through a book store, or have your book accessible to libraries, you’d need a non-Amazon ISBN.
And yeah, I may be just a little bit anti-giant when it comes to bookselling, even if I acknowledge you HAVE to have your book on their platform. But, if you can have your own ISBNs, I feel like it’s better. Biased.
Finish the Piece First
This is going to sound obvious, but have your finished written project in hand before you really start looking at this seriously. When I say “finished” I mean the quality and content that you would hand over to an editor or a reader. Your cover artist may want to read part/all of the piece in order to really get a grasp for the tone/what you’re going for to make your perfect design. An editor will…Well, need the whole thing to edit it. Or if you’re having family/friend/beta/sensitivity readers look the piece over before going to a larger audience, also they’ll obviously need the whole thing.
Once you hit publish, there’s no going back to add/remove/adjust your work, unless you do a new edition/printing. Put your best foot forward!
Social Media is Exhausting
But honestly, if you’re self publishing it’s also a necessity. As a social media idiot, the prospect of self-marketing is almost more daunting than finding and paying for the right editors and designers. In a day and age where physical media is on life support at the best of times, people aren’t going to just run across your book. And in the SEA of work on various e-book platforms it’s even less likely that someone who doesn’t know you may just stumble over you.
In conclusion/Some links
There’s so much to think about, I’m already exhausted, but also excited. I’m sure there are a dozen more things I’ve run in to just in getting started, but these just hit me top of mind, in honor of work in progress Wednesday.
Reedsy Has a marketplace for editors, illustrators, and more. Obviously not sponsored. I ‘ve just genuinely been finding it really useful for finding book-focused illustrators and editors.
They also have free tools for typesetting/e-pub formatting which is a great place to start.
Fiverr Is tried, true, and totally a viable place to find editors and designers.
Scrivner Paid program that I’ve found helpful for organizing my writing as I’ve been working on this hopefully soon-to-be-published project. It’s a luxury/unnecessary for sure, but I enjoy it.
Macabress Manuscripts 