Welcome! I’m glad you’re here! For the next 31 days, we’re going to chat about everything self-publishing—design, branding, marketing, formats—you name it! Pulling questions from Design by Insight clients, Re:Write Conference attendees, and you, we’ll take a look at what can often be a confusing and potentially overwhelming subject.
Scroll down to the bottom for links to each individual post.
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5 reasons self-publishing might be the best move you could make
1. There has never been a better time to self-publish. The doors are wide open for anyone who wants to take the leap. Self-publishing is no longer just a “plan B” for those who are not able to get a traditional publishing deal. In fact, for many writers, self-publishing may be a better fit than going the traditional route.
2. The e-book market is exploding with growth. Online stores such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and many more make selling your e-book online a doable reality.
3. Print on demand has become a viable option for writers who want to make a print version of their book available. CreateSpace and Lightning Source offer printed books for extremely reasonable prices, allowing authors to see higher profits with little or no initial cost.
4. Traditional publishers are generally looking for authors with an established platform. If you aren’t quite there yet, self-publishing can be the perfect opportunity to make your books available while you continue to grow your online presence.
5. You may have a book that just isn’t exactly the best fit for traditional publishing. If so, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t share it with the world! Self-publishing might be the perfect fit for your book.
Maybe you’ve already decided to self-publish your book. Perhaps you’re just testing the waters to see if it’s the right fit for you. Or maybe you just have an idea for a book and don’t have a clue how to proceed. Wherever you are in the process, my goal is that during the month of October you will gain insight and clarity to help you move forward!
Do you have a question you would like me to answer? Leave it in the comments!
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Links to the posts:
day 1: will anyone want to buy what I write?
day 2: can I still traditionally publish someday?
day 3: self-publishing doesn’t have to be plan B
day 4: should I turn my blog series into a book?
day 5: start building your tribe now
day 6: do I need an author website?
day 7: let’s talk social media
day 8: how do I get that big breakthrough in followers?
day 9: can I really self-publish?
day 10: what are your self-publishing goals?
day 11: become familiar with e-reader devices (Kindle, Nook, iPad, and more)
day 12: can the kindle and nook handle books with worksheets?
day 13: how do I sell my Kindle book at Amazon?
day 15: self-publish giveaway!
day 16: how do I sell my book in the iBookstore?
day 19: should I hire an editor?
day 20: how do I give my e-book away to subscribers?
day 21: use your book to build your newsletter list
day 22: what is the best pdf converter for my book?
day 23: how long should an e-book be?
day 24: what is a kindle single?
day 25: what about barnes & noble’s nook store?
day 26: is print on demand right for my book?
day 27: choosing a print on demand publisher
day 29: preparing for your book launch
day 30: if I could only tell you one thing about self-publishing . . .
day 31: for when you want to quit
For more 31 Days posts, visit The Nester.
Great 31 Days topic! I can’t wait to read this!
I look forward to reading your series!
~FringeGirl
thedomesticfringe.com
LOVE it, sweet friend!!!!! 🙂 I’m definitely in for this series!
My question/hesitation with self-publishing is how do I know anyone will be interested in buying what I write? With traditional publishing, the agent gives the author feedback on the market, etc, so I’m not sure if my idea is good or not for self-publishing…..
Hugs!
Melanie
Oooh, Melanie, that’s a great question! I will definitely add that one to my list! I’m so glad you’re here…can’t wait to meet you in person in just a few weeks!! 🙂
Looking forward to following this series!
Love Letters 7.10
http://loveletters710.blogspot.com
I love this!!! I’ve been looking at different self-publishing avenues. Yeah I’ll just have to come back here for the inside scoop! I’m writing about 31 Days of Anonymity where I give others an opportunity to write anonymous letters to those they feel they need to. It’s going to be a great month ahead.
There are so many possibilities! I hope the series is helpful to you!! 🙂
Hi…dropping by from the 31Day challeng! I am excited to learn from your challenge.
Thank you,
Meredith at http://www.p31wife.com
So excited for this series. And had fun visiting your site for the first time. This realm is something I don’t know much (at all about) and would love to learn more.
My greatest challenge in my 31 days post was figuring out how to make a button! (Well and then realizing I didn’t have to, but that others are gifted at that!)
It’s fun to see how we can all work together with our different giftings! Thanks for stopping by!
I SO need this. Can’t wait to hear what you have to say!
Anna
askannamoseley.com
How do you promote your book once it is published? The entire idea of this freaks me out.
That’s an excellent question, Mary Ellen! I will definitely be covering this topic later in the series.
I’m so interested in self-publishing….can’t wait to read your 31 days!!
This will be awesome!!!
I’m eager to follow you the next 31 days. I’ve gone the traditional route with publishing, but am reading so much about self-publishing.
There are a lot of traditionally published authors who also take the self-publishing route for certain projects. I hope this series will be very helpful.
Can’t wait to read this! 🙂
So glad you are writing about this! My question is what about the Children’s Literature Institute offers that come in the mail and are found in most parenting magazines? What is truly involved and is there success in that route?
Pam, I don’t have any firsthand experience with them, but I’ve heard good things from a friend of a friend. It’s a course that would likely be helpful for improving writing technique and skills. That in turn could help you create better quality book content, but it wouldn’t be directly related to the self-publishing process.
I’m looking forward to reading your series (just subscribed so I won’t miss anything!)…. thanks so much!
What an interesting series! Cannot wait to read more!
Melanie,
I just signed up for your post for the next 31 days. Looking forward to your motivating suggestions. Feel alone most of the time when it comes to self-publishing. This will be a good site to keep up with!
Glenda, more and more people are self-publishing and many are online, so hopefully you can connect with some. The online community can be very supportive and helpful, particularly if you don’t have people locally who are self-publishing as well.
Oooh… I’m subscribing to follow this one. I’ve already self-published one book, but it was a painful process as I didn’t know what on earth I was doing. I’d love to self-publish more so I’m very interested in gleaning any tips, tricks, and suggestions you have. Particularly related to the marketing side of things. 🙂
Rosann, I hope the series is helpful for your future endeavors! We will definitely be discussing marketing as we go along!
Out of all the blocks in all the Nesters in all the world, I’m glad I found yours. I love this theme! I have examined the self-published-outlet (albeit very surface-y) and I’m looking forward to following your posts.
I love your comment! Makes me want to watch Casablanca again. . .it’s been a while! I hope you find the series helpful. 🙂
Hi,
Firs time popping in and saw this series from last year. I’m a year late but going to go through it and read. I self-published in 2011 and about to again. 🙂
Blessings.
Thanks for stopping by! I hope you find the series helpful as you begin your new self-publishing endeavor!