Self-Publishing: What It Isn’t Good For

My journey through self-publishing my first book was one that consumed hour upon hour of my time. Between editing, formatting and the actual publishing process, it was exhausting. I expected set-backs (of course…that’s life) and I expected to invest more time, than if I had hired someone to handle the tedious parts…but I was not fully prepared for what the actual involvement was.

I am sharing this with you because, maybe at some point in your life, you will decide to take advantage of the services of a self-publishing company. If that is the case, I hope my journey and set-backs can guide you down an easier path. For those of you who enjoy learning the hard way, disregard anything else I am about to share! ha…

1. Be prepared for the process to take anywhere from 3-6 months depending on the length and difficulty of your book.

2. Don’t rush! If you rush through any step in the process, you will find yourself unhappy with the end result and possibly going back to redo the parts you aren’t happy with. The time investment is less if you take your time and only only only submit the finished product when you are 200% happy with it.

3. Hire an editor or ask a few friends. Chances are, you’ve read your own book hundreds of times. This means, you are going to overlook details and edits necessary for a perfect end product. If you are not in a position to hire an editor, ask a few friends to help you out. Provide them with a freshly printed copy, a red pen and a timeline for them to return their edits to you.

4. Leave yourself a three-week period to “take off” from writing, editing, etc. When you go back to your project with “fresh eyes” you may have a different perspective. This is so important prior to publishing. And even more important to you being happy with the end result.

5. The publishing company will more than likely give you the option to order a copy of your finished product prior to release. This may set you back 5-7 days but DO IT! This will allow you see the end result. You may find (as I did) that your project has gone to publication in the wrong size, formatting may be off…there are so many pieces to the puzzle. Order your own copy and give it a good once over prior to approving your books release.

6. Lastly, if you are confused or not sure the direction you want your project to take, invest the money to have a consultant work with you. Unless you are 100% sure on what you want the final outcome to look like and how you want it to come across…self-publishing is going to be very difficult.

Check out my newly (self-published) book: In Spite Of My Mother (available on Amazon.) It’s a memoir of my life riddled with abuse, abandonment, lies and death.

~ by empirecoaching on November 8, 2012.