Quality is important!

Self- Publishing

Self-published authors are not competing with other self-published authors but ALL authors. Once a book is available for sale, it must be up to the standard that readers expect from all good books.

You rarely get a second chance for a good first impression!  Once you put out a book that lacks professionalism, readers will be less likely to try your next book.  This can be a very difficult hurdle to get over.

Traditionally published authors are not your enemy.  Most traditionally published authors don’t have any advantages that you can’t achieve.

Traditionally Published books are:

• Edited by the publisher
• Cover art is done by the publisher
• Some help with promotion is provided- most is expected from the author unless they have high sales.
• Lower royalty payments

Self- Published books are:

• Editing is provided by the author
• Cover provided by the author
• Promotion done by the author
• Higher royalty payments.

If a SP author pays for professional help, they will probably come out about equal in money made.

Doing the work requires time and money but the author maintains complete control- something that is often very important.

The self-publishing community is very generous in advice and with a bit of research an author can find a wealth of information about all aspects of publishing and marketing your book.

Following a reader through the purchase of your book:

• Be sure your book is in the correct genre to attract your readers. Know your audience
• A cover catches a reader’s attention- it should say something about your story, be eye-catching and the title and your name should stand out.
• Once a reader picks up your book, it is vital that the blurb draws them in. Some say this is the most important aspect of attracting a reader, especially for ebooks which may not show the cover in the same way and features the blurb prominently.
• Many readers will skim the first pages or chapter – make them count.

If your book makes it through this process, the reader will probably head to the checkout!