A Beginner’s Guide to Self-Publishing a Book in 2024

• Jan 23, 2024
• 5 min read

• Tags: Book Cover Design, ISBN, Self-Publishing

Step closer to your self-publishing dream with our in-depth guide! From editing to uploading your book file, we’ve included everything you need to know. We’ve also added the pros and cons of self-publishing platforms to help you decide the best ones. 

Browse through our 7 easy steps to self-publishing a book and understand the costs involved. These steps will also guide you about formatting, creating an ISBN, and more.

Here are the 7 easy steps of how to self-publish a book:  

1. Hire professional editing services to self-publish your book
2. Employ book cover design services 
3. Ensure proper formatting 
4. Select self-publishing platforms 
5. Get an ISBN for your book 
6. Finalize your book’s metadata 
7. Add book details and self-publish! 

Steps to self-publishing a book

Following the steps given below can help you publish your novel or book with ease. This input might help you find the best way to publish your book. A self-publishing checklist can also help you plan and execute tasks on time.

1. Hire professional editing services to self-publish your book

Once you thoroughly edit your book, the next step is to find reliable professional editing services for self-publishing your novel or book. You’ll need the following services: 

• Developmental editing-  This type of editing focuses on improving plot, character development, pacing, clarity, and narrative flow. 
• Copy editing- This involves checking the document for grammatical, spelling, and syntax errors along with the consistency of style. 
• Proofreading- This is the final check of your novel to rectify any remaining errors and typographical mistakes. 

While the process of self-publishing for authors can seem tedious, professional editors and proofreaders can simplify it to a great extent. At PaperTrue, we offer all the editing and proofreading services mentioned above.

 Here is a comparison of the top editing companies to help you decide: 

2. Employ book cover design services 

An attractive book cover design is the first impression of your book for readers. Following are some important pointers while choosing book cover design services: 

• Check the pricing, experience, and portfolio of the services. The best self-publishing companies offer comprehensive services at competitive prices.
• Read reviews of their services online. 
• Analyze whether they provide scope for multiple revisions without additional costs. 
• Ensure that they can design covers for multiple formats (paperbacks, eBooks, etc). 

Some of the best book cover design services are PaperTrue, BookBaby, Kirkus Reviews, Ebook Launch, and Luminare Press. Below is a comparison of these services to help you select the best service. 

3. Ensure proper formatting 

One of the key steps to publishing a book is proper formatting. This includes adjusting the text alignment, font size, paragraph indentation, page size, margins, and line spacing. It also includes formatting the chapter heading titles and ensuring appropriate spacing between chapters. You can use book formatting software and tools like Reedsy Book Editor, Vellum, and Atticus to format your book. 

However, using tools and software can be time-consuming and may not be as reliable as book formatting companies. Additionally, several formatting companies provide editing, book cover design, marketing, and preparing your book for the best self-publishing platforms like Amazon, Apple Books, etc. Requesting a combined price for a bundle of these services can help you save costs.  PaperTrue, BookBaby, Elite Authors, and EbookLaunch are some of the top book formatting companies.

Here are some important pointers while choosing a book formatting service: 

• Find out if the company has formatted books in your specific book genre. Go through their portfolio to determine the best self-publishing option. 
• Confirm if they can format and prepare your book for self-publishing platforms like Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble Press, and more. 
• Ask about their policy about revisions. Also, confirm the process for refunds and check what happens if you are dissatisfied with their services.
• Compare their pricing and features to decide the best formatting service for your book. 

4. Select self-publishing platforms 

This is an important step in the process of self-publishing a book. Amazon Self-Publishing, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble Press and Kobo Writing Life are some of the well-known self-publishing platforms. Following are some of the pros and cons of these popular self-publishing platforms: 

• Amazon Self-Publishing – Authors can get 70% royalty on sales and a massive global reach on Amazon. However, Amazon exclusively owns your book’s rights for the first 90 days when you opt for KDP Select. This means you cannot distribute your book digitally on any other platform for the first 90 days. 
• Apple Books- This platform offers good incentives for encouraging readers to pre-order. It also ensures better visibility and sale of eBooks. A disadvantage is that since Apple Books are optimized for Apple devices, readers with non-Apple devices might find it difficult to use and share books. 
• Barnes & Noble Press- Good royalty rates, print-on-demand services, and no exclusivity (meaning the author can self-publish on other platforms simultaneously) are a few key advantages. The disadvantages are that they do not publish audiobooks and have fewer promotional tools compared to other platforms. 
• Kobo Writing Life– This platform offers good royalties on box sets and an effective pre-order process where you are not fined if you change your publication date. Limited global reach, low marketing efforts, and customer support are some disadvantages of this platform.  

Dive in to understand the essential features of these self-publishing platforms! 

5. Get an ISBN for your book 

International Book Standard Book Numbers (ISBNs) help your book reach wider audiences. An ISBN is a 13-digit number that helps to identify your book and track your book distribution. Libraries and online platforms use ISBNs to list books, making it easier for readers to access your book. Following are some ways in which you can get an ISBN for your book: 

• Several platforms like Draft2Digital and Smashwords offer free ISBNs for eBooks published using their platform. 
• Self-publishing companies like PaperTrue, Lulu, and BookBaby can help you with ISBN registration to get an ISBN (at a cost). 
• You can approach ISBN agencies like Bowker (Bowker is an ISBN agency based in the US) to get an ISBN. 

6. Finalize your book’s metadata 

Metadata refers to all important book information like the title, subtitle, book description, pricing, ISBN, publisher information, and publication date. It also includes determining the keywords, categories, and genre for your book. 

Here are some strategies to create metadata to help your book reach a wider audience: 

• Select both broad and specific keywords to improve your book’s discoverability. For example, if your book is a fantasy novel but also contains historical aspects, you can include both fantasy and historical fantasy as keywords. 
• Add the period (timeframe) when the story of your novel takes place. For example, if your novel is based around the French Revolution, you can include it in your metadata. 
• Create an attractive book description by highlighting unique story elements and introducing a mystery to intrigue readers. The book description must ideally be 150-200 words. 

7. Add book details and self-publish! 

In this step, you need to add all your book details to the chosen self-publishing platform. This includes uploading your book file, metadata and deciding the book format (EPUB, MOBI, PDF, paperback, hardcover, large print, or audiobook). You will also have to upload your book cover and preview it. Here are some considerations while uploading book details to promote your book better: 

• Include reviews and testimonials from reputable sources to attract more readers to buy your book. 
• Highlight any special features to entice readers to buy your book. For example, discounts, pre-order bonuses, and an engaging book chapter to attract readers. If your book has any stunning illustrations or maps, you can include them while self-publishing a book. 

Some self-publishing tips

The best way to publish a book depends on the book type, target audience, and the publishing budget, among other things. So, here’s a quick list of self-publishing tips to help you on your journey to becoming a self-published author:

• • • Define your target audience to guide your marketing and promotional efforts.
    • Gather valuable insights from beta readers to improve your book.
    • Invest in professional editing and proofreading to ensure all errors are corrected.
    • Format your book, keeping it clean and easy to read.
    • An eye-catching cover is needed to ensure your book is well-received.
    • A compelling book description is crucial to hook readers without revealing much.
    • Choose the best self-publishing platform like Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), IngramSpark, and Draft2Digital.
    • Use social media, author websites, and email newsletters to keep interested readers informed about your work.
    • Pre-orders are powerful; they can build traction for your book launch and boost sales later.

This concludes our guide to self-publishing a book! If you’re wondering about how to self-publish a children’s book or other books, these steps remain the same. Now that you know how to self-publish a book, you can begin your publishing journey. 

As a trusted brand offering self-publishing services, we’d love to help you achieve your dreams. Let us know your views about this step-by-step self-publishing guide in the comments section! Here are some articles that you might find interesting: 

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Rishi

Rishi was a zealous student at IIT Bombay when he realized, firsthand, the power of good language in effective communication. As part of this belief, after a brief stint in a hedge fund, he co-founded PaperTrue in 2014.