5 Things You Should Know Before Self-Publishing A Novel

Summary

The article provides essential advice for authors on the verge of self-publishing their first novel, emphasizing the importance of cover design, distribution choices, managing expectations with book sales analytics, timing of subsequent book releases, and understanding one's position in the competitive market.

Abstract

The author, Cam Roze, shares personal insights on self-publishing, urging writers to create multiple cover designs and select the most compelling one based on feedback, as the cover can significantly influence a book's success. Roze suggests considering distribution platforms beyond Kindle Direct Publishing, such as Draft2Digital, to reach a wider audience and simplify the distribution process. The article advises against obsessing over initial sales analytics to maintain focus on writing. It also recommends strategically releasing a second book shortly after the first to capitalize on momentum and increase sales. Finally, Roze acknowledges the challenges of competing with established authors and encourages new writers to be patient and persistent, accepting their initial status as 'small fry' in the publishing world.

Opinions

The author believes that a book's cover is crucial for attracting attention and suggests creating three options to determine the most eye-catching design.
Roze promotes the use of aggregation services like Draft2Digital for broader distribution and convenience, implying that reliance on KDP alone may not be sufficient.
There is an opinion that new authors should avoid the temptation to constantly check sales analytics, as it can be distracting and detrimental to their creative process.
The article posits that publishing a second book in close succession to the first can be advantageous for sales and audience engagement.
Roze expresses a realistic view of the market, noting that self-published authors should not expect to immediately compete with well-funded, established authors and should focus on growth and development instead.
The author emphasizes the importance of taking advice but also acknowledges that each writer's journey is unique and what works for one may not work for another.

A Self-Published Author’s Insight To Prepare For Publishing

Hello and we are going to be diving into another piece of the writing craft, in this post though, we are focusing on the stages approaching publishing and how we can provide extra OOMPH for our soon-to-be-published work! Woohoo, you hit the final draft and you’re certain it is ready for upload to your distribution platforms. However, there are five things I would recommend doing before hitting that magic publish button for your first time!

First Thing You Should Know

When you are looking at uploading your book, look at your cover, make 3 options and ask your friends which one pops the most. If you have an obvious winner, I suggest using THAT one. The reason I suggest variance in the covers this early, is because you want to know its something that will draw attention to your book. It sometimes can be all about our cover. So, be sure its the one you want on your book. Changing a cover can be done, but i find it to confuse audiences. So pick one of the varieties you made and stick with it.

Second Thing You Should Know

Kindle Direct Publishing may be the one place you know will sell books, but I would encourage you to look around with aggregation options, as Draft2Digital is a free distributor and will have KDP distributed to for you if you don't already have a KDP account. Then, it also has a master link where you can share the book and they will pick their retailer, talk about handy, huh?

Final Thing You Should Know

You aren’t a triple-a author. We know it’s not possible to start as the best. However, we are still competing against them. They get big money to advertise their books, so unless you’ve got big bucks, you’re gonna be a small fry for a bit and that is OK. Accept the facts, grow with them, write more.

Overall

You can take this insight or run from it. I just know it is all stuff I would have liked to know before I started publishing my works. Everyone has their own way with authoring, with that being said, you’re free to completely ignore this insight, just don’t complain to me if you don’t use any of this information to your benefit. I’m not only here for me as a writer, but for you, as my lovely audience.

Thanks for reading,

Cam Roze