Are you about to publish your first book? Caps off to you, mate! It is indeed a great achievement! This book can turn you into a millionaire or a celebrity, or it can gather dust and become insect food at the bottom of the shelves in bookstores.
You would prefer the first two options for your book, right? Well, consider it done! For exactly this purpose, we wrote this blog to guide you towards this journey.
We do agree that it is not a piece of cake to successfully write and publish a book. There are going to be a lot of hurdles and barriers to hinder you.
Come on now, those hurdles were faced even by the most remarkable authors of all time. Do you know that many of your favourite authors have witnessed dozens of rejections, too? Can you imagine?
However, to avoid getting any rejections and embark on the route to join the ranks of James Patterson, J.K Rowling, and many other reputed authors, we suggest you read on.
Here are a few necessary steps that you must follow if you want to pave your way towards literary stardom.
7 Steps To Literary Success: Write & Publish Your Book
Step No. 1 – Writing
As obvious as it might sound, there is absolutely no point in overlooking the entire writing process. Writing a book and coming up with the best book cover design in UAE is not a duck soup. So, if you have made it this far, or if you are on your way to publishing your first book, then take a moment to give yourself a pat on the back. To help you with this step, here are a few considerations that you must keep in mind:
- Identify your genre
- Explore how people talk about your genre
- Evaluate bestsellers in your genre
- Identify your competitors’ positioning
- Find out what’s missing in your masterpiece
- If possible, identify a niche in your genre
After doing so, get ready to share your work with the world (proceed with step no. 2).
Step No. 2 – Edit Like A Professional
If you want to publish your first book on your own, then you must be able to compete in the same marketplaces and stores as the traditional publishing companies. This means that you have to make your book look as polished and refined as it would if you get it edited by any major publishing house. You might not have the expertise of those talented publishers, but it certainly does not mean that you cannot tailor a product that can compete with it. Keep your confidence high. We are sure you will be able to edit your book like a professional.
Step No. 3 – Book Design
Next up, you have to design your book. For this, you need to keep two factors in mind: interior book design & book cover design. Let us take a sneak peek at these factors.
- Interior Book Design: Interior design – does not sound like the most intriguing part of the design process, does it? Nuh-uh! However, it is vital if you want to publish your first book professionally. Typesetting (mainly referred to as book formatting) has its own rules for orphans, hyphens, widows, and a lot of other elements within a book to make it more legible. It ensures a top-notch reading experience for the audience.
- Book Cover Design: Book cover design will be the first thing that your audience will see in your book. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to making an amazing cover design. You can look at different book covers within your genre by visiting local bookstores. Ask yourself these questions:
- What are the trim sizes?
- What do the spines and the front covers look like?
- Take note of the imagery, the fonts, the colours, and more
- What elements of these book covers do you like?
- How can your book cover stand out—in a good way?
At the back of your book cover, you can include a book description, book reviews, barcode, author bio, etc. On the spine, add the book name, author’s name, etc.
Step No. 4 – Book Metadata
If you publish your first book, chances are you are unaware of what a book’s metadata is. It might sound a bit complicated. However, it is pretty straightforward. Your book metadata consists of all information regarding your book, such as its title, subtitles, trim size, price, book description, author name, and a lot more. Make sure to keep your metadata catchy to boost sales.
Step No. 5 – Publish Your Masterpiece
It is entirely okay if you are publishing your first book and don’t have any reputable book publisher UAE in mind. However, now is the right time to choose how you are going to share your masterpiece with the world. If you are interested in publishing your book all by yourself, then there are a lot of self-publishing companies out there, too. You only have to choose the one that suits you the best.
Step No. 6 – Distribute Your Work
To publish your first book, you have to distribute your work to the world. For that, you have two ways:
- Global Distribution: It used to be a huge stumbling block for self-publishing authors to distribute their books. Those poor souls used to spend weeks, months, and even years to write and distribute their work. Not only this, but they had to go through the entire designing, editing, and printing processes, and then after so many hurdles, they would get their books into libraries and bookstores.
- Indie Publishers: However, now there are a lot of indie publishers who can publish your first book on the same distribution channels used by major traditional publishers. So, bid farewell to all those unwanted hurdles by opting for this method.
Step No. 7 – Market Your Book
For indie authors, understanding how to market their books is vital. When you invest your precious time in creating, editing, designing, and publishing your first book, it becomes very easy to get wrapped up in the never-ending to-do list. This list keeps you on your toes and does not give you enough time to think about marketing your book. This is a serious blunder that a lot of self-published authors have.
While it is one of the last steps in the writing and publishing process, we strictly urge you to start planning your marketing strategy as early as you can. This is because creating an author platform does not happen in a night, so you better be prepared. Here are some methods you can incorporate in marketing your book.
- Author website
- Social media
- Advanced Reader Copies (ARCs)
- Tip sheets
- Author events, etc.
Can I make money by self-publishing my books?
If you opt to self-publish your book, you can expect to get 20 per cent to 100 per cent of the royalties. This rate might or might not balance your publishing costs. Moreover, it may or may not offer more profit as compared to a traditionally published book.
What is the minimum age limit to publish a book?
There is no age limit to publish a book. However, it is better to wait till you reach 18 years of age to deal with any legal contract.
What kind of books are easiest to write?
The answer depends on your interests. For some authors, writing fiction might be a piece of cake; for others, working on a crime novel will be easier.
Is it worthy to self-publish a book?
The answer varies with your goals. Self-publishing can be a great way to get your masterpiece out there in the world. However, it also requires a huge investment of money and time.
Summing It All Up!
And that is it! This is how you can successfully write and publish your first book. By following the steps given above, you will be able to make your work known to the world in no time. Here is a fast reap for you:
- Step No. 1 – Writing
- Step No. 2 – Edit Like A Professional
- Step No. 3 – Book Design
- Step No. 4 – Book Metadata
- Step No. 5 – Publish Your Masterpiece
- Step No. 6 – Distribute Your Work
- Step No. 7 – Market Your Book