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Written by Administrator
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Wednesday, 22 December 2010 06:53 |
 The first step is having your manuscript edited by a professional editor. Most self-publishing outfits charge roughly $0.01 to $0.02 / word for editing services or you can hire your own professional editor to go through your work. You can find one for an affordable price at one of the many freelance sites like elance.com or freelancers.com.Many self published authors try to format their own books , but we advise against this. Again, if you want a professional end result, you might want to hire a professional formatter to align the interior. It’s a common mistake by many first timers. Ensure the self publishing company you go with offers these services.A book IS judged by its cover, so try to refrain from designing your own cover which will make the final product look weak and trying too hard. The cover is the most critical aspect of your book and having it professionally designed should be a key investment; you won’t regret it. Professional cover designers charge anywhere from $300 to $1500 depending on the designer and the level of complexity involved. Again, you can try the freelance site above to find an affordable book cover designer.
Note the different between a so-called free custom cover design and one that is professionally designed. The former offered by self-publishing companies involves using cover art obtained from stock photo websites (istockphoto.com, gettyimages.com, etc) and slapping it on the cover with the title on top and the byline on the bottom. Conversely, professionally designed covers integrate content and substance with design.Retain your rights. Read the fine print with the deal you sign with your self-publishing company; some take advantage of your naiveté and not only own rights to the current book, but any subsequent ones you write as well. Be wary. They will also place their names all over your book, which will cause your book to be easily recognized as being self published. Remember that self-publishing inevitably entails intense self-marketing and promotion, so make sure you create a marketing plan and market your book like a pro.Understand the business. Know the economics of the retail price: production costs, retail margins, trade distribution discounts, all factor into the final price. And keeping all the profits doesn’t equate seeing every cent of the retail price. The more you know, the better it is for you. It’s a win-win situation for everyone.Rein in your expectations; bestsellers aren’t created overnight. Besides, if it were that easy, there would be a lot more writers out there! Sales of self-published books have a slow and steady curve, which means it depends on your promotion and sales tactics in generating word of mouth buzz.Don’t rest all your expectations on one book; publish more and then market them both at the same time instead of putting all your life’s savings and time into one. The new digital age is all about branding and creating a name for yourself. So make sure when you’re talking about one book, you’re taken about all of them.
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Last Updated on Thursday, 23 December 2010 20:23 |
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