Writing a novel is an amazing accomplishment! However, publishing the book may prove to be harder than writing it. If you’ve decided to become a published eBook author, that’s great, but you’re probably not an eBook publishing expert. Therefore, you’ll need to learn how to self-publish an eBook. On the other hand, you might want to transform your already published novel into an eBook. More than ever before, publishing your eBook has never been simpler.
Just follow our seven simple steps on how to self publish an eBook.
7 Simple Steps on How to Self Publish an eBook
Step #1: Get Feedback and Finalize The Manuscript ????
Writing a novel can be one of the biggest accomplishments of a person’s life. However, editing a book takes up more than 75% of the creation process. Before you publish, it’s important to make sure you definitely have the book you want. Though you may be able to make some revisions after publication, it’s important to make your edits now. In the end, readers won’t pick up a book littered with grammar errors, poor character or plot development, or holes in the overall story. If you want a successful eBook, it’s important to have a finalized version to publish.
It is often harder for writers to edit their own work. Therefore, it might be beneficial to hire a freelance editor. This is a great way to to get a professional opinion on the overall quality of your novel. You may also want to send your manuscript to some friends or colleagues for feedback. Though you shouldn’t feel obligated to apply all the advice you are given, reader responses will help you polish your finalized draft.
Step #2: Format The eBook ????
Formatting your eBook can be time-intensive, but the time it takes may vary depending on which publisher you use. For example, when publishing a book on Amazon, they require final eBook files to be in the Mobi format. On the other hand, most other eBook retailers require an ePub format.
Each retailers’ formatting guidelines include will explain how to create page breaks, headings, table of contents, illustrations, and so on. While formatting your book can take a bit of time and requires attention to detail, it is not overly complicated. With a little patience and focus, anyone can do this step. Otherwise, as with editing, you can always hire a freelancer to format the book for you.
Step #3: Design Book Cover and Artwork ????
Often, writers are so excited to finish their book, making sure each word is perfectly placed. With that in mind, it is easy to forget about the visual elements of book publishing. The cover of your eBook is important because it’s essentially the first impression potential buyers will get of the novel. Therefore, it should look professional and attractive.
Some sites have free cover design templates for do-it-yourselfers. However, covers designed this way don’t usually look very sleek and sometimes have a generic or boring appearance. If you want a more eye-catching, personalized cover, you can turn to a designer or professional cover design service like Gatekeeper Press.
Step #4: Compose the book summary and author bio ✍️
You will need to write a short summary for your book. Take your time with the description. Essentially, the synopsis helps readers determine whether or not they are interested in purchasing your eBook. It shouldn’t be too long, as you don’t want to lose the attention of potential readers. On the other hand, don’t make it too short or vague. While leaving out any spoilers, the right amount of detail will grab the reader and leave them wanting more. Don’t write more than a paragraph or two. Essentially, write a lively description with intriguing details that would make YOU want to read the book!
You will also need an author bio. If you don’t have a bio or it isn’t written well, readers might get the impression you aren’t qualified. Ultimately, the author bio should be a short piece of writing in the third person. It should be about 230-300 words long, list relevant rewards and credentials, and ultimately should focus on your writing career. Don’t be afraid to add a little creativity to the bio either.
Step #5 Calculate a selling price ????
You will also need to determine the price of your book, along with rights and royalty structures. Major retailers, such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble strongly encourage pricing between $2.99 and $9.99. Overall, you will get much higher royalties (70%) if you keep your price within that range. The price of the eBook depends on length, subject matter, and whether or not you value a low selling price. For a more in-depth look at the question of pricing, check out this helpful list of retailer payouts.
Use a royalties calculator to determine how much money you’ll earn from each sale
Step #6: Upload and fill out forms ????
Once you have your manuscript formatted, book cover designed, description and author bio finished, and price determined, you are ready to self-publish! Self-publishing platforms try to make the process easy, but because there are so many different platforms, it easiest to work with an aggregator like Gatekeeper Press that will distribute to all platforms at once. The information you will need to add includes uploading your manuscript and cover, filling in your title and description, and selecting keywords and subject categories. Keywords, categories, and metatags should be thoughtfully chosen and written, as these will help lead people to your eBook.
With everything uploaded and filled in, you are ready to officially submit your eBook! The platform will typically require a few days to review and process the submission.
Step #7: Share your eBook with the world ????
Likely within a few days of submitting your eBook for publishing, you will get a notification saying it’s live online and available for sale. It’s an exciting moment! And once you see the page for your book online, you can start sharing it with people and encouraging them to buy (and review) your eBook. Congratulations on being a published eAuthor!
The next step is learning how to market your self-published book and spreading the word to readers across the world!
Already Published? Here’s How to Turn Your Physical Book into an eBook
Just because you are trying to learn how to self-publish an eBook doesn’t mean you are brand new to publishing. Perhaps you have already published a print-edition book, but you want to expand your audience by making it available as an eBook as well.
If you don’t have your book in any digital format, such as in a Google Doc, a Microsoft Word document or a PDF, you could do the very time-consuming work of typing it all. As an easier method, however, you could purchase a tool to scan the book. But if you don’t have the time, patience, or typing skills to do either of those things, your best bet would be to have it professionally converted, which you can do through a company like Gatekeeper Press.
eBook Publishing Made Simple
There’s no better feeling than the accomplishment you will feel as a published author. Now that you know more about how to self-publish an eBook, you can see how authorship is open to you or anyone with a book that they are ready to share with the world.
If you need any additional information about how to self publish an eBook, contact Gatekeeper Press for a free consultation. Interested in getting a little help with editing, cover design, or other publishing services for your eBook or physical book? Get a quote here.
