How quickly technology has revamped the self-publishing landscape!
It wasn’t that long ago that a self-published author had to plunk down a large sum of money to purchase a run of print books. The author then did all the legwork to sell them on their own website, to indie bookstores, or at events. This was a risky and expensive endeavor that rested on high hopes that the investment would pay off and their books would sell.
Enter the revolutionary print-on-demand self-publishing distribution option. This technology allowed authors to self-publish without needing to make a sizable up-front financial investment. Instead, when purchased through an online bookseller, each book would be created from electronic files via the digital printing process.
Along with eBook digital publishing, print-on-demand truly opened up a world of possibilities for anyone who fancies themself as an aspiring author. Instead of querying traditional publishers for the extremely remote chance of obtaining a book contract, self-published authors can have the whole world as a potential marketplace within weeks—and with minimal costs.
When considering book distribution for your self-published book, it helps to have a general understanding of how the process works. Read on to learn how Gatekeeper Press, a book distributor for self-published authors, gets a book from raw manuscript to press.
How Printed Book Distribution Works with Gatekeeper Press
Gone are the days when all books were offset printed from mechanical plates. Modern book publishing is now accomplished through “on-demand” digital technology. A customer discovers your book on a digital marketplace such as Amazon, makes the purchase, and within a day or two a high-quality copy of your book is en route to their home within a day or two. As simple as this sounds, however, many necessary steps of the publishing process occur along the way.
Gatekeeper Press is a self-publishing service provider with the largest book distribution network in the industry. Each author is paired with an Author Manager who facilitates each step to prepare your manuscript for print-on-demand publication. An author can utilize their editing and proofreading services to refine the manuscript and prepare it for distribution. Once editing is completed, Gatekeeper begins the process of preparing their interior file.
The Author Manager sends all files and instructions to the formatter, who then lays out the interior file. The author is in complete control over the final version of the interior file, including all decisions regarding trim size, font, graphics, and content. Once the author has approved the final version of the interior file, a proof is provided for review. Any subsequent edits will be completed, and the PDF file is then ready for distribution.
The cover file is a separate PDF file from the interior file that is uploaded at the same time as the interior file. Creating a well-designed cover is essential to the success of your book, so it is always recommended to utilize the talents of a graphic design professional for this important step.
How eBook Distribution Works with Gatekeeper Press
Publishing an eBook is a much simpler process. Once the interior file has been approved for the print version of the book, the Author Manager sends that file to the eBook converter who then creates an ePub file for the eBook. Although the file is the same content as the already approved interior file of the print version of the book, the author will still receive an electronic proof of the ePub file to review and approve. There is the possibility that a random hard return happened at the end of a line in the print interior file version, which would need to be removed in the eBook version, so those will be corrected. After the author approves the final ePub file, the eBook is then ready to be uploaded for distribution.
Now both the eBook and print book versions are ready to be published and widely distributed, but your work is not done. Self-published authors are then tasked with marketing the book, which drives consumer traffic to the book listings. Book promotions can include social media advertising, website email lists, by cultivating visibility on Goodreads or BookBub, promotional giveaways, and on-site ad programs provided by the retailers.
Learn More About Gatekeeper Press’ Distribution Partners
Once the book project is ready for publication, the Author Manager begins the process of uploading the files and metadata to the various book distributors for self-published authors.
Each of these online book retailers will review the files before approving the book to be listed for sale on their websites. In addition to selling your book on the online platforms, our retail partners also provide access to bookstores, libraries, and schools.
For expert editing, formatting, and distribution of your book project, contact Gatekeeper Press today!
