How to Get Your Book Published: A Comprehensive Guide to the Ultimate DIY

Since the original post I made about publishing my first novel, I have been met with nothing but kindness, support, and surprisingly enough, curiosity. Tons of people have approached me about the publishing process, many of them having work of their own they'd like to share. When this blog was created six months ago, it's primary purpose was to create a space where we could share projects and artistic insights freely, so I'm beyond thrilled to let you all in on the publishing process.

Before we get started, though, I have to do a little self-promo. Believe me, I'll be referring to this throughout the post, so think of it more as a little disclaimer: My first novel, THE B-SIDE, will be available for purchase on January 12, 2020. Pre-orders will begin January 1.

Cool. With that out of the way, we can get to the good stuff. Namely, how the hell did I pull this off?

I think all of us at one point or another have had an idea that they thought would make a really great book. I think everyone has it in them to write that story. I also think everyone has the ability to see that book through to publication, but here's the thing: You've got to be unafraid to make it happen.

Publishing your own book is the feeling of walking on glass and setting yourself on fire multiplied by ten. Nevertheless, the DIY process, no matter how dirty and gritty it can get, is above all else rewarding.

Let me show you what I mean...

1. Find yourself some beta readers

You've written your manuscript. Congratulations! Your next step is to find people to read your work. I tend to choose trusted friends as beta readers but you can really pick anyone. The purpose of beta readers is not to edit your work, so it doesn't really matter if they're professionally trained or not. You do, however, want to pick people that will be honest with you.

You're asking them to read your manuscript for continuity, clarity, and the overall feel of the piece. You want them to tell you what's working and what's not, whether they can explain their reasoning or not. This is why I typically choose close friends. They're comfortable being honest with me but remain encouraging nonetheless.

2. Edit, edit, edit

I talk about editing more in depth here but generally, you want to take in the critiques of your beta readers and apply them accordingly. You may need to repeat these first few steps a couple times but it'll be worth it as we move down the line.

3. Hire an editor

But Brit, you say, I literally just edited it. A few times in fact.

Yes, but you still need to hire an editor. I don't care if you're a professional editor yourself.

YOU. MUST. HIRE. AN. EDITOR.

No matter how many times you read over your manuscript, you will still miss things. You're too close to the project. For THE B-SIDE, my editor pointed out that my characters suddenly appeared to be smoking inside at the start of a new chapter. I knew they'd gone outside but apparently, that wasn't abundantly clear to the reader. I never would have caught that, because in my head, it was a given.

(I'm going to give you a tip here. Freelance editors are expensive and rightfully so, but if you're on a budget like me, I recommend using someone from fiverr.com. I found my high-quality editor there for an affordable price and they really took my manuscript to the next level.)

4. The Extras

While you're waiting to get your edits back, you should get a jumpstart and write the non-diegetic content. Specifically, we're talking about the author bio, dedication, story description, acknowledgements, and the optional copyright page.

Technically, the moment you publish your book, you own the copyright to the story. Including a copyright page in the front of your book is an extra precaution, one that I felt appeared more professional, so I did it. I utilized a template online but it doesn't need to be anything fancy if you choose to create one.

The important thing to remember about all of these extras is that people will read them. Make them something that adds to the book as a whole, not something that takes away from it.

5. Cover Art

We've skipped ahead a little, but once you've made all the editor's changes and received the final copyedited manuscript, you need to start thinking about what the book will actually look like. If you can create the art yourself, I think that's awesome and really adds another layer to the piece.

For me, I knew I couldn't draw or design the cover art. (Graphic design is NOT my passion.) Therefore, I contracted out the work using someone from Fiverr and this is my plug for her: Rabia was brilliant.

If you're hiring someone like I did, you need to at least have an idea of what you're looking for. Take charge because after all, this is your vision. The biggest benefit of self-publishing is that everything is your decision. It's entirely from your brain, even the art! That being said, you need to effectively communicate your ideas to your artist and collaborate. Don't settle but don't be a dick either. You need people like this in your corner.

6. Interior Layout

This is where our publishing journeys will probably differ. Using InDesign, I did the entire interior layout of my book myself. It was a pain in the ass and it took weeks, but I didn't have the budget to contract it out. If you do have the funds or you are unable to do the interior design yourself or you have a shred of sanity left at this point, you can hire someone to do it for you.

One thing is for sure though: You NEED to have interior design. I mean, technically you can just publish your Word document but if you want it to look professional or reflect all the work you've already put into it, your book deserves a proper interior layout.

7. Proofread it ALL

I shouldn't have to tell you but before publishing, you better take the time to proofread your final copies of everything. Once it's up, there's no going back.

8. Upload these suckers!!

Alright, I'm going to be honest with you here. THE B-SIDE is still on step 7. That being said, here is what I will do in the days leading up to the new year.

You're going to upload your files to at least three different services, but if you know of more, go right ahead and repeat this process. Amazon KDP, which recently combined with CreateSpace, is where you're going to upload in order to see your book available on Amazon and to order print copies for yourself. Amazon KDP is a print on demand service, so after your original order, they'll print the book as people order it.

You'll also want to upload your files to Barnes & Noble Press and iBooks. This will cover your bases and make your book accessible to a wide range of consumers.

After this, you're officially published! Being as this is a DIY project, it's up to you to market it and grow your fan base, but we'll talk about that more in a future post.

Now, before I go, I'm going to take a second to answer a couple questions that have been sent to me. Maybe they'll be insightful or, at the very least, help you in your own publishing endeavors.

What has the self-publishing process been like?

At the beginning of this post I said it felt like walking on glass and setting yourself on fire multiplied by ten. You could also say it's felt like being drunk and strapped to a fireball hurtling from the sun. All of that is a really dramatic way of saying it's been incredible.

I'm hesitantly going to say this: publishing is harder than writing. There have been many nights it's felt impossible but the moment I started looking at publishing as an act of creation in and of itself, the fog lifted and I could suddenly see it all so clearly. I could see myself really doing this.

What inspired you to self-publish instead of using a publishing company?

Money and my lack of patience. I queried with literary agents for months and got nowhere, which isn't to say my writing wasn't good. They just had no reason to work with me. I hadn't published anything else for them to judge me on.

I was on a beach in California, squinting at the Pacific Ocean, when I decided to self-publish. That whole trip was a creative eye-opener for me but the point is, I wasn't ready for THE B-SIDE to die. If I waited much longer to get the ball rolling, I knew this story wouldn't come to fruition.

I found myself in the airport looking for companies to self-publish through. When I got the quotes back, most of them upwards of $22,000, the decision was made for me. I was going to do this almost entirely on my own and in the end, that's made it even more special to me.

Do you think you will self-publish again for your next book after this experience?

That's a complicated one. On the one hand, I would love to be able to publish traditionally the next time around. I'd have more money, more resources, and more time to just focus on the story itself. I'm 90% sure I know what the next book will be (it's a series!!) and based on where I'm at right now, I think it would really benefit the story to have that extra support.

On the other hand, I am not willing to shelve projects I believe in that don't get picked up. I've enjoyed this process, despite the difficulties, and I would definitely self-publish again. In fact, I'd love to help other new writers self-publish their work. Maybe that appears somewhere in my future. As for my next publication though, I guess it's up in the air. For now, I'm just going to revel in the lifespan of THE B-SIDE.

And there you have it. The Comprehensive Guide to the Ultimate DIY. All that's left to do is get writing. Oh, and get ready to pre-order THE B-SIDE. We'll talk more about that in a few weeks so be on the lookout...

As always, thank you for reading! If you'd like to chat more one-on-one about publishing, please reach out and I'll happily share more with you. Be sure to let me know what you think and stay tuned for more THE B-SIDE updates! // bcp