So, you’ve decided to publish your own book. Congratulations!

You’re about to embark on a thrilling journey filled with self-doubt, unexpected triumphs, and

an abundance of caffeine.

Self-publishing on your own can be like assembling IKEA furniture without the instructions.

You don’t know what parts you need, what order to assemble each piece, and you swear you

just had that strange screw laying around a second ago.

Maybe you assemble without that missing piece because, is it really needed for the

infrastructure? Guess you won’t know until the end when you use the furniture.

Let’s make self-publishing (and your furniture) a lot easier to complete by breaking the

process down step by step, so you don’t end up tearing your manuscript like the third act

break up between the love interests.

3 Sections

Keep it simple, stupid.

In my guide, Become An Author, I break down the entire journey into three main sections: Writing,

Publishing, Marketing.

Why teach it this way?

You’re busy. You’re overwhelmed. Achieving your lifelong dream shouldn’t be impossible because

of the life you have.

I break it all down into small bite size pieces in three simple sections so that you can actually

Become An Author with what you have right now.

Here is the table of contents:

• Write
• Before You Write
• Research
• Plot
• Draft
• Test Your Story
• Edit
• Publish
• Find a Printer
• Get the Details
• Format the Interior
• Format the Exterior
• Submit Your Book
• Market
• Social Media
• Before Launch
• During Launch
• After Launch

Section 1: Write

A.K.A The Easy Part (or at least, the fun part)

Ah yes, the first section is the most fun: writing the book.

It sounds easy, doesn’t it? You probably have a million ideas floating around your brain like confetti at

a parade.

However, before you get too carried away, remember that writing a book isn’t just about typing out

random thoughts (unless you’re a true pantser).

No, no. It’s about crafting a masterpiece that will captivate readers, impress your mom, and (hopefully)

make you some money.

First, you’ll need to research your genre.

You need to know what your readers are expecting so you can deliver, and then some.

This is how you get great reviews. And reviews last forever (you can’t delete them).

Writing, in its many forms comes next.

After you’ve plotted, mapped, outlined, carved into stone, however you want to plan your story, you

can then let those magical streams of words fly from your mind and into beautiful braided prose.

After you’ve finished your cringy first draft, you can start to edit.

Editing as we all know is just a fancy word for “self-torture.”

So buckle down, because editing isn’t just fixing typos, it’s about making sure your plot makes sense,

your characters transform believably, and your plot doesn’t have a pot hole that can eat your entire car

when you’ve almost made it home.

You’ll need to self-edit plenty, find some beta readers to test your story with and hire editors. One at

the very least.

I know life is crazy, you might get writers block, you’ll feel impostor syndrome, etc...but don’t give up.

Create a schedule, vision board, routine, whatever you need to do to slowly move toward your goal of

Becoming an Author. Yes, I said slowly.

Don’t beat yourself up while you balance your job, raising kids, manage your partner or the like.

But at the same time don’t make excuses either, because here’s the truth: You will get distracted.

Netflix will call your name.

The lure of TikTok is powerful. You will ask yourself, “Do I really need to finish this chapter or is

cleaning the bathroom more urgent?”

But keep going. Don’t let the procrastination monsters win. Your future self will thank you.

Section 2: Publish

The part where you want to pull your hair out

After you know your story is polished as shiny as your father-in-law’s bald head, you are ready to publish.

But there are so many details that go into this section. You’ll need to research all the printer/distributors out there, yes, there’s more than just Amazon KDP or IngramSpark.

Finding the right POD for your book is like finding a business partner that’ll help you achieve your goals.

Not all POD’s are created equally. You’ll need all the insight you can get before jumping in head first.

Once you know who your partner is, you’ll then know what print size options they have.

Choose a size that readers of your genre are expecting to buy.

Don’t try to break the norm and be wild here if you are a first-time author. That would be like buying shoes two sizes too big just because they’re cute. It wouldn’t be functional and may cause you to trip and fall flat on your face.

Now it's time for formatting.

If you’re thinking, “Formatting? Isn’t that just putting the text in Word and calling it a day?” — bless your heart, you sweet, innocent soul. I’m not laughing at you, I’m just feeling a true sense of empathy, because I was you once upon a time.

As overwhelming as this is, there are so many options to do this simply.

I personally used a Word template, but there are programs like Atticus, Vellum, Reedsy, and more that can format your book. If you don’t want to mess with this, you can hire a formatter on a freelance site.

Getting everything formatted includes getting the details like an ISBN (or 10), LCCN, copyright, etc... These are not all required; you do have options, and there are pros and cons for each detail.

The details you should get depend on how you publish and your future goals. But once you have those details, formatting can be completed. Well, the interior of your book that is.

Next, you'll need to format the cover.

There are a plethora of ways to do this, and multiply that by the different kinds of formats you plan to sell (paperback, hardcover, ebook).

Use a template, DIY, or hire someone. Just make sure you have the right dimensions.

If your POD offers formatting templates or a formatting program, I’d recommend you use it so as to do it right.

And this leads to the next part where I beg you to order a proof copy of your book before you publish.

You want the physical copy (or digital copy if an ebook) in your hands to test the translation of what’s on your screen to paper (or kindle). Don’t skip this step.

The last step is to submit your book for publication.

You might think uploading is simple, but when you’re greeted by endless dropdown menus, formatting combinations, and a prompt asking for your tax information, you’ll start to question your life choices.

Don’t worry. Everyone goes through this.

You’ll get through it, but not without a few tears, a little swearing, and possibly questioning whether you should have just sent your book to a traditional publisher (Spoiler: you most definitely will question the traditional route about 150 times.)

Not to toot my own horn, but the Become An Author: Guide, will hold your hand through this entire process, making it so much more enjoyable. Don’t forget to check it out!

After you hit “publish” you should party like it’s 1999 because Y2K caused a whole lot of “live in the moment” vibes with “the world is ending” panic.

And yeah... the next section can sometimes feel a little hopeless like some of those millennials believed the world was ending...

Section 3: Market

How to not feel like a used car salesman

Okay, so you’ve done it. Your book is now out there for the world to see. Time to sit back and relax, right? WRONG. Sorry for yelling. I just really hate this part.

Well, that was until I’ve discovered there are more ways than Social Media to market a book.

Marketing your book is like trying to sell a used car at a yard sale.

You’ve got to convince people that your book is worth buying, and that takes effort. Social media? Check. Book blogs? Check.

You’ll be writing guest posts, hosting giveaways, and begging your friends and family to leave reviews.

Maybe you’ll even start a TikTok account just to say “Hey, buy my book!” in an entertaining way. But hey, it’s all part of the game.

To make this more manageable, I break down book marketing into three steps: Before, During and After your book launch.

In fact, if you are writing or haven’t even started writing yet, I suggest you start your social media presence now.

When I published my first book, I dedicated three months to only marketing. The more you give to gain exposure, the more you’ll get.

And you want a successful book launch right? Start your marketing now little by little.

Embrace the suck of reaching out for collaborations, submitting for awards, and giving free copies away in the hopes of a review. Eventually, it’ll get easier.

BECOME AN AUTHOR

Finally!

Self-publishing is like a giant rollercoaster. There are moments of excitement, moments of terror, and

moments where you wish you were just doing literally anything else.

But in the end, it’s your book, your story, and your unique journey.

Whether you end up selling a thousand copies or just one (hi, Mom!), the experience of publishing

your own work is something you’ll never forget.

Yes, I cried when I held my first book for the first time. It never gets old 9 books later.

So, grab your coffee, power through the ups and downs, and remember: Self-publishing is like a

magic trick. You have to believe in it, even when you’re pretty sure it’s all going to fall apart.

You can do it! For more help, get the Become An Author Guide and Planner to stay organized and

get the information you need to turn your amazing book ideas into income.

Now, go forth and publish that book, you brave, literary genius! Just don’t forget to send me a copy. ;)

Sincerely,

Sara V.