Usually, I get to work with most of my clients from start to finish on their book projects. From either the first idea or the end of the first draft, we work together to come up with a solid plan. Occasionally though someone will find me either through this channel or my Facebook page and ask me to help them. They are about to hit publish on their book and they have questions or they just started to submit things and weird things keep happening with their links.

Often, so many of these issues that pop up for them could have been averted if we had spoken only days or hours earlier. Some things I can help with, but some I can’t at that point. So, I was thinking about these common issues and I wanted to make a video to help you avoid these things that I see. Even if we never get to work together one-on-one, this is the advice I follow and that I lay out for my long-term clients so that they don’t have any hiccups.

Make sure you have your pre-order date and your release date written down in front of you. Know that date, you’ll have to enter it a BUNCH of time.
Make sure you have your ISBNs assigned. Once you leave that field blank, many print on demand platforms will assign you one of theirs for “free” but then you are locked in with that number.
Make sure you have your cover art, your book description, and your pricing set.
Make sure your book is DONE! I’ve seen multiple authors submit their book and then rush to get edits in and then issues happen with their book listings. Mainly because the retailers can see that there are so many edits coming at them. If you notice something, then yes, change it. But don’t go in with a plan to keep changing things.
Make sure the calendar works. Rushing to meet an arbitrary date that you had in mind when you started writing the book means there is less room for error, you then have to expect that these platforms operate at the fastest pace possible (they can have delays too), and then you are stressed.

Most importantly, have an order of operations set. For me:
Smashwords for eBook
IngramSpark for Print
KDP for eBook
Google Play for eBook
StreetLib for eBook
Website updates, Goodreads, and social media posts.
I don’t add my book to KDP Print until the pre-order is done
I don’t add the eBook to PayHip until the book has launched

This may not be the same order for you, but it is important to have this written out before you upload anything so you know you are getting this all done correctly. Run through it all in your mind a few times. You didn’t just spend a year OR MORE writing and editing this book to rush the execution here.

Self-Publishing for the First-Time Author: https://1mkwilliams.com/self-publishing-for-the-first-time-author/

Music from: https://www.bensound.com/ E.R.F.

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