Congratulations! You’ve decided to make this the year that you are going to write and self-publish that book you’ve been thinking of for years! Woohoo!!

But now you’re thinking… uh so how do I actually do that? Well, the tough answer is that there is no one right way to self-publish your books. Depending on the genre, your specific goals, and the amount of time and money you have to dedicate to the project, answers will vary widely. Don’t worry I have lots of videos to answer all of those questions. But today you need to answer these 6 questions in order to get started on your self-publishing journey in 2022. 

That’s right. These are the 6 decisions you need to make as the author and self-publisher in order to get your book done and out to people!

–Self-Pub or Traditional? – Seems silly to have this here since you probably found this video because you want to self-publish. But, do you? It is a lot of work to handle the logistics of editors, cover design, registering your ISBNs, etc. Now, if you were to go the traditional route that is a lot of work too and no matter the route you’re on the hook for marketing the book. But if the logistics dont’ appeal to you, maybe look into traditional publishing. Just don’t fall into the trap of vanity presses – they make it seem like you’re being traditionally published but you’re not. With self-publishing you foot the bill, you keep your rights, and you get all the royalties. With Traditional publishing they foot the bill, perhaps pay an advance, you sign over your rights, and you get small royalties. NO TRADITIONAL PUBLISHER WILL ASK YOU TO PAY FOR ANYTHING.

–Budget? – This decision and the next go hand in hand, but first I want you to think about your budget. Do you have any money put aside for editing, cover design, learning and running social media or Amazon ads? Do you have an idea in mind of how much you would be willing to invest in this project? You could do it all “for free” but there are some caveats you may not like about that. Between formatting, cover design, owning your ISBNs, and advertising, it can add up fast. Making a budget can help you stay on track and also have realistic expectations on what you can net from the book.

–DIY or Pro? – This plays into your budget. If your budget is $0 then I guess you’re doing everything DIY. Chances are you’ll have some money to allocate, but not unlimited funds. So what professional help will you invest in? The best editor money can hire? An award winning cover designer? Hiring out for social media ads to support the book? Likely you’ll want to use some self-publishing service companies that help authors like us at reasonable prices. Companies like Formatted Books and 100Covers know books and offer excellent prices. You could also find help on Fiverr, but be sure to check that they know books. It’s a specific niche. 

–Reach and distribution? What do you want? What is the dream? What can you handle? – This next question probably seems silly. But so many authors don’t think about this until they are ready to upload and hit publish. But if you haven’t given your distribution any thought, you may not have the right file format for the platform. So let’s take a moment and think about what kind of reach you want your book to have. Amazon? Libraries? Barnes & Noble? International Markets? Ebook? Print books? Audiobook? Again, there isn’t a right or wrong answer here, but what is your vision for the book? What have you already been thinking of? What can you handle right now? If the thought of managing multiple logins and audiobook production and all these decisions is stressing you out, relax. Don’t worry. You can add on later. But think about what you may want to add now so you can set yourself up for success. 

–What are you doing right now to build your audience? – As I mentioned earlier, you’re going to have to market this book. And unless your family and friends all love to read the same exact genre and that is the genre for your book, you’re going to need to cultivate a readership outside of your direct circle. So how are you doing that? Do you prefer connecting on social media? Or maybe you like to go to readings at your local indie bookstore? What can you do right now to start to connect with other authors and more importantly book lovers so that you have a community cheering for you and excited to read your book when it is ready? 

–Is the book written? – The final and the most important question to answer is this one… is your book written? Have you started? Set a REALISTIC goal for when you think you could have draft 1 done. Then draft 2. Without the complete manuscript, the rest of these decisions don’t matter very much.

In between your writing sessions when you are thinking of the answers to the other questions, check out my other videos to help you navigate this very exciting project. And let me know what your book is going to be about. Let’s encourage each other in the comments below. 

LINKS:

100Covers: http://100covers.com/?ref=49

Formatted Books: https://formattedbooks.com/?ref=31

Fiverr: https://go.fiverr.com/visit/?bta=221077&brand=fiverrcpa

Alliance of Independent Authors: https://allianceindependentauthors.org/?affid=11329 

AuthorYourAmbition.com/Books 

Join this channel to get access to perks:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjvBO4kjuBSYe6Bi3RYQAQA/join

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

How You Can Support This Channel and My Work:
👍Like, Subscribe, and Comment on this video!
✉️Subscribe to my monthly newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/52c7cd246b5b/authoryourambition
➕Follow me on my other channels: FB | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads
https://www.facebook.com/1mkwilliams/

https://www.instagram.com/1mkwilliams/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14420756.M_K_Williams
☕️Buy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/1mkwilliams
📚Check out my books and purchase them or request them at your library: https://1mkwilliams.com or https://payhip.com/MKWilliamsPublishingLLC

Author Your Ambition Merch on Etsy:
📖https://www.etsy.com/shop/AuthorYourAmbition

Need help with your book?
📞You can actually do 1-on-1 coaching with me, learn more about the services available here: https://calendly.com/1mkwilliamsauthor/author-coach-consultation

Need help with your author business?
📈 You can book time with me to go over your author business and overcome your current roadblocks: https://calendly.com/1mkwilliamsauthor/author-biz

DISCLAIMER: Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you, but it can help me continue to create and put out more content. Thank you for supporting my channel so I can continue to provide you with free content each week!