Self-publishing is a whole new world that I just got into the last couple years. It has been challenging, but very rewarding. As an artist, I wanted full control of my design, layout, and content, and self-publishing gave me that freedom. If you find yourself wishing you could have your own book, but are not sure what it would be about, there are lots of options to explore! I chose poetry, writing poems about my own life and experiences. I think that a story about your life can always be relatable to someone, and is definitely worth writing! It’s a good place to start if you’re just starting to write.

Also if you’re an artist, having a book of your own artwork and perhaps the meaning or stories behind the artwork would be great too. I know we all have these things online these days, but I truly believe that having a memoir or archive in printed form holds a weight of its own, has value and lasts forever.

If you have a story already and a somewhat completed manuscript, there’s definitely the option of finding a literary agent online to help you get published by a big publisher. It’s a preference, and of course an expense if you’re willing to pay for it. These take extensive time and research into which agents or which publishing houses to apply to, and the weight time can be 1-2 years. If you’re more eager to have a book in your hands like I was, that’s where the self-publishing route comes in. There are many book designers, editors, cover designers and so forth that you can hire on a contract-basis online if you’re not sure about doing it yourself. Do some research and see what the process has been like for others in terms of workload.

Here are my two cents:

I chose to learn how to do it myself through Adobe Indesign. I watched several You-Tube videos online about how to format and make an Indesign file for a book. I also chose a local printer to my location that had great reviews for printing other self-published books. Each printing company will have their own guidelines for submitting files and sometimes instructions on what exactly your files need to contain. I suggest calling your top choices on the phone and seeing how friendly and responsive they are. You will need your help if issues come up in the design and printing process. Research common fonts and font sizes that are typical for your type of book, and open your personal favorite books to look at paper color and texture to help inform your decision.

Another suggestion is ordering a Proof hard copy of your book so that you can see how it looks printed before making a large order. This option helped with choosing a printing company as well. The company I chose had a $50 proof copy option plus shipping. The book came unbound, but I was able to assess printing colors of the cover page and pictures inside, and if I was happy with the overall size and layout. Try not to rush- take the time to make it perfect so that you are truly proud to advertise your end product that you’re happy with.

Rather than ordering a bunch of copies and hoping they sell, I decided to try making a Kickstarter for my book and setting a goal of how many copies I’d like to print. The larger the order the bigger the discount, so I wanted to offer good perks and gifts for whoever wished to buy a pre-order copy. Making your buyers feel special that they have an exclusive copy works well in having them feel included in your project, like a part of the process. And it’s fun to share in the publishing of your very own book! The marketing of a Kickstarter is up to the author, and that part can be challenging. There's many other sites I've seen authors choose as well such as Indiegogo or GoFundMe. It also depends on who you think your audience will be. I found that people between the ages of 18-40 knew what these sites were and how to navigate them, whereas 40-70+ had trouble understanding the pledge/reward process.Therefore because of my specific audience of friends and family, I would not do a Kickstarter like that again.

If it’s not for you, you can always order a large amount mainly for the discount and try to sell your books from there. It will take some hustle to keep them from collecting dust in your own house, but you can do it! Show a copy of the book you’re proud of to your local business, bookstore, or cafe. See where business owners like to display handmade products. Try a market. The world is now your oyster! Talk about your book on social media, post photos and videos of it, and have a website with reviews from your readers. Make posters and pin them to a local bulletin board. Maybe reach out to a podcaster.

I’m still learning to stretch myself in all of these areas, and I’m learning that slow and steady wins the race. Keep going for the long haul and don’t let your marketing die. You have a story worth sharing! And if this is the making of your first book, give yourself some grace. It’s a tedious process, and sometimes you may not get exactly what you want till your 2nd or 3rd book. And you can always make a 2nd edition of your first book.

Good luck out there, and even if you don’t publish, keep writing and creating!

Lindsay

Should you self publish a book and how to start

art & poetry

by Lindsay Spellman