How to Self Publish a Novel
Jodee Blanco says in her book, "The Complete Guide to Book Publicity," that "...there's no such thing as a book that's impossible to publicize." These are encouraging words for all of those people who would like to self publish a novel. While taking on the task of publishing a novel yourself can be a scary task, following the guidelines to publication below will provide you with a roadmap to success.
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Computer
- Internet access
- List of media contacts
- Reliable printing company
Instructions
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Book Development
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1
Obtain ISBN and copyright. ISBN's are crucial to your publishing success. Registering your novel with Bowker, Inc. puts your novel on the map and makes it official. Don't skimp on this step. It is relatively cheap to order a block of ISBN's.
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2
Decide on layout and cover design. There are many great programs for laying out your novel in book form. A good word processor provides everything you need for layout. Do some research on what makes a good layout for your genre. Study published novels from cover to cover, taking note of the front and back matter. If you feel that doing the layout is beyond your capabilities, hire a professional.
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3
Choose a printer. Steer clear of printers who try to suck you in with offers of doing all the publicity work for you. They rarely follow through. Check out reliable resources at organizations such as SPAN (Small Publishers of North America). One print and bind company that is reliable and helpful is Lulu.com.
Publicity
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4
Make it newsworthy. Tie the theme of the novel with something controversial or with that has an entertaining angle. Contact your local media and obtain an interview. Get as much exposure as possible via newspaper, magazine, radio and television contacts.
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5
Get endorsements. Send galleys (unedited or edited proof copies of the novel) to peole with influence in the industry to comment on your book.
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6
Design a press kit. The press kit is the tool you will rely on when pitching to the media, distributors and other potential sources of publicity. Take your time and do your research on what comprises the perfect press kit. Ideally, the press kit should include a brief bio, your novel's primary message, the angles that can be used for publicity and any endorsements for the novel you have been able to drum up.
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7
Create an Internet presence. Design a Web site for your novel or have one designed for you by a professional. Keep it simple and to the point. Less is more. Find author forum's and participate in discussions with other author's. Start a blog, if you haven't already done so, and update it regularly.
Distribution
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8
Hit the road for an author tour. Take your press kits with you and book yourself into as many venues as possible. Hit book festivals and fairs, holiday festivals and writing seminars. Offer to do book readings and/or lectures wherever you go.
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9
Approach bookstores and gift shops. Start with your immediate area and branch out, checking in with every book venue you can find. Have press kits with you and be professional always. These venues are approached by authors daily and have a backlog of novels miles long. Make yours stand out from the crowd by having a 'hook.' Determine what you can offer the book venue.
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10
Offer to do a book reading or lecture.
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Tips & Warnings
Be professional.
Utilize the Internet. Spread the word of your novel in chat rooms, forums, e-letters, blogs, and author forums.
Add a signature to your outgoing mail with a link to your author website.
Don't send out generic mailings. Always tailor each and every letter to the venue you are targeting.
Don't send spam.
Resources
- Photo Credit Mark A. Hicks
