Sharing a story with readers is now easier than ever, thanks to the availability of several avenues in the publishing landscape. If you are a good writer, producing a bestseller is one thing that could be on your bucket list. Writing a great book and successfully selling it can be challenging for beginners. However, not making the right decisions for printing, publishing, and marketing can hinder the performance of a book. Therefore, understand these ten things to make your publication a success.
- Choose the best cover style for the book
A good cover helps sell a book, so strive for high-quality cover styles. Avoid making the mistake of mass-producing a book that can’t stand the test of time. Nothing is more disappointing to a buyer than a book that easily deteriorates, resulting in misaligned pages, cracked covers, and a broken spine. Therefore, working with hardcover book printing services will ensure you publish a timeless, durable, and secure book. Thanks to the thickness of the binding, hardcover books have excellent quality to resist wear and tear better than paperback editions.
Although hardcover printing is popular with legal and medical books, you can choose this type of binding for any of your book projects. On average, hardcovers last two to three times longer than paperbacks. Self-publishing authors are easily overwhelmed by cover choices and binding methods, so seek assistance from an experienced printing company to make the right decision.
- Hire a great editor
Good authors take time to review their manuscripts several times before publishing. Consider hiring a great editor to revise your script and make important corrections for perfection. An experienced editor will help polish your book before you put it out there. It would help if you chose one according to your specific needs. You should note that editing processes involve multiple steps, like proofreading. If you operate with a limited budget, ensure the editor can deliver good results quickly. Plus, you must consider the return on investment when settling pre-publishing fees. Finally, realize that publishing a book doesn’t always bring substantial profit. It helps to budget within your means and know how to balance the production costs and price.
- Ensure you can complete the project
Many writers start putting their ideas on paper without determining if they can finish the project. Before you stress yourself with publishing worries, give yourself enough time to create your content ideas. Only launch the project if you have enough resources to complete it.
- Attach importance to formatting
Good formatting is vital to publishing a viral book. On the other hand, poor formatting can disrupt readers’ attention, causing them to lose interest in the publication. Consider outsourcing the formatting tasks to experts or using resources like Articus to DIY the job.
- Let the description count
Ideally, your book’s description should be enticing enough to sell the book. Let it grab the public’s attention. You can create a brief but concise and catchy intro on what readers can expect to learn from the book. Consider setting up the plot or scheme chronologically when writing a fiction book. Leaving the readers craving more is always a smart idea. So, get a few friends to read the description, and they will let you know if it turns heads.
- Get your own ISBN
Getting your international standard book number (ISBN) is important if you are serious about self-publishing a creative masterpiece. Securing an ISBN will provide you flexibility and control over your book’s metadata. This way, you can easily switch printing companies without requiring a new ISBN, which may confuse booksellers. Securing your own ISBNs will also ensure all order inquiries pass through you instead of a publishing service company.
- Embrace search engine optimization
These days, SEO is important in digital book publishing. So consider optimizing your book to make it easier for search engines to discover and rank it. Reflect on the consumer’s interest and understand how they will likely search for a book. Are your readers looking for a men’s devotional or tips for treating a pet? Whatever the book’s scope, incorporating a bit of SEO can help in digital marketing. But this doesn’t mean you should go overboard by stuffing in keywords unnaturally in the title, subtitle, or description. That can negate the SEO and ruin the reader experience. Find a smart way to add important keywords to make your publication SEO-friendly.
- Know where the audience is concentrated
It would be best if you understood where your buyers congregate. For example, if you write a book for kids with autism, you will want to know where medical professionals in those fields concentrate. Factoring in the location of autism-centered non-profit organizations or kids with special needs may be vital. Selling a book is easier if you tailor the content to meet the needs of a passionate audience or community.
- Learn how to use Amazon to sell
It helps to grow your Amazon garden. The e-commerce giant offers competitive royalties for authors, with many earning around 35-70% on each book sale. Amazon’s bookstore is a force to reckon with and keeps growing. To stand out from the competing authors on the platform, you must choose the right category keywords and make friends with Amazon ads.
- Make your website ready before you publish
Don’t rush to publish a book without creating a professional website; such a mistake can affect your promotional traction and waste time. You can use your site to market your upcoming release if it is responsive, active, and running. Update your blog when it’s old, and consider curating new articles about the release of your book to build some presale hype. Your website may allow you to get some pre-order sales, further boosting your launch. A good website can impact your book’s sales ranking, so don’t miss the chance to give it the attention it deserves. In addition to that, it helps to optimize your social media accounts to reflect your new status as an author.
Mom on the go in Holy Toledo 