Writing a book is hard, and so is publishing. You might have approached traditional houses and faced multiple rejections. It\u2019s okay. Happens to most of us. It\u2019s a hard world out there. Now, you have decided to\u00a0self-publish. I hope you have read up on what all\u00a0self-publishing\u00a0includes and how it works. Assuming that, let me tell you the self-publishing mistakes to avoid unless you want to see your book fail (Obviously, no one wants that. So pay attention)<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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1. Not enough Research:<\/strong>\u00a0Self-publishing is not going to a publishing house and paying money. You need to know the size of the book you want, the gsm of the paper, the type of editing services, distributors, formatting, and typesetting. And that\u2019s not all. Read up and talk to new authors if that helps. Don\u2019t let anyone scam you. Ask questions and be aware.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n 2.\u00a0Skipping\u00a0Editing<\/strong>: You have edited the book by yourself. It\u2019s not enough. There are three types of\u00a0editing. Developmental, Substantial Editing and Proofreading. Find out what kind of editing service you require for your book. Editors are experts when it comes to grammar, typos and spelling errors. They can smell plot holes, inconsistencies in the plot, poor character building and clich\u00e9s from miles away. Get your book as clean as possible. You don\u2019t want to be a writer who uses \u2018your\u2019 and \u2018you\u2019re\u2019 wrong.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n 3.\u00a0Designing the Book Cover yourself<\/strong>: Just don\u2019t do it. You could be a good illustrator or good at Photoshop, but it\u2019s not the same as designing a book cover. An amateur book cover will never stand out, and believe me or not, your book will be judged by its cover. There are two types of cover. One is made from shutter stock images or photos. Another one is illustrated, or hand designed, you may call it, by the designer. Don\u2019t skimp on that.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n 4. The not-so-little things<\/strong>: Yes, the title of your book is very important. Take time to come to a final title. Beta-test it by asking people what it sounds like and all. Make sure the description of your book is edited and formatted perfectly. It shouldn\u2019t be too revealing. The blurb is very important for readers who chance upon your book. The blurb is all they have to decide whether to buy the book or not. Also, the author\u2019s bio. No typos. Use the right language keeping in mind the tone of your book.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n 5.\u00a0Rushing in the publishing process<\/strong>: You took two years to write down your book. How can you expect it to come out in a month? I understand the excitement to get it in your hands and know how people take it. But you must ensure it\u2019s the best version you can send out. The editing process generally takes time. Be patient. Make sure everything is set. Double-check, triple-check or ten times. Don\u2019t just let it go because writing it was hard enough.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n 6. Over Pricing or Under Pricing<\/strong>: Price your book too high, and no one will buy it. The price is too low, and people may think it\u2019s not good because it\u2019s cheap. Or you might end up underselling the worth of your book. Research the market before you decide on the price. Keep in mind that you might have to sell at a discount or do some promotional activity. Set the MRP, keeping in mind the marketing plans.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n 7.No one reads your book before publishing<\/strong>: Yes, the opinion of family members and friends count, but they might not be the kind of readers you are targeting. And let\u2019s accept it. They can\u2019t give you an honest review or break your heart because they have seen you work so hard on your book. Sign up for beta readers or reach out to some writer\u2019s community. Remember, you can change and make your book better before it’s published. You can\u2019t do it afterwards.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n