The first step towards success as an independent author is to know everything about self-publishing. Becoming a self-publishing author, acquiring readers and selling books is not an easy task. Some of the self-publishing mistakes new writers make can rile up things. Writing a good book or even a great book is of no use if you cannot put your best foot forward and give your book the best selling chance it deserves.
Here are a few common mistakes that new authors make while self-publishing and how to avoid them.
Lack of Editing or a Poorly Edited Manuscript
The rush to publish a poorly edited manuscript is one of the most common self-publishing mistakes new authors commit. While it is true that every writer cannot afford a professional editor, it doesn’t give any excuse that a manuscript with poor grammar, sentence structure, and errors are acceptable. Sometimes it takes a few bad reviews and a lot of embarrassment for an author to realize the error of their ways. Irrespective of the ability or qualification, writers cannot accurately edit and proofread and overlook a few obvious errors. Hiring a professional proofreader or editor solves the issue.
Using Poor or Unappealing Book Cover
One of the most common mistake authors makes while self-publishing is to cut down the cost of designing the book cover. The first impression is very much crucial when it comes to selling your books. The book cover is the first deciding factor for any reader to pick your book or not. The unappealing book covers downright spoil the chances of the success of the book. If you are creating your book cover, be super honest about your work. Compare the book cover you have designed with other book covers of the same genre and be unbiased about your opinion. Never compromise on the book cover. If your book cover is not appealing to your readers, selling your book to them is tough.
Unoptimized or Rushed Book Description
Writing an appealing book description that will hook potential readers is as challenging as writing the book. Writing takes time, especially quality story writing, so ensure that you don’t rush the process. Like a book cover, book description must be appealing as well. A dull, lengthy, or self-congratulatory book description will turn off your potential readers, and they would never want to give your book a try even though you have written a great book. The best way to learn how to write a decent book description is to read as many book descriptions as possible. Understand the similar structure and the plot aspects that are highlighted and write the best book description possible.
Lack of Book Marketing Plan
What is the use of writing the best book possible when the potential readers out there are not even aware of your book or you as an author? To sell anything, you first need to market it. The same goes for self-published books as well. If you want to sell your books, you need to formulate a marketing plan and promote your book well in advance. Creating some hype for your book and marketing them well before you publish them will get you some pre-orders as well. One of the best ways to promote your book is to use social media. You can also consider investing a small amount in paid book promotions as well.
Self-publishing Your Book in Writat
Self-Publishing is not a race, and it is okay to take a year or more to prepare a book for publishing. Even if the book cover is appealing, the book description is perfect, and the story is proofread and written exceptionally well, it is still not enough. The platform you choose to sell your book is important too. Choose the right platform to self-publish your books. A self-publishing platform like Writat with a 40,000+ distribution network channels is best for self-published authors looking for a global audience. Writat renders free expert consultation to ease the process of writing and self-publishing.
