Write a Book & Get Published

Note: This article is not about how to write a book but about how to publish one.

To get your book published, you can either find a major publisher/bookstore who will carry your title or self-publish. There are pros and cons, advantages and disadvantages to both. I won’t tell you which one is better because that depends on many factors, but in my case, I self-published my book.

Here’s my simplified “to do” list:

1) WRITE WRITE WRITE!!! Finish the book first.

2) Get a chief editor to edit the book.

•  Find a second editor for re-editing and proof reading
• I have 2 editors; some have 3 or more.

3) Get an animator if you have pictures or characters.

• I have animal characters that involves a lot of drawing illustrations.

4) Do cover studies. Look for at least 3 artists for more options.

• Choose the best cover designs that fits the concept of your book.
• Show your choices to friends and with different groups of people to get their feedback. You might love a cover that people dislike and vice versa.

5) Get a layout artist.

• Sometimes you can get 1 person to do multiple tasks. A book cover artist can also serve as your layout artist. Or an editor can be an artist as well.

6) Ask for blurbs from people you respect and admire.

• A blurb is a promotional description, as found in the jacket of books.
• These should be people who are known in an industry you want to reach out to as they will help you promote your book.

7) Find a good printing company.

• Self-publishing a book has its advantages but may not be for everyone because it entails more capital. 
• The printing company can also help you with copyright procedures.

8) Do a mock up of the book to see first what it would look like.

9) Get the necessary requirements.

• The National Library
• IPO (Intellectual Property Office)
• Others

10) Print.

• You must discern how many books you should print at the onset.
• The more books you print, the less the cost. 1,000 copies might be a safe bet. (I printed 3,000 copies initially; I’ll have my second print this month at 5,000 copies)

11) Look for a distribution company who carry titles from self-published authors.

• You will need to get approved by them first. My distributor brought my book to all major bookstores nationwide.

12) Pray that you become a Best-Selling Author.

•  Aside from bookstores, the most effective marketing tools to sell books are online and thru speaking engagements.

If you get your book published and this article was helpful, I’ll appreciate it if you write me how it helped. Cheers!!!