The Steps Ahead to Publishing Success

Also available in Books2Read, click on the link–https://books2read.com/u/bPLvyr

The process of formatting and uploading a book using publishing platforms is complex and time consuming. Give yourself plenty of time, a comfortable workstation, snacks, drinks and learn some mindful breathing. You will need all of these things to stay sane. *

As discussed on my last blog there are a lot of online publishers out there so do your homework and work out where you want to place your book. I decided to use Draft2digital as they offered a free formatting program that looked good and they distributed to a wide variety of bookstores.  I also decided to publish with Amazon as they have the biggest world market and higher royalties.

From my experience I would suggest the following steps.

1. Get your book cover in a downloadable PDF format for your e-book and a complete cover for your paperback. These need to be ready and fit the criteria of whichever platform you choose. I used the services of a graphic designer Kate Smallwood (https://www.deviouscat.com.au) but as stated in my previous blog on covers you can do your own cover or buy a ready-made, but unique pre-made cover
2. In Australia we buy ISBNs from Thorpe-Bowker. You will need time to set up your account and go through the questionnaire giving the details of your book. I bought a block of ten ISBNs for $80AUD and had to register as a new publisher cost $50AUD + GST. Total cost $143AUD. You will need a separate ISBN for each format of your book. Draft2digital and Amazon will provide you with a free ISBN, but I chose to have my own. When you get your numbers make sure you record them and keep them in a safe place. I did a table which set out the ISBN, the title of the book, book format and dates of publication as it helped me sort out which ISBN went with which copy of the book.
3. Once you have an ISBN you can register your book with the National Library of Australia. This is a legal requirement and again you will need some time to fill out the online forms. You only need to register one format of your book.
4. Do a final format of your word manuscript. Make sure that chapters are obvious and separated from text by paragraph spacing and clearly set out scene breaks. I used the formatting show/hide device on the home page of word. (Looks like a backward P) This clearly shows your spacing and page breaks. Ensure that all chapters and scene breaks have consistent spacing. This will make it easier to load your book onto the publishing platform.
5.  Draft2digital – You will need to start an account with them, provide banking details and fill out a USA tax form. These are all available in the account section. Draft2digital also have a range of You-tube videos. The masterclass tutorials are excellent and they provide a lot of advice on the website.
6. Draft2digital have an automated system that will download an author bio, dedication page, copyright page, list of contents as well as the blurb for the back cover. I tried these out but found the information was basic and not in my style. I chose to add my own internal pages along with my manuscript and didn’t have too many problems with the download.
7. Once downloaded onto the platform it’s a matter of working through the steps for each format (E-book, Print book, Hardcover or Audio book). Step 1 allows you to upload your manuscript. You will probably do this multiple times as you cannot edit once your manuscript is in the system. You will need to edit and then reload the file. Step 1 will also ask you for a Description- this is actually the information that goes on your back cover such as a blurb so have this ready. You can also choose your release, and pre-release date but do this carefully as it is essential to have your book ready to go by the release date.  Step 2 is the layout where you decide if you want Draft2digital to add your internal pages or you do it yourself. I found it easier to use my own pages but try out their system and see if it suits you. It also gives you a list of your chapters. If they don’t match your manuscript you will need to check on the formatting of your uploaded file and make amendments. Step 3 is the Preview, the fun bit where you can play with a variety of internal finishes which decorate your chapters and scene breaks. I was very happy with their selection of styles. After you select your style you will need to check each page of your novel carefully to ensure that everything is exactly as you want it. Changes can be made after you publish but can cost money. Step 4 is to publish. You can choose which platforms your book will go to and the prices of your book. You can change the prices for different countries and see what royalties you can expect. Once published you can order a proof copy which is exciting. The proof copy can take a few days to weeks to arrive and mine cost me $43AUD dollars but it arrived within four days. Carefully read the proof copy and if possible, get a friend or editor to go through it. Give yourself plenty of time to check and double check your book before publishing.
8. Draft2digital also allow you to use their formatting for free and download a copy of your formatted book to use on other platforms. A very generous offer for authors which needs acknowledging.
9. If you also decide to go with Amazon you need to create an account in Kindle Create. The process is similar to Draft2digital. Check out the terms and conditions from Amazon carefully. If you select Kindle Direct you must be exclusive to Amazon for 90 days but it is a good way to get your book read. Amazon is the biggest online publisher and it is worthwhile to use their service as they also provide a proof copy at a cheaper price.
10. Once you have published your book you will receive a Universal Book Link from Draft2digital and an Amazon URL. These are important links that you use when you start marketing your books. The Amazon URL is tricky to find but I used a You-tube video and finally worked it out. Copy and save these book links to a secure folder where you can access them easily. They can go onto social media and be added to web sites.

As I said at the beginning of this post, the process of getting a book ready for publishing is long and hard. I found the actual publishing difficult and sometimes confusing. I was lucky to have the help of Lee-Anne Kling from Indie Scriptorium who has published multiple books and spent many hours holding my hand and giving advice. I went through the process to find out for myself how difficult it is for someone who is not tech savvy and struggles with computer programs. I did it with a lot of help so it is doable. I hope my experience is helpful to other authors who want to do it for themselves.

Cheers Elsie King

Copyright ©Elsie King 2023

Cover design ©Kate Smallwood 2023

[*Note: Elsie’s self-publishing experience is from an Australian perspective and may differ from indie-publishers in other countries.]