So you finished writing the first draft of your book and want to go the independent publishing route. But now what? It can be overwhelming to know your next steps. You’re an author but now you have to also be an agent and a publishing house.
After 10+ years of experience in the indie publishing industry, I’ve learned a thing or two…
What Every New Indie Author Should Remember
- You Are Amazing: Let’s slow down for one millisecond and just acknowledge the often-ignored elephant in the room (poor elephant)… you’re pretty dang cool! You absolutely crushed it! Weeks, maybe years, of slogging through writer’s block, catching the first inklings of plot points, chatting obsessively with imaginary characters – all culminated in this beautiful journey and the completed draft of your very own book. As you look forward to sharing it with the world, never ever gloss over this massive victory of an entire manuscript written by you.
- You’re Not Alone: Publishing your own books is no longer a lonely pioneer journey struggling to make a name for yourself. There’s an extremely supportive community growing larger every day online. From self-publishing veterans to young aspiring writers, they’re ready to support you every step of the way, give advice, and be your biggest cheerleaders. Actively search out indie authors – you won’t regret it!
- You’re Not Required To DIY: Your passion is stories but not necessarily editing, cover design, marketing, etc. Strategically hiring professional freelancers can take stress off your shoulders and create space for you to do more of what you really love! Maybe you can only afford to hire someone to edit and you DIY everything else – that’s totally okay! There are still so many resources available to help you succeed at your skill level and with minimal stress.
From one indie author to another, I think we can agree: self-publishing can be quite the process!
That’s why, in 2016 after publishing multiple books myself and working with dozens of other authors through my design business, I put all the steps down into one epic checklist.
My goal was to create a resource to help anyone–from first-timers to seasoned authors–reach the self-publishing finish line while reducing the chances of missing a step.
This year, I decided The Ultimate Self-Publishing Checklist was ready for an overhaul. I’m pleased to introduce you to 17 pages of checklist goodness!
You may notice some stages of the process split: listing steps to either DIY or hire a freelancer. I want every author to get to “choose their own adventure” whether they’re on a shoestring budget (I’ve been there!) or are prepared to invest.
Ready to get started? Get your free PDF copy below and enjoy this roadmap to your self-publishing journey!
