I am currently in the process of publishing another book and at the stage of having to choose a cover design. And because I have spent countless hours perusing pictures and talking to my graphic designer about the concept I want for the cover of my book, sometimes I feel like I should just design the cover myself.

And to a great degree, I am doing just that. Because I've chosen to self-publish, that means I not only wear the role of the writer of my book, but also the role of the publisher, which means I am responsible for ensuring my manuscript is properly edited, formatted and has a great cover design before I submit it for publication.

Choosing to self-publish my book is a route I chose to take because I felt doing so would give me the best return on the time and energy I invested writing my book. I also felt that I had the skill set required to get my book ready for publication. What about you? Is self-publishing your manuscript a publishing route that is right for you? Take one of these short quizzes to find out.

Quiz #1:  https://selfpublishingrelief.com/quiz-are-you-candidate-for-self-publishing/" target="_blank">Are you a good candidate for self-publishing?

Quiz #2: https://www.redbrush.com/resources/quiz.html" target="_blank">Are you a good candidate for self-publishing?

Writing a book is hard work. Publishing a book can be even harder work. So before your manuscript is finished, be sure to take some time to determine whether self -publishing your book is right for you. If you need further help choosing the publishing path that is right for you, set up an author https://calendly.com/jeaninnestokes/pick-my-brain-one-hour-coaching-session?back=1&month=2020-08" target="_blank">consultation.

Sharing the journey,

Jeaninne

Can you believe it? Another year is almost done.. And as I reflect today on the lessons I’ve learned in 2019 as a self-published author, here are ten I’d like to share with you in my last blog post for the year:

Lesson # 1 – If I had to do it over again this year, I would pay a fee and submit a book proposal to a Christian Manuscript Submission service

Although this resource is mainly for aspiring Christian authors who want to pursue the traditional publishing route, even if you decide to self-publish, it won’t hurt to submit a book proposal through this service, to see if a traditional publisher is interested in publishing your book. If a traditional publisher shows interest, you then have the option to decide which publishing route is best for your book, or you may decide to go with a hybrid option. Here is the link t o learn more about this resource:

https://christianbookproposals.com/how-to/writersauthors/

Lesson #2 – Remember, it’s not the book that sells, but the platform. Build a platform for your book and it will sell itself.

If you decide to self-publish, it’s very important to build a platform for your book. You do this by determining who the audience is you want to reach, and how best you can reach them using the skills, experiences and credentials you bring to the table. For example, are you a motivational Christian speaker who’s written a book on how to inspire others to succeed in life after a terrible tragedy or trial you've had to overcome? Tthen your platform will serve as a great marketing tool for your book.

Lesson #3 – Most bookstores are still not willing to house a self-published book, so don’t be surprised if they say no when you ask.

Although more aspiring authors are self-publishing every day, due to the long-standing relationships that have been established with traditional publishers through the years, most of the major Christian and non-Christian bookstores are still not accepting self-published books. So no matter how good your self-published book may be, and how well you think it would sell in a local bookstore, don’t be surprised if you contact the bookstore manager and they say no.

Lesson 4 – Know whether you work better with a soft deadline or a hard deadline.

A soft deadline is one you create as a self-published author for when you will complete your book; a hard deadline is one that is created for you by a traditional publisher. It’s important to determine which type of deadline you prefer. Are you self-disciplined? Can you set goals for yourself as an aspiring author and strive to complete them? Do you prefer not to work under a lot of time pressure? Then self-publishing may be a good route for you to consider.

Lesson #5 – It doesn’t matter how many books you write and self-publish, if you don’t have a good marketing and distribution system for how you’ll sell every one.

Be sure to create the marketing and promotion plan you’ll have for your book before it’s self- published. You’ll need to define who your target audience will be, and the type of advertising you plan to use to reach your target audience. At the end of the day, this will help to ensure you end up with a lot of book sales and not a lot of books.

Lesson #6 – Know your strengths as well as your weaknesses if you plan to self-publish.

As a self-published author, you are responsible for not only writing your book, but also marketing and distributing your book to your targeted audience. If the marketing and promoting of your book is something you won’t enjoy doing, or you simply don’t have time to do it, then be prepared to hire someone to do it for you.

Lesson #7 – Remember It takes money to make money.

If you are planning to  self-publish your book, you’ll need money to not only self-publish your book, but to pay someone to market and promote your book to your targeted audience. You'll  also need money to get to and from the various speaking engagements and book signings you’ll be asked to attend. Make sure in your planning that you create a budget to take care of the monetary responsibilities that will be required to publish and promote your book.

Lesson #8 – Don’t quit your day job just yet.

Most authors do not survive on book sales, so it’s important to keep your day job or have other streams of income until your book sales demonstrate you are able to sustain yourself financially if your goal is to write professinally.  If you have already stepped away from an existing career to pursue a career as a writer, determine how best to sustain yourself financially until your writing will sustain you.

Lesson #9- Expect obstacles along the way.

If you aer planning to self--publish your book, expect challenges along the way, but if you believe this is the route God wants you to take to get your book out to your audience, then remain confident in the path you have chosen and follow it, no matter the obstacles.

Lesson # 10 – Don’t give up. 

Although you desired to do so, maybe you weren’t’ able to self- publish your manuscript this year, for various reasons, and are feeling as the year draws to a close that it may never happen. I’ve been there and want to encourage you not to give up, for “the one who calls you (to write) is faithful, and he will do it.” I Thessalonians 5:24. Remember:  God knows his plans for your writing ministry and he will help you accomplish your writing goals, so even as another years ends,  don’t give up!

These are my top ten lessons for 2019 that I wanted to pass on to you as a self-published author. I pray they will encourage you in some way as you end another year as an aspiring Christian author. Happy new year and keep writing for Him in 2020!

Sharing the journey,

Jeaninne