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September 20, 2023 
Writing
When you write a book, there are two ways to go: self-publish or work with a publisher. Self-publishing is becoming more popular, and for good reason.
Not only does it give you full control over your content and how it’s presented to the world, but today’s technology makes it easier to publish your book without worrying about hiring an editor or graphic designer. If you’re ready to plunge into self-publishing but unsure where to start, here’s the expert guide to help you start your journey.
Choose to Write
When you’re writing your book, it’s important to remember that the process is about choosing yourself. You can do this! It’s time for you to make the decision that will change your life forever:
Set a time frame with clear deadlines so you stay on track and don’t get overwhelmed by all the work involved in completing a manuscript–especially if this is new territory for you!
Choose a topic that excites and inspires YOU! Your passion will come across in every word on every page of whatever masterpiece emerges from these steps; therefore, choose wisely.
Determine your goals for writing a book.
When you are ready to start writing your book, you must clearly understand your goals. Why do you want to write a book? Are there any particular benefits or results that will motivate you? What impact do you want your book to have on the world, and how will this impact others?
What’s in it for them? What will they get out of reading it? What value does it bring their lives? How can they benefit from reading your words (and buying copies)?
Create a writing schedule.
Writing a book is a serious commitment, and you must be prepared. Many people think they can just write whenever they feel like it, but this isn’t true.
You have to set up a schedule that includes regular daily writing time. If you don’t have an hour or two per day to dedicate solely to writing, then self-publishing your book may not be realistic for you right now (or ever).
So how much time should you write each day? It depends on what kind of schedule works best for your lifestyle and personality type–but some people succeed with 30 minutes each morning before work.
Others prefer an hour after dinner; others prefer setting aside three hours every Saturday morning…and so on! You’ll figure out what works best through trial and error–and we’ll talk more about sticking with those schedules later in this guide!
Create your outline and chapter titles.
The outline is like a roadmap. It will help you stay on track and write a consistent and coherent book. The chapter titles are like signposts, letting readers know what they can expect in each section of your book.
The chapter outline is not a script. It’s an overview of what you want to say, not how you will say it. You may discover that some parts of your book require more detail than others, so leave room for expansion and revision as necessary.
Write the first draft of your book.
The first step is to write the first draft of your book. This can be done in any word processor, but the Urban Book Publishers recommend using something like Microsoft Word or Google Docs because they have spell checkers and grammar checkers that will help you catch mistakes as you go along (and trust me, there will be plenty!).
Once you’ve written your chapters and finished this draft, it’s time for editing! Editing takes a while–so make sure not to rush through this step, as it’s crucial for ensuring everything looks good before publishing.
Do some research:
Writing about what you know is a great way to start. If you’re writing a book on business, for example, it’s best if the subject matter interests and excites you. And if it doesn’t, perhaps this isn’t the right time to write your book!
To fill in any gaps in your knowledge or experience with self-publishing, research and learn as much as possible about how self-publishing works before going ahead with your project.
Revise your manuscript:
Your manuscript should be revised to ensure it is clear and concise. This will make it easier for the reader to understand what you are saying while helping them enjoy the reading experience more. If there are any errors in your work, fix them now before going any further with publishing your book!
Edit your manuscript:
Editing is a very important part of any kind of writing, so therefore you must not skip this step. If you’re not a professional editor, find one. If you can’t afford an editor and don’t have friends or family members willing to help, tools like Grammarly can help catch some of the most common mistakes in writing.
Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback on your book before publishing it! Friends and family members will be able to point out any issues with your manuscript before it goes live on Amazon or anywhere else online where people might buy it.
Design an engaging cover and choose the best format for your book (print vs ebook).
When you’re self-publishing, it’s important to have a professional-looking cover design that will catch readers’ attention at first glance. But don’t worry–you don’t need to hire a designer! You can do it yourself or find someone on Fiverr who can help you create an appealing cover.
If you want more control over how your cover looks, there are plenty of great options for DIY templates online.
Once you’ve designed your cover and chosen which format(s) are best suited for your book(s), upload them onto the Amazon KDP Select program, where they’ll be available as both ebooks and paperbacks (and Audible audiobooks, too!).
Publish!
You can self-publish your book that you can sell directly from your website to avoid dealing with retailers altogether (and avoid giving up a cut of every sale).
However, apart from that, you can also publish your book on Amazon, but if you do so, there is a certain cut you would need to pay back from your sales.
Conclusion
We hope that this post has given you some insight into the process of self-publishing a book. The good news is it doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive! All it takes is time, dedication, and a commitment to ensure your manuscript is as perfect as possible before sending it off into the world.
