Who knew that prepping a book for self-publishing was so complicated? Writing the content is just the beginning.
There are a lot of advantages to self-publishing. We have the final say on everything from the content to the artwork and we didn’t need to convince a publishing company that the book is worthwhile.
Most people say they want to write a book. If that’s something you want to do, here’s a heads up of some of the things you’ll need to address before self-publishhing:
1. Artwork for the cover
2. Book title–we changed that several times
3. How to publish through create space
4. Who is the “publisher of record”
5. The mysterious ISBN number
6. The proper ISBN barcode
7. The enigmatic copyright page
8. Do we register with the Library of Congress now or later?
9. Key word index and how to make the word processor cooperate
10. Table of contents
11. Page spacers so the chapters begin on the right-hand page
12. Author portrait for the book cover (did I really put on that much weight during this project?)
13. Book synopsis for the back of the book and for Amazon–be engaging, not boring!
14. Author endorsements
(how to inspire a sense of urgency without coming across as obnoxious)
15. Consistent formatting throughout the book (numbered lists, bullets, quotes, etc., etc., etc)
16. Interviewees approval of their own story and a professional headshot photo for their story
17. Working with the editor
18. Managing multiple drafts (in software they call it “version control”)
19. Make sure images and inset boxes are positioned appropriately on the page
20. Consistent voice throughout book (I, we, you)
21. Acknowledgments and dedication (OK, this one was pretty easy)
22. The age-old question: footnotes or endnotes? Gotta include those references
23. How much to charge for the book–sure, we poured our blood sweat and tears into it for a year and a half, but what will people be willing to pay for it?
