Dangers of D.I.Y Series: 7 Reasons Not to Book Publish On Your Own
Imagine you have an excruciating toothache. In a frantic attempt to have it mended, you fire up your laptop and type into the Google search box “how to cure a toothache.” Millions of results appear, and as most people do, you select the first. Not finding your desired information, you hit the back button and skim the remainder of the bright, blue links in search of answers.
After about a half an hour, you accumulate a stack of printed sheets, which you rush to your kitchen in an attempt to implement your new-found D.I.Y (do-it-yourself) remedies. After hours of remedy attempts, concoctions, and creations—the question arises—why not just call a dentist? With one simple appointment, he or she could pinpoint the problem and offer a solution. This is all because of the training and experience he or she holds in the field of dentistry. After bringing the dentist into the equation, do the D.I.Y remedies make much sense? If not, consider that the same concept is attempted every day by thousands of authors seeking to become published.
Similar to our dentist example, you can research and find software to design and lay out your book, tips on how to format each element, and a quick online service which will print and mail your books to you. After a little more research you will find even more websites which offer the “publishing” completely free, leaving you only to pay for copies. If this sounds familiar, or an option you’re looking to explore for your next book, read on to find out why publishing your book on your own could end up as quite the toothache.
1. Professional Advice and Guidance
As with the dentist example, the first step in becoming a published author is the proper education on what is required to produce a marketable book. As a dentist explains in plain terms his diagnosis, so publishing experts detail all the elements needed for your unique message to succeed. With a process as complicated and diverse as book publishing, experience is key. Rather than researching ways to produce a book solo, seek out instead, those who provide helpful advice and guidance for how to do so in the most effective manner possible.
Additional Resources
- Publish with Confidence: A Writer’s Checklist for Picking a Publisher
A clear and definitive checklist for features to look for when selecting your publisher. - A Simple Guide to Publishing Types
A clear and simple guide to the main three types of publishing.
2. Editing
“My nephew passed English with flying colors, I don’t need an editor.” Unless your nephew is a highly trained master of words, chances are, he is not who you want picking apart your work. Though it is never easy for any writer to entrust their hard work to a stranger, a well-trained editor makes all the difference. Apart from grammar knowledge, proper styling techniques, and practice, an editor is an unbiased set of eyes which is essential to any piece of writing. Consider editors as the coaches of writing masterpieces.
© pressmaster – Fotolia.com
Additional Resources
- Six Tips for Editing Your Manuscript
Six useful and key tips to keep in mind when editing your manuscript. - PubToons #6: Publishing Fitness
A cartoon depicting the importance of editing through the publishing process. - PubToons™ #3: Self-Published
Another PubToons™ comic showcasing common pitfalls of self-publishing.
3. Targeted and Effective Design
As most people do, surely you have an acquaintance who’s dabbled with Photoshop, or worse, “is experienced in Web Design.” “My designer is experienced in a field of design, why should it matter which field?” A common reasoning for acquiring a friend or nephew to design a cover, this is a large mistake to make when taking into account a book’s marketability. The reason is this: a design (especially in the realm of books) has about 30% to do with a nice looking design, and 70% with the marketing effectiveness which that design holds.
God the Rescuer by Phyliss Hammerstrom
An example: let’s say you have an award winning Web Designer whom you know personally to take on your cover design job. As an author, you explain the details of which colors you prefer, your favorite pictures, and you collaboratively agree on a nice typeface. After an initial concept and revision runs, you end up with your finished cover. Would this work? Unless there was serious consideration of the target readership, current market trends, and a bookstore’s interests—probably not. The resulting cover may be a work of art, but if that art does not capture the heart of the book’s message, nor the attention of the market it is intended for, even the best design will do little to help the book’s marketability. A golden script typeface, with flowers surrounding it may paint a pretty picture, but if such a design is meant for teen guys, well . . . you get the idea.
Additional Resources
- Book Cover Design Trends to Watch for in 2011
Current trends in the book design industry. - Billboard Book Design: How to Make Your Book Cover Sell
Billboard-style design and how it applies to book marketing. - Real-World Solutions for Effective Fiction Cover Design
Tips and guidance on what makes effectively design fiction book jackets.
4. Printing and Formatting
“All I have to do is upload my manuscript here and my book will arrive in a week!” When targeting bookstores or retailers who deal with books continually, printing quality is essential. The paperweight, binding, and cover used for production is an immediate giveaway to almost any retailer whether a book was professionally produced, or “self-published.” Some bookstores won’t even accept self-published titles partially due to the low production quality and the stigma which surrounds such publishing methods. However, when options such as dust jackets, embossing, foiling, spot-UV or matte lamination are available, even the most stringent bookstore owner will take a second glance. A first impression is key, make the most of it with a stunning presentation.
© Izaokas Sapiro – Fotolia.com
5. Quality Control
An often overlooked, yet important part of book production, is quality control. Beyond the editing process, production specialists must examine bar-codes, copyright pages, title pages, margins, gutters, bleeds, document formats, color processes, and the list continues. What busy writer has time to learn all this? If you happen to know what most of the above production terms mean, it is more that reasonable to find a professional team to handle it all for you.
© Leah McDaniel – Fotolia.com
6. Fulfillment and Distribution
Contrary to popular terminology, having your book available on Amazon does not constitute fulfillment and distribution. It’s relatively easy with most upload and print publishers to provide availability on Amazon. What is not simple, is having a book available and returnable to major distributors reaching thousands of bookstores. If you’re interested in reaching bookstores, here is a tip: the majority of the time, a bookstore (often because of policy) only orders through distributors. Beyond this, many bookstores accept only books which are returnable, an option often overlooked and unavailable to D.I.Y authors. Is your book available through distributors? If not, bookstores will prove difficult to reach.
Additional Resources
- The Role of a Book Distributor
Information on a book distributors and what they do for your book.
7. Publicity and Marketing
Once a book is printed and ready for distribution; marketing and promotion is key for success. “My book looks wonderful, has been edited, and was professionally designed for my market, won’t it sell itself?” Unless you’re currently a bestselling author, or have a large fan base, chances are, no. There are thousands of other books with which to compete, and standing out from the crowd is a daunting task. It can be accomplished however, with a marketing strategy appropriate for your book.
Take for example one author who worked with marketing, publicity, and design teams to strategize the best look and feel for the book, combined with a targeted marketing plan. Through months of hard work, planning, and connections made by the publicist, this author was able to make a guest appearance on a show called Fox & Friends. Appearing on this popular morning TV show was possible through her marketing campaign to recruit one million boy scouts.
Additional Resources
- Publishing Success: Author Makes Appearance on Fox & Friends
This article covers an author who made an appearance on a TV show called Fox & Friends with the help of a custom marketing and publicity campaign. - Borders Bankruptcy: How to Compete in a Tough Retail Market
Take a look at the current retail market which explores ways your book can succeed.
Conclusion
As we explored in this article, there are countless features and elements a book needs in order to succeed in today’s book market. The things listed here are only the beginning of what is required to land a book before the eyes of readers. Even so, with a unique and interesting message combined with effective promotion, it’s now possible to promote a book faster and more powerfully than ever before.
What Do You Think?
What’s your experience in the book publishing process? If you haven’t published yet, which publishing types would you like to learn more about? In addition, we would love to know your thoughts on this article, your feedback is appreciated.
Unbeatable Book Publishing Quality, with You in Control
It’s time to reform the way we think about book publishing. Stop giving up all your rights. Stop giving up control of the process. Stop settling for mediocre “self-published” books. Start publishing the right way. WinePress provides all the services and representation you need to publish books people will read and enjoy.
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