Writing a novel, short story, or technical manual is on many of our “Bucket Lists.” With the advent of Self-publishing through Amazon, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Apple iBooks, or many other avenues it has become easier to self-publish. Regardless of whether or not you plan to sell millions or just a few copies to achieve fulfillment and happiness, you need to follow these five important steps to be successful in book writing and publishing.
1) Use a content editing service
Find a friend, fan, or professional editor who will read your book for content. This person should be familiar with the genre of your book and be able to help you by suggesting areas that need improvement. Some areas that a content editor might be able to identify as needing work include character development, storyline flow, and historical (if appropriate) accuracy. It is also important that your content editor make sure your story is unique.
2) Develop an eye-catching cover
The first thing a potential reader sees for your book is the cover. As people scroll through eBooks or on bookshelves, the cover is what catches the eye. If your cover telegraphs the content and excitement of your story then people will pick up a copy and start looking in more detail to determine if this is a story worth their time or money. Choose a designer wisely and budget for a good one. Elance is a good way to find freelancer designers, as is Behance.
3) Have a Table of Contents
With a Table of Contents, it is easy for people to see what your book offers. Interesting chapter titles or descriptions of the technical chapters helps the reader immediately assess the value of your book. In our fast-paced society, a book without a Table of Contents might be set aside because it would take to long to determine the value of the book.
4) Employ an excellent book editing service
If you have spent any time reading book reviews you will notice that many reviewers comment on spelling errors, typos, and poor grammar. It is critical to the success of your work that you have the book edited. A good book editor will find punctuation issues, spelling and grammatical errors, formatting problems, and he or she can help you keep readers happy and providing you with four and five star reviews. Poorly edited books often receive one star reviews and this can absolutely stop any sales of your book.
5) Write a catchy book description
After the cover grabs the potential readers attention, your book description needs to convince them that your book is going to be a wonderful read. You must tease the reader, activate his/her imagination, and capture his/her attention. Often a beta reader or a book editor can help you write the book description.
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