Once you have a manuscript draft, celebrate and share it with friends and respected colleagues for initial feedback. Basic things to seek from them:
- Does your idea/story/knowledge connect or meet a need?
- Is it readable?
- What is missing?
Next dig deep and work through important revisions, edits, and proofreading. You can have greater confidence when you seek out impartial, fresh, expert eyes to handle these corrections and feedback. This tedious work is not for the faint of heart, and better outsourced if it becomes personally more frustrating for yourself.
Final revisions and formatting your copy for digital publication requires a certain awareness of particular technicalities. These can be outsourced as well. You’ll also want to seek out a graphic designer to help craft a professional, immediately-attractive cover.
There are a variety of eBook distributors to take advantage of. Everything from Kindle to Nook to iBooks. Each platform requires their own rules, forms, and requirements, but it’s worth it to cover your bases. This will allow all of your readers immediate access to your special book.
Publishing Decisions
Many small decision points lie throughout this publishing process, one of which is pricing. For how much should you sell your book? Should you even charge for it? This is entirely up to you; the various platforms have different royalty breakdowns based on the price you select.
But one seemingly radical idea out there is to offer your book for FREE. There is much insight in this. It really gives you tangible honest feedback as to whether or not your book really connects and is valuable. Assuming you already have robust systems in place to syndicate your content and brand and to grow a “fan-base,” news of your book can travel quickly when your readers are able to spread the word easily. Use this opportunity to actively request feedback, recommendations, testimonials, etc. Removing the minor obstacle of price, now just allows you to compete for and gain the even greater asset of attention. Once you have their attention and positive feedback from your first book, you are positioned for success with your second one. And you could even start charging for your first, now that you know there is demand.
Other decisions include things like, do you purchase an ISBN? Some platforms require it. Do you have a hard-copy available as well? Do you offer a PDF version from your site?
Tackle each decision quickly and stay committed to your launch date.
What are your thoughts on offering your first eBook for FREE?
Sonya Dalrymple 