How To Publish A Book In 2023 – Authors’ Secret For The Bestselling Book

Many people dream of writing a book, but only a few can make it true. Writing a book is itself a very critical idea. One must go through many hardships to bring the ideas to life. But if you have already passed that phase, the next step is publishing it.

Publishing a book is another daunting work. To publish your book on the right platform and get the right audience is a bit tricky. But you can now publish your book. It will look like a very hard thing to do but not with the guidelines.

The eBook is now trending. People prefer reading eBooks because of their availability everywhere and ease of access. The revenue for eBooks has grown ten times since 2009.

And the eBook market growth rate will ultimately increase by 2025 in different regions of the world.

Keeping these points in mind, anyone can understand that now is the right time to publish a book.

To publish your book, you have to go through several steps. Undoubtedly besides making a dream come true, publishing a book is a way to make money.

You have to keep specific points in mind to attract the readers and make sure that the readers are looking, liking, and recommending your book.

Things To Do Before Publishing A Book

Before publishing a book, you have to do a few things to ensure that it is ready and you are set to publish it. You have to prepare for the publishing process.

First – A Perfectly Done Manuscript

What the inexperienced writers do is think that close enough is good enough. Some writers do a quick read and run a Microsoft Word spell checker is the end of the process. And this can cause a book to fail to sell. It happens because the author rarely spots any errors, typos, or inconsistencies. You have to take time to get the manuscript ready. It is more work than you think.

Preparing a manuscript is a slow step by step process. The manuscript has to be read several times. And indeed, it requires thorough proofreading, ideally by three different people. This will help to identify the error that got neglected by another person.

Second – The Ready Website Before Publishing Book

You should not build a website after publishing. It will do no good and waste a lot of time and promotional traction. Before you publish your book, it is important that you have a well-running website. Apart from this, ensure your website is responsive and accessible on phones and tablets.

And the same goes for the blog. You have to update and refresh the blog according to the need. You must write new articles and blog posts about the new releases of the latest books. This helps you in building some pre-sale hype.

Third – Set All Your Social Media Account

For authors, their social media accounts must reflect their status. You can create a new professional account or modify your existing account. Inspect the username – it must reflect what you do. You can change it if you have a username that might not be suitable. Social media is an important promotional player.

You have to ensure that the account is set perfectly and ready to inform the world about you and your title as an author. It is essential to do this before publishing a book.

Fourth – The Launch Plan On Hand

Now the question arises how are you going to market the book? Do you have any plans before launching your book? Or are you going to offer your book for free?

You have to promote your book in the longer term and price your book competitively. You have to think about every possible way to promote your book – before, at, and after launch.

You can make a list of what to do. When and how are you planning to do it? Create a launching plan and strategies for your website, new blog articles related to the book, social media posts, and local newspapers.

Always ask your friends and family to promote you. You can get benefit from their contact. They can help you spread word of mouth, share your social media posts, retweet your tweets, and more.

Fifth – A Descriptive Summary

Your book description has to be ready before the launch. It should be around six hundred words. The aim of the description is to hook the attention of the potential buyer of your book. Don’t just summarize your story.

Make your description as exciting as you can. It should build expectations, excites, and tells the reader that this is the story they should read and the book they must buy.

Sixth – Research The Categories And Keywords

When you publish a book, you need two categories or genres to select. And also, seven search keywords minimum. New authors don’t know about the keywords and categories and don’t try to understand them before the actual publishing process. But little did they know that it is too late to think about it while publishing.

Book sales are generated more from categories and keyword searches than any other form of book promotion. You need to get these selections right for your book to make progress. You have to analyze what two categories will eventually help you promote your book. You can add ten more categories after the book is published.

A majority of book sales result from the search on Amazon, Apple, B&N, and other online retailers. So, what you have to do is to make your book discoverable.

Four Ways To Publish Your Book

There are four ways to get your book published;

1. Traditional publishing
2. Do it yourself publishing
3. General contractor publishing
4. Support self-publishing

Traditional Publishing

Many first-time writers go for traditional publishing. Traditional publishing is when the author and a well-known publishing company go under contract. The publishing company publishes the book on behalf of the author. Traditional publishing is challenging, but it doesn’t mean that it is not a practical option.

Many authors got saucerful through this method, but it requires time and effort to find the right agent or publishing house who takes a chance on you and your book.

In this way of publishing, the typical method is to send a query letter or a finished manuscript to the agents or the publishing houses. This is how you can propose your ideas for publication. You will receive an upfront advance for the right of your work if your book gets accepted. Then you will enter into a contract with the company, and they will take care of your book’s editing, designing, and distribution.

Pros Of Traditional Publishing

• The publishing house doesn’t charge the author.
• Traditional publish authors hold more prestige and credibility.
• The publishing house has been in the industry for years, meaning your book is in good hands.

Do It Yourself Publishing

DIY publishing is a form of self-publishing that allows the author to control the publishing process completely. In this method of publishing, you will do all the work and coordinate everything, such as formatting your book, designing the book cover, finding the business to print your book, or, if digital, finding a platform to publish, and then planning a marketing strategy to promote your book.

The struggle that authors face when publishing a book with this method is the time and cost. This method is time-consuming and expensive. If you don’t have good knowledge about publishing a book by yourself, then doing everything will be difficult.

You need to know what you are your best skills. You should be able to deal with the vendors and stick to the budget.

Pros Of Do It Yourself Publishing

• You don’t have to sell your rights to the publisher.
• All of the royalties and benefits go to you. There is no one to share the benefit with; it’s all yours.
• You can be as creative as you want without any interruption.

General Contractor Publishing

This method is similar to DIY publishing – you have all the controls. The only difference is that you don’t do everything yourself but hire independent contractors who can provide the service you need to get your book ready for publishing.

This method is for the one who wants to control but doesn’t have knowledge about the publishing process. You can hire an editor to improve your writing, a graphic designer for the cover of the book, and other people you require.

This method allows you to choose the parts of books publishing you want to handle and which parts you want the third party to handle

You can hire basic services, including illustration, video trailers, publicity, distribution for digital formats, cover design, cover copy, and more.

Pros Of General Contractor Publishing

• You can publish a book yourself even without little knowledge about publishing.
• You can maintain and stick to the budget.
• You can hire anyone of your choice for the services.

Supported Self-Publishing

It is the method that takes the idea of the general contractor to the whole next level and gives less stress. In this method, you don’t have to hire individuals to do work for you on different parts of your book. You can hire a supported self-publishing company. There are many supported self-publishing companies that provide bundles of tasks and services in various packages. You can choose a supported self-publishing company that is settled with your requirement. The services you want will determine how expensive each package will be.

Pros Of Supported Self-Publishing

• You can choose from several publishing options while still owning the rights.
• A very little chance of going over budget.
• Choose what you need and leave what you don’t.

How Is Self-Publishing Different From Traditional Publishing?

The two main types of publishing right now are traditional and self-publishing. There are many reasons to choose each publishing option. The main differences between the two of them are mentioned below;

Traditional Publishing

Self-Publishing

► In traditional publishing, the authors have to pitch the proposal to the publishing houses. And when one approves the proposal, the publication process starts. ► The publication house owns the rights. ►  The publication house will take care of editing, publication, sales, and everything else. ►  The author has to share the benefits and royalties with the publishing house. ►  The traditional method is best for big celebrities, politicians, athletes, etc.

►  In self-publishing, the author can publish the book as per the choice. The author doesn’t require approval from anyone. ►  The author of the book owns the right to the book. ►  The author has to handle everything from writing, editing, and publication to marketing, promotion, and sales. ►  The author doesn’t have to pay the royalties and benefits to anyone. ►  A self-publishing method is suitable for entrepreneurs, coaches, first-time authors, business people, etc.

Traditional Publishing Flow

The traditional publishing flow is simple. You first have identified the right category for your book. And then find the agent or the publishing house. Now, if you are a fiction writer, the next step is to complete your manuscript and write a query letter for the publication houses or agents. Once the query gets approved, the process of publication of your book will start.

And if you are a nonfiction writer, then you have to submit the book proposal on the next step. Don’t forget to include at least three chapters with the synopsis of each one. And it is up to the publication house to reject or accept.

Self-Publishing Flow

The self-publication is simpler than the traditional one. You should start by analyzing the options. You can go with one option from the four; subsidy, vanity, self-publishing, and print on demand.

It is up to you to choose the publishing method. The self-publishing modules include every aspect so you can publish your own book. You can choose the one that suits you best, according to your budget, time, effort, and handling power.

Key Elements Of Book That Will Attract The Readers And Boost Sales

You write an outstanding book; you know it. But how does your audience know this? How are you going to attract them to buy and read your book? What are the factors that attract the readers and increase your sales?

The first thing to focus on is that you have to gain the attention of your readers. The audience will only be going to read your book once they discover it and find it worthy of reading.

But how can you grab the attention? Well! To do this, there are a few elements that can pull your first-time readers. You have to work on those elements to get the attention, and your book content has to hook them up.

The Striking Title

The first thing readers see and hear about the book is the title. It is even before the cover. That is why the title needs to give a solid first impression on the reader; otherwise, they will not bother to check out your book.

Keep in mind that a great title doesn’t mean that flocks of readers will get attracted to your book, but if your book title is dull and not attractive, it can cause damage and kill your book’s odds of success.

You don’t have to spend much money to get an excellent title for your book. A good amount of time and energy is needed to brainstorm ideas and find the right and irresistible book title.

 Alluring Book Cover

There is an old saying, “don’t judge a book by its cover,” but the thing is, everyone does, and somehow that is a good thing. Because if no one judges the book means that they are not making any judgment. And when they make no judgment, it means no resulting sales or readers for your book.

Humans are sort of visual creators; they use their power of sight to make through the world. This is how they work, connect and engage with things. The colors and shapes help them to move and take action. They have the ability to influence and change human decisions, which is what makes the design so powerful.

Imagine a shelf with lots of books but in a plain white cover with only the book title and author’s name. Nobody will know what the book is about besides predicting through the title, and no one will take an interest in it.

The alluring best book cover is not only the concept of the book but also the way to engage with the readers. Your cover should have the ability that makes the readers say, “I have to read this book.”

No doubt people judge by the cover and decide whether they have to read it or not according to it. So, ensure that your book cover presents the visual side of your book.

The Sophisticated Description

When you get set on the title and cover of your book, move to the next important part of your book – the description. In reality, if you see the depth and facts, a good description can be a source to increase sales without investing in additional advertising.

To write a great and appealing description, remember you don’t have to write a summary of your book. Not everything has to be included in the description. The purpose of the description is to engage the readers and make them read the book.

You can also call it an exciting sales pitch rather than an informational piece because it serves both purposes. The description is essential because the readers decide on a book after reading the description. And if you get the description right, your book purchase will be automatic. But if you get it wrong, you will be drawn.

Categories And Keywords

Categories are basically the digital shelves where books are settled on any digital platform. They provide the retailer with a method to keep the database of millions of books organized. At first, you have to check out all the similar books ranked between #30,000 or above. This is the range where you can expect to sell five to ten copies per day.

If you get super niche and rank among #1000 or up, you can expect to sell between eighty to a hundred copies per day. You may have heard the author describing the importance of becoming an Amazon bestseller. And the best sellers rely on which category you choose for the book.

Category matters so much because it helps the reader to find your book. The search terms that readers type when they are looking for any specific book are keywords. It is another important thing to control and improve your book’s chances of being discovered.

It is a bit difficult for platforms to anticipate possible combinations of words and phrases that readers might use to search. Especially platforms like amazon, which has millions of unique monthly visitors. This means you must do extensive research to get the best keywords.

Profound Rankings

You might be shocked to know that platforms such as Amazon will do free promotions for your book if everything about it is right. Great advertisement for free to their customer base of millions of readers. But ranking depends on sales.

So, if you want to enjoy free advertising by Amazon, you must have continuous purchases and downloads for your book for at least seven days continuously. For support, the platform gives a few rankings to the books, which are known as amazon’s best sellers ranks (ABSR). It is based on the numbers of sales and downloads.

The ABSR is based on the popularity of your book. And the categories you choose when publishing the book on the site. Many books get published every day, causing fluctuation in rankings, and that is why you have to be careful about your book rankings. You have to increase your amazon rankings.

You can also boost your ABSR by scheduling your book’s promotion, leveraging your social media accounts, landing major media attention, etc.

How To Publish A Book in 2023?

Now you understand what the key elements of the best book are. And what you have to consider before publishing a book.  It means now you are ready to make your book bestselling. The ways of publishing and the difference between the two most used types of publishing are also discussed for your ease. Now it is your choice if you are still self-publishing your book.

Publishing your book is a step-by-step process. If you go right with the steps, you can make your book the next bestseller. So, now let’s head towards the step.

Your Book Purpose And Intended Readers

Before starting to write your book, you must have to understand why you want to publish your book. What is your intention? You need to brainstorm and answer a few questions before the writing phase.

Do you want your book to inspire, entertain, or simply engage with the readers? Do you want to make a profit through this book continually? Do you seek to boost your career by having this book in your portfolio? What benefits and change can your book bring to readers’ life?

These are some questions, and you can set some on your own. You will face some problems and barriers to identifying the purpose and determining the reader’s intent, but when you get sure of your idea. You can write the book with a purpose.

Start Writing Your Book

The first paragraph of your book must be appealing and engaging, which is hard for most writers. That is the point where ambitious writers stare futilely at the page. They start to question their plans. But the driven ones who finished the first chapters soon lose their narrative and direction. They bumble their way to a dead end.

No writer has to be in that phase. The good thing is that it is avoidable and preventable.

A Good Writing Environment

You require a flow to write and brainstorm your ideas. It requires concentration and focus. You have to completely immerse yourself as you write. You can choose and create a writing space for yourself that help you in writing.

• Choose what you want – complete silence or a bit of background noise.
• Keep your workplace organized. Ensure that your writing space doesn’t have anything to distract you.
• You can post inspirational and motivational quotes to keep your energy high.
• A playlist is a good option if you prefer music while writing. Make yourself a good and relaxing playlist.
• Say no to ay digital distraction while writing.
• To keep yourself comfortable, choose the chairs wisely because you will sit for a long time to write.

A Writing Schedule Is Must

If you talk about an average book, it has more than seventy thousand words. This state can stress the authors sometimes, but you don’t have to stop because of this. The writers fail because they don’t turn writing into their habit. You should have a schedule and target word count for each day.

You should not become an angry and frustrated writer. Make plans and take action. Dedicate hours for this task when you feel more productive and energetic. Keep target milestones on a calendar and stay committed.

Stay positive about yourself and your task. Keep track of your writing and plan a proper schedule.

Create Your Book Outline

Creating an outline for your book is compulsory. It acts like a map and reminds you where you are and where you must move next. It is a way to keep your writing organized and clear.

Outlines are helpful for fast writing; you can measure how much you have done and how much is left. It gives you an overall picture of the book. It is useful to determine the word count for every chapter. You can also break your book into several stages and segments through the outline.

 

You have already planned how your book will look, and it is great to keep your creative process flowing. You will have fewer chances of writer’s block because you will not have interruptions to think about what to write.

Get Reviews And Feedback

When you are done with your manuscript, you must move on to the next stage – reviews and feedback. Unfortunately, the sweet feeling of completing your manuscript become a bitter realization for other. It is heartbreaking for the writers to know that anyone else cannot understand what the purpose of the book is. Some of them find that the theme of the book doesn’t strike the readers’ interest and attention. But it is too late to discover that.

But you can avoid this too by getting early reviews and feedback. You can send your draft to beta readers. They will read your book and provide their thoughts.

Their perspective can help you identify the mistakes, contradictions, confusing terms, and parts you might not notice. By this method, your book will have a more specific theme and message.

Choose The Book Title

As discussed above book title is one of the elements to attract readers. Remember, you should not choose the book title until you have done the first draft of your manuscript. The simpler the title, the better it will be. Your title has to be clear and give the perfect idea of your book to the readers.

Your book title must set readers’ expectations of what they will discover when reading the book. It must be captivating. Make sure that the title has the following things.

• For an informative book, ensure that the title indicates that the reader will learn something from it.
• Title has to be powerful to give readers the impact that it will be helpful in practical life.
• Your title has to give an idea about the main topic and build the curiosity of the readers to know more about it.
• The title must be applicable and relevant to the theme and genre.
• Don’t make your title lengthy and short enough.

When you will incorporate these things and identify the main slot of your book, you can get the best title for your book.

Consult A Book Editor/Proofreader

A great proofreader or editor can be a valuable asset for you. They can help you in making your book a bestseller. They correct and revise your book, which is necessary for your book’s success and credibility as a writer.

You can go through your networks to find the editor. Check on your family members, colleagues, or acquaintances if they know an editor or proofreader. You can avail of discounts through their connections. But if not, then you can hire a freelancer editor/proofreader. You must check their portfolio and previous projects to choose the right editor. Make sure you hire a trustworthy and professional one. This way, you can have a friendly and engaging collaboration.

To consider the editor for hiring, you can ask him to edit a page or chapter as a test. Don’t make large payments at once. You can set milestones to release money if you are satisfied with the revision. The process of editing can be as long as more than a month.

Design The Appealing Book Cover

Another key element of the best book is – an attractive book cover. High-quality book covers are the big point when it comes to self-publishing books. They can get your book high sales. The cover design is the first thing the reader will see and choose to buy.

Make sure to design your book cover professionally so that it can stand out from the rest of the book in your book category and genre. Your book cover should have a simple style. Keep the cover minimalistic to convert more readers.

You can hire a book cover designer. They are professional and know what book cover will covert the readers. They have the knowledge and idea of what is going to work and not. The placement of the title on the cover matters, and the easier it is to read, the better it will be. You must allow the readers to read the title in one go. Don’t use any confusing font style.

The design of your book cover should fit the intended audience. You definitely have a specific audience in mind to attract, and your cover should attract them.

Create An Account On Kindle Direct Publishing

Now you have to create an account on Kindle direct publishing. Here you can create your account and manage your kindle eBook, paperback, hardcover, and also an audiobook.

To create an account on KDP, follow the steps below.

• Visit the Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing signup page. Enter your name, email, and password and click “create your KDP account.”
• Now, you have to add the follow-up information, including phone number and email address.

NOTE: Use your original name because Amazon will use it for the tax documents and payments.

• Choose how you want to get paid. Kindle Direct Publishing gives you options to get your royalties through direct deposit, wire transfer, or check.
• You have to complete the tax interview and verify your Tax identification number (TIN).
• And once your tax information is complete, click finish.

Now you have the KDP account to publish your book.

Publish Your Book

The final step. Now you can publish your book. Upload your book on the Kindle Direct Publishing platform. You can post there for free as Amazon will take a percent of your book sale on the site.

To upload your book on Amazon Kindle first;

• Open the KDP dashboard, and click “your bookshelf.”
• Proceed to the “create” button.
• Now enter the information that is required for your book.

Once you have uploaded the book on Amazon, they will send you a confirmation where you can take a look at the file. At this point, you will get an ISBN for your book. After that, create an account on Amazon Author Central. Here you can upload your picture, biography, and links. These details will help the visitors to know about you and your work. After filling all the requirements, click “save and publish” and bring your book to the world.

It is advised that you should go through the KDP standards guidelines in the book. The guide will help you to make your book look professional and potentially avoid legal issues. Make sure to enter every detail carefully, including title and subtitle, authors and contributors, book description, editions, keywords, and categories.

Price Your Book

One of the most important yet critical decisions to make. When you publish your book, the main component is setting the price. How to price your book?

The pricing is determined by the popularity of the author and the book. The average suggested price for the newcomers is between $1 to $3. You can increase the price by one dollar per week gradually. If the price damages the book sale, you reach the peak level of book cost.

Don’t forget to read the policies on pricing and royalties of Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing.

Now your book is published on Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing.

How Much Does Book Publishing Cost?

The cost of publishing a book varies and depends on its length, production costs, and retail price you set. It is important to set a budget, especially when you’re going for a self-publish option. There are some factors that contribute to the cost of your book, such as the cost of hiring an editor or book cover designer and then the marketing and promotional cost.

If you want an average amount of book publishing, it can be between $100 to $5000, depending on the quality and marketing you want.

Where Can You publish Your Book For Free?

Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing is a well-known platform when it comes to self-publishing. But it is not the only platform. You can publish your book for free on other platforms too.

If you are looking for platforms other than amazon to publish your book, go through the list below.

Apple Books

Apple Books is another platform where you can publish your book for free. You can upload your book directly through Apple pages if you are a Mac user. Apple Books has a few advantages over KDP, such as 70% royalties on the book, no file delivery fee, no limitation on offering free books to customers, and more.

Barnes & Noble Press

It is the new name of Nook Press but offers similar eBook publishing conditions as Apple. You can earn 70% on your book. Barnes & Noble press is improved and is much easier to use now. You can create an account on the platform in less than 20 minutes and reach millions of audiences.

StreetLib

StreetLib provides a worldwide digital distribution platform to maximize the return on investment of your digital catalog. You can upload your book on the platform for free. But the platform has a slightly different pricing module. It will charge 10% of the cover price of each sale.

Rakuten Kobo

Rakuten Kobo helps you to publish your book for free in four simple steps – create an account, publish a book, promote it to readers, and make money. The platform is popular around the world. The biggest advantage of publishing your book with Rakuten Kobo is that it distributes the eBook catalog to online retailers in more than one hundred and eight countries.

Draft2Digital

Draft2Digital doesn’t charge for their service but makes a percentage of each book sale. They receive 10% of your book price. It is an easy site to publish your book. You can distribute your book with confidence to online retailers. They offer services to writers such as publishing, distribution, layout, print-on-demand paperbacks, and more.

Promote Your Book With Excellence

Now you have launched your book; the next part is promoting. Writing a book is challenging, but marketing is another challenge to conquer. Many ways are here to promote your book. Some of them are discussed below.

Your Own Blog Or Website

As mentioned above, you should create your own website or blog even before writing the book. The main purpose of the website is to promote your book. The blog will help potential readers to find you. Create blogs and write articles that will surface in your target audience’s organic search results.

And when you come close to the launch date of your book, you can create buzz through content and book giveaways. You must post high-quality content that encourages your audience to subscribe for updates.

Increase Online Presence

You have to increase your online presence in order to gather more attention. There are multiple ways to do that. You can post an article on different websites that drives traffic to your own. You can also contribute and participate in forums that discuss the topic related to your book. And also, you can ask the website and blogs for interviews or guest posts. Make sure you always put your website’s link in, whatever content you contribute.

Social Media

You can use social media to keep your audience engaged. You can create an author page on Facebook for visibility. A Twitter account is the best way to be professional and tweet about your book, attracting more readers. Instagram is another way to promote your book. The app has too many options like the story, reel, post, IGTV, and more where you can interact with your readers and influence them to read your book.

Make A launch Team

A launch team or advanced readers copy group help to promote and advertise your book. Your investments and efforts to complete your book will become worth it through their dedication.

You first have to determine the team’s size based on customers’ expected number and background. If you are a new writer, you can go with a team of ten to thirty members. The next step is to start recruiting people for your launch team. You can include fellow writers, friends, and family members too. Test their interest and commitment to check whom you can rely on for the task.

Motivate you to launch them to believe in your book. Create a healthy relationship through communication with your launch team. Assign the task to the members humbly. Since it is your book, you don’t have to be bossy. Maximize their fame and use their talents.

If they are influencers and can motivate people to read your book, use this in your favor. You can also ask them to shoot review videos, blogs, or recommendations. You must appreciate your team’s work and appreciate them for their efforts.

Reviews

When your book comes out to the world, you require more people to read it. You have to sell the book after launch, with the launch team and a small circle of fans, your book will reach hundreds but not millions.

Remember that you have the priority to sell as many copies as you can; for this, the people have to discover the book and know that it exists. Reviews are the best way to expand the readership of your book. People believe and trust in others’ suggestions; for this, you have to ensure that your readers leave reviews and remarks. Those stars and comments can encourage others to read your book and persuade them to buy.

Make An Email List

You can use any email management service to collect and send emails to your customers. They can subscribe to your newsletter. An email list is a powerful tool to market your book. Especially if you get it customized, it will become more friendly to the customers. Try to make your email interactive by incorporating an engaging email call-to-action button to increase customer action chances.

Collaborate With An Influencer

Vloggers, bloggers, podcasters, and influencers are all over the internet. They have huge fan bases and communities. You have to find the influencer related to your genre of book. You can ask for an interview with them. Responding to the questions that might occur in your reader’s minds will help you to build coordination with them.

You can offer favors to them and ask them to promote your book on their channels. You can also do it before the launch to create a prelaunch hype among the readers.

The Bottom Line

This is the complete guide on how you can publish your book in 2023. Everything is detailed, from the before publishing guideline to the main ways to publish a book to the steps to publish your book. And the best ways to promote your book will be helpful to increase the reach and get more sales.