A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.

Richard Bach

Few first-time writers know what goes on behind the scenes in the publishing process. Developing a basic understanding of the publishing process with a realisation of how each stage can affect the sale of your book is crucial to your success. The more knowledge you have about the marketplace and the publishing process, the better your chance of making your publishing dreams come true.

There are two crucial parts to successful publishing: The first is the writing and completion of your manuscript and preparing it for publication, and the second is everything that goes along with the packaging, production, marketing, sale and distribution of your book. Knowing how all this comes together gives you a better chance of influencing the decisions that can make or break your book’s success.

With all your writing tools in place, it’s important to realise that writing, editing, and publishing are worlds apart. We’ve said this before; as you write, don’t worry about typos. Your aim is to put all your ideas on paper. Editing along the way could kill your impetus, especially if you are prone to criticising yourself.

The publishing process transforms the raw material of your book or manuscript into the finished product. This process requires your financial investment and so it is important to understand how it goes. You will also know what to expect from a publisher, or learn what you need to do if you opt for self-publishing.

Editing

Successful editing should be done by an objective, independent person. You cannot effectively edit your own book. You will fail to see all the areas that need attention. Editing happens at two major levels: macro and micro levels. Ensure your manuscript goes through these editing steps:

1. Developmental editing: This focuses on the bigger picture of the book—the main ideas. The goal here is to ensure there are no inconsistencies or repetitive thoughts.
2. Structural editing: This focuses on the best way to communicate. For example, including a flashback or breaking a chapter into subsections could enhance the appeal of the book.
3. Copy editing: This deals with all the grammar-related issues (like typos) in your text.
4. Line editing: This examines the style of writing to make it more creative.
5. Proofreading: This process pays keen attention to the finer details of the manuscript so that it is ready for printing.

In the end, your content should be clear, relevant, concise, and simple. It is preferable to do all your editing sometime after you have completed your writing process. Editing is best done through fresh eyes. That’s why it is better to have someone else do it for you.

Design and Layout

Once your manuscript is free from error and has a clear style of communication, you need to go through the formatting process. This includes inserting the page numbers, chapter titles, highlights, and margins.

You will also need to get an attractive book cover design. This is one of the stages of your book-writing journey for which I highly recommend going for professional services. You can’t afford to go wrong with a book cover. This will either capture the attention of potential readers or cause them to easily dismiss it. Get the best you can afford. Although they tell us not to judge a book by its cover, the truth is, a good cover sells.

Distribution

It goes without saying that the final copy of your book must be available for distribution. You could take several approaches to this end. For instance, if you already have some followers who are willing to read your first set of books, they could be your primary target group. Through them, you can get book reviews. They can also form part of the team that launches your book.

Another distribution channel you may want to pursue is the eBook option. This expands your reach and makes your book available to many more people. You may want to market it on online shopping sites such as Amazon.

You might also consider the print-on-demand option. This gives you the option of only printing books when you get orders for them. It helps you avoid locking your money in printed books. In the long run, you can easily make follow-up editions without worrying about selling the previous ones.

Authors are their own best marketers. Speaking engagements and training engagements provide great opportunities for book distribution.

It’s time to reflect!

1. Do you intend to self-publish or not? What are your reasons?
2. How do you intend to carry out your book distribution? Who can you consult as you make your decision? Have you been part of a launch team before? If yes, what did you learn from the process?

It’s time to act!

Share your reflections with a partner or a writer’s group.

Be willing to learn and open to ideas that may be different from yours. Remember, what’s worth doing is worth doing well.

Writing Checklist

Did I…

1. Read Day 12 Insights
2. Write my reflection from today’s reading
3. Write my action plan
4. Share my action plan for accountability with a partner or a writer’s group