How to self-publish your business book - a step-by-step guide

Writing your own book is an exciting process, and when planned properly it can be a transformational experience. In this blog, we are going to detail the entire process of publishing once you have completed your business book. Look out for future blogs when we discuss the process of actually writing your book and identify some key tips for you. 

Step 1 - Write your book

Write your first manuscript! If you have come to this blog looking for tips on how to self-publish your book, chances are you already have this step covered and if so, this is a BIG step and you should definitely celebrate your achievement! If not, don’t worry - this is an area we will be covering in much more detail in later blogs. 

Step 2 - Edit your book

Editing your book is just as important as writing it and it allows you to take a step back and pick out the ‘best bits’ of the book you are creating.  If you plan to mostly edit the book yourself, you must be critical of your work and analyse every single chapter to ensure you are creating a product that truly reflects your brand image. When editing, consider the overall tone and feel of your book and make sure that it follows an arc from start to finish that the reader will enjoy. 

If editing is not your strong suit, or you don’t have much time, you could hire a professional editor. This allows an outsider to view the content of your book and provide helpful feedback from a non-emotional perspective. The editing process also serves as an important proof-reading for your content but you should also consider asking several people that you trust within your industry to proofread your book after editing. 

Step 3 - Design your book covers

Once the final copy of your book has been finalised, you can begin the design process of designing the cover of your book. This part is exciting, it means you’re getting close to the launch of your book!

If you have the necessary skills such as graphic design, typography, colour theory, back cover and spine design then you could complete this step yourself. The cover design should match the general topics and the tone of voice featured throughout your book.

Another sensible option is to hire a professional graphic designer to design your front cover. A professional designer can also help you add illustrations to your book, so you could consider starting the process earlier in the writing process. 

Step 4 - Consider both eBook and physical format

This is another important step as you want to make sure your book is fully optimised for every format. This usually includes making an EPUB file for the eBook version and a PDF version that is available to print. It is important to use the correct margins for each style of book and the format that you write your book on will usually need to be adapted to suit different print sizes. 

This is also the step where you should make sure the metadata for your book is correct such as the title of the book, general description, author's name, ISBN and price. 

Step 5 - Find self-publishing platforms for your book

Approach marketplaces with your book to find places to sell your book. Popular self-publishing platforms include Troubador Publishing, IngramSpark and Kindle Direct Publishing. Each of these platforms has several advantages and disadvantages and you should consider each of them or all of them as publishing outlets for your book. 

Step 6 - Launch and distribute your book

Once you have found your self-publisher, you can now upload your book! The self-publishing platforms that you list your book on will have a variety of paid and unpaid options that you might want to take advantage of. Consider whether you want to distribute your book in physical format or whether you want it to remain online. 

You can also sell your books directly. Build an author website to sell directly to your customers, let your customers know more about you and encourage them to buy your book.

Step 7 - Market your book to grow sales

Getting sales quickly is the most important goal from the first day of launching your book. One of the best ways to do this is to set up social media accounts to promote your product. Develop a plan to launch your book and then post content consistently to increase awareness. Tell your story of becoming an author and try to engage with other authors to create an online community.  

Other popular methods of marketing your book include paying for ad space on Amazon, paying for Google Ads to promote your website and creating incentives for customers to buy it, such as a discount code when checking out.

We hope this blog has helped you to understand the full process of self-publishing your book from the first manuscript to the final campaigns to grow your sales. It takes a lot of effort and time to reach this stage so if you are here, you should be extremely proud and know that you have created another path for generating revenue for your business, well done!

If you don’t feel ready to tackle any of these steps on your own, don’t worry! The team at Montrose House is here to help you with every stage of this process. Let us help you bring your idea to reality and develop your profile as an expert author in your chosen field.