Self-Publishing: Questions to Ask Yourself

Are you thinking about self-publishing your book?

With modern self-publishing anyone can publish a book for very little cost. I used Amazon’s publishing options - CreateSpace for the paperback and KDP for theKindle version. With self-publishing, keep in mind that “self” is the keyword – you will do ALL the work of taking your book from an idea to a finished copy – unless you hire people to help or have kind friends help you for free.

Each person is different, with different writing styles and different goals. This overview is intended to answer questions for the handful of people who have asked me about self-publishing.
 

Questions to ask yourself:

When do you want this book to be published? (Or if you’re praying about it, what timeline do you sense God is pointing you toward?)

What will make your book different than someone else’s writing on a similar subject?

Have you written in your own style, your own voice, versus trying to sound like a popular or favorite author?

Have you written something that you will stand behind ten years from now? I realize that many authors see their first book as not their best – they improve over the years. However, do you believe your message enough to endorse the book in the future? Are you pleased enough with your writing that you won’t be embarrassed to share the book with a friend five years down the road?

 

Who is your target audience?

 

How will you market the book? (This is difficult – many writers have written good books but sold very few because they do not know how to market it or do not feel comfortable with marketing.)

How much will the book sell for? Is that a fair price based on similar books?

Are you planning on a paperback option as well as a Kindle version? Or just one or the other?

Books come in all shapes and sized – what will the dimensions of the book be? (For example, Embracing Hope During Infertility is 6x9 inches.) Do you want a hardback or paperback? Black and white interior or the option for color photos? White pages or cream?

What do you want the book cover to look like? Will you design it or hire a graphic designer? (If you are publishing through CreateSpace/KDP, they have specific instructions regarding the layout of the book.)

If you publish a Kindle book, will you give it away for free or sell it for 99 cents as a promotional deal? Or will you go ahead and sell it at the normal price from the beginning?

Think of a bookstore – a big bookstore – in your area. Imagine someone walking into that store to buy a book – the person has nothing particular in mind while entering the store, the person is just there to get a book. What will make your book so remarkable that they choose yours? If you’re planning to sell on Amazon, keep in mind that it is the biggest store in the world – how will someone find and purchase YOUR book? (This is why marketing is important!)

Is your book high-quality writing? That’s a tough question to answer – I know that there are many better writers than me. However, several people have commented to me that they were impressed that I didn’t have typos or mistakes in my book. At least one has been found since publishing, however, I worked hard to produce good writing – and I listened to a multiple editors who gave me all sorts of input.

Have you done your best to write with proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling?

Have you asked for feedback from several people? (I wasn’t intending so many editors, however, my book was probably proofread and edited by 15-20 people prior to publishing. Some people suggested adding or taking away content, others suggested moving entire sections around, while others caught spelling and grammatical errors. It was hard work to receive their input and make the changes – frankly, it was exhausting. However, it produced a quality piece of writing.)

Have you read a poorly edited or sloppily written book? I have and it has helped me to know what not to do.

Have you read a well-written book, such as a best seller or a piece of literature? This will give you an idea of what excellent writing looks like.

 

Are the pages formatted in a professional manner and with a style that you like? Such as: Block paragraphs or indented (needs to be indented for Kindle version), justified text or left aligned, the table of contents set up, etc.

As you reach the end of my publishing process, does your book look professional? If you put it beside a book that is not self-published, does it look cheap or … self-published? Or have you created a book that can stand against something that has been published by a professional company?

Obviously I have shared questions without answers, but I hope these questions help you think through the publishing process so that you can share a high-quality book with the world!

What questions would you add? Please leave a comment below so I can add to this list!

You might also like to read my post: "Are You Called? And Other Tips For Christian Writers"

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Hi, I’m Betsy, and I live in the Washington, D.C. area with my husband, Mike. We have been married since 2008. We enjoy exploring new cities together on foot, eating at our favorite Italian restaurants, and doing life as a team. I published my first book Embracing Hope During Infertility in January 2015. You can learn more about me here. I invite you to connect with me by following my Hope During Infertility Facebook page or my Betsy Herman, Writer Facebook page. Thanks so much for reading my posts!