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Apr 9, 2025 | Sticky, Publish

You want to publish a book – now what?

How to Publish a Book

It’s an exciting time for Indie Authors! So many routes, so many things to do!

You’ve written a book and now you’re trying to figure out how to publish a book.

A LOT goes into publishing a book. Sure, anyone can do it, or self-publishing wouldn’t be such a thing. But just because anyone can do it does NOT mean it’s easy. There are a lot of pieces to manage, it takes a huge learning curve, and if you want to be successful, you want to make sure you’re following guidelines for creating and publishing a book that adheres to industry standards.

Before even getting started, you are going to want to map out your book and outline! Even if it’s a simple outline or mindmap – you need to have some sort of plan for how you’re going to attack your book and how you’re going to get from start to finish.

Once you’ve started writing, it’s a good idea to start planning for the rest of it as early as possible. Whether you decided to DIY or hire a team to help you, you’ll want to at least have a basic level of knowledge on all the following:

1. Editing

Do NOT skimp on an editor. Please. This is a crucial part of having success with your book. But be sure to look for an editor early. They are often booked for months in advance, so don’t wait until you’ve completed the manuscript to nail down your editor. Here is a list of editors that I work with on a regular basis that I recommend. On the editor note, it’s a good idea to connect with several and ask for a sample edit and quote. You want to make sure you connect with your editor… they are basically going to be your BFF for the next few months. Make sure you feel it’s a good fit. A sample edit will provide a little insight into their process and vibe.

Check out our entire post on working with editors, which has a lot more resources. We provide a full Rolodex of editors in our Self-Publishing Course & WIP School, but we also highly recommend using a self-editing tool to help you improve your writing, like ProWritingAid.

2. Cover Design

Do not skimp on a good cover! Everyone WILL judge your book by its cover. You want to get at least a mock-up very early in the process so that you have some images to help you market and promote.

We work with several great cover designers if you need some recommendations. Primarily we use Michelle Fairbanks of Fresh Design

Melissa Williams Design

Alt19 Creative (premades, custom covers, and interior layout)

There are many great cover designers out there! When choosing one, look at their portfolio and make sure you are familiar with the elements of a cover (IBPA Industry Standards Checklist is your friend!)

 

3. Interior design and layout

We have an entire post on DIY tips for design and layout. Be sure to check it out.

Additional tips:

If your book includes graphs, charts, and other complex materials, or you are publishing a children’s picture book, it is highly recommended that you hire someone to format the book and prepare it for you. We have worked with multiple companies and can recommend Melissa Williams Design, and several other companies we have worked with that can be found in the formatting post above.

Tools for formatting:
  • Vellum – This is a reasonably priced software and fairly simple to use. Highly recommended for fiction and simple nonfiction. However, if your book has graphics, charts, other bells and whistles.
  • Atticus – brought to you by the founder and creator of PublisherRocket, this tool is getting all the rage! The best part about Dave Chesson, and everything he does, is that he has trainings and tutorials GALORE! If you get his tools, you not only can rest assured it will be high quality, but it will also come with great customer support, a commitment to always fixing issues within the tool, and a whole wealth of training.
  • Adobe InDesign – used by the pros, this is the best software for designing books
  • Kindle Create – Amazon’s free book creation tool
  • IngramSpark free book formatting Tool
  • Calibre – free formatting tool
  • Scrivener
  • Word – possible but challenging!

Feeling overwhelmed by everything in this list? Not quite prepared to take on #allthethings related to publishing and marketing your book?

CHECK OUT OUR ON-DEMAND WORKSHOP: Self-Publishing 101

 

 

4. Obtain your ISBN and file your copyright/pre-control number

I have an entire post dedicated to the details on what an ISBN is, where to get it, what the PCN is, why you need a copyright, etc. I encourage you to check out that post here. It’s a best practice to ALWAYS get your own ISBN, so you can control the metadata. Buy a 10 pack – you’ll want an ISBN for each format, and it’s much more cost effective. I advise against using a free ISBN. (Unless you’re Canadian – they offer FREE ISBNS to authors!)

5. Where to Publish?

If you plan to sell your book outside of your website, Amazon KDP and IngramSpark are the two biggest distributors/retailers of Indie books. However, there are a number of other companies that can publish your book, and that list is growing every day. You can publish your book on KDP and IngramSpark at the same time. If this part is confusing, you definitely want to grab Self-Publishing 101. This is covered in detail.

Print on Demand – POD – distributors, in theory, means, when someone orders your book, it is printed and shipped. No large print run is required, saving you a lot of money and risk.

POD:

DIGITAL

Self-Publishing Assist Companies that provide A La Carte services

There are also MANY companies that are full service self-publishing assist but also offer services like formatting and covers as a la carte. The companies we know and have worked with are:

These can be a one-stop shop for everything from editing to publishing, or you can get individual services.

6. Marketing

Marketing is something you need to start thinking about early in the process. One of the most important things you can do is start building your platform AS you write. Get a Facebook page. Start posting on Instagram. Set up Twitter. Try TikTok. Whatever it is you want to use, get on there and start growing your audience.

You’ll want to think about WHO you’re trying to get in front of and WHAT message they are looking to hear. Talk to them like they are your friends.

Ex: If you’re publishing a book in self-esteem – this is what you should be talking about!

If you’re writing RomCom, you’ll want to be discussing other RomComs, sharing snippets of your book, talking about the things people who read RomCom are into.

Children’s book? Do you do activities with your children? Are you teaching a theme? Maybe your book is about Kindness. You should be talking about Kindness.

Use social media to grow fans, but also to drive people to your email list!

Do not underestimate the power of your email list! These are your tried and true fans, with whom you nurture a relationship. Find some kind of incentive to get them to sign up for your email, and then make sure you take the time to grow a relationship and build hype about your book. They are far more likely to buy your book when it’s published than any of your cold market!

Don’t wait until the last minute to start your marketing. Start as early as possible – while writing if possible!

Looking for a resource to help you market your book?

5 Essential Tips for Promoting Your Book Before Launch Day

Also, a shameless plug for our Amazing program, Book Launch in a Box. We teach ALL the things, in a way no one else is doing it! It runs live only one time a year in June. Learn more here!

There are a lot of moving parts to publish a book.

It’s important to have a plan and to start that plan early.

If you’d like a detailed timeline, be sure to grab our 120 Book Launch Checklist below!

 

publish-a-book

 

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