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10 Things You Need to Do to Self-Publish Your Book:

 

There are many steps leading to your self-published book landing in your reader's lap. Here are ten things you need to do to self-publish your book. Condor Books can help you with some of these steps such as editing, writing a bio and press release, and file formatting. For the other required tasks, we are simply happy to offer you our free advice along the way. We hope you find this information useful and please don't hesitate to contact us with any questions. 

 

  1. Write an original book

  2. Get your book edited

  3. Pick an originial title and subtitle

  4. Select the self-publishing company right for you

  5. Purchase your ISBN number(s)

  6. Design your book cover

  7. Format your file

  8. Create your book trailer

  9. Write an engaging author bio

  10. Develop a solid marketing plan

 

 

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Write an original book

 

The market is flooded with poorly written books. Do you have a book the world really needs? If the answer is yes, then you have a great reason to keep going. The best thing a writer can do is to write the book they wish they could read. Write what you know, and do it with passion and you will be off to a good start. 

Get your book edited

 

Write, rewrite and then rewrite your work! Great writing is like great scuplting, it emerges after uncovering greatness from the mundane. Once you have a solid first draft, you are ready to let an editor help you rework your masterpiece. Whether you need substantive editing, or simply proofreading, every great writer rewrites their work. Only amateurs submit their unpolished work to be read by the world. Condor Books would be happy to help you with your various editing needs. 

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Pick an original title and subtitle

 

Do your research. Type your desired title into Google and Amazon.com and check to see if another author got there first. If that is the case, don't worry. If your book is in a different domain or area of expertise than your book's unsuspected twin, you can go ahead and keep your first choice. However, if you find that you will be competing with a same-titled book in the same field, you should go back to the drawing board and pick another title. 

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Select the self-publishing company right for you

 

There are many competing companies out there waiting for your business. The key is to pick the one that is right for you and at the right price. If you have all of the time and skills in the world and absolutely no money, you can publish your book for free. Though this would mean that you are not spending a dime on editing and proofing your book and will do so yourself. We don't recommend this road. Even the best writers and editors need editors themselves. When founder of Condor Books Mona de Vestel published her book, she hired an editor to check her work. 

 

Here is a list of self-publishing companies starting with the most expensive: 
 

  • Lightning Source - allows you to publish your book quickly and professionally. The cost is only slightly higher than CreateSpace but it offers better distribution. 
     

  • CreateSpace - an Amazon-owned company which will allow you to publish your book and distribute it easily and quickly on Amazon and Kindle. CreateSpace offers various "add-on" services such as editing, cover design and marketing packages to assist you with the publication and promotion process. 
     

  • Lulu.com - is a good company if you want an affordable solution. According to clients, the pros are price and ease of use. The cons are the look and "amateurish" feel of the final product. 

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Purchase your ISBN number

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ISBNs are used worlwide as the unique indentifier for your book. You cannot publish a book without it. You can buy your ISBN from Bowker or in some cases, from the self-publishing company you select. CreateSpace allows you to buy an ISBN number, for example. 

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Design your book cover

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When it comes to designing your eye-catching cover, you have several options: you can either design it yourself (providing you're a professional designer), you can hire someone to design your cover independently, or you can buy one of the add-on services from the company you select to self-publish your book. CreateSpace will design your cover for as low as $399. As you decide on the option that is right for you, don't forget that covers are the first thing your potential readers will see when deciding whether or not to purchase your book. 

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Format your file

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Every book needs to be formatted before being submitted for publication. Depending on what type of book you are writing, you will need to select the proper styles, headings, fonts, spacing and other formatting elements. Formatting your book in MS Word is the first step to submitting your file for publication. You must ensure that each style elements is consistent throughout your book. ​Condor Books would be happy to help with your formatting needs. 

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Create your book trailer

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An engaging book trailer is a powerful tool to spread the word about your masterpiece. Much like a movie trailer, your book trailer will cover the key points of your book, its theme, storyline as well as entice your readers to purchase it. As is the case for all the other add-on services, you can create the book trailer yourself, you can hire someone out independently, or you can pay the self-publishing company you selected to create your book trailer. 

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Write an engaging author bio

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Every book needs an engaging author bio on the cover. Your readers will need to know a few lines about the author of the book they are considering buying. What consitutes a good author bio? ​Your bio should tell a story about what makes you one of a kind, among the seven billion plus occupying space on the planet. This bio is not just a list of credentials, but rather what makes you the unique human being who wrote the fantastic book people cannot wait to purchase. Leave your author bio to professionals, unless you're a marketing writer. Condor books would be happy to write your author bio for you. 

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Develop a solid marketing plan

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Developing a solid marketing plan for your book is essential in making sure that it will be read by more than just your wife and your two best friends. Here is a list of ten things you can do to develop a solid marketing plan:

  1. Use social networking

  2. Use your personal network

  3. Create a dynamic website

  4. Write a press release*  - Condor Books can do that for you.

  5. Contact media

  6. Use direct marketing tools

  7. Develop a personal marketing plan

  8. Create a blog

  9. List your awards

  10. Get your book 'blurbed' by an expert

 

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