Be Your Own Self-Publisher! 7 Tips for Self-Publishing Authors

As the self-publishing revolution continues to multiply, authors recognize that going the independent route is their best chance of getting their work in front of readers. After all, traditional publishing houses are looking for ways to keep up with the digital world and make profits accordingly. With so many new writers signing on daily, breaking through the noise is nearly impossible. But, with the right tips and tricks, you can increase your chances of success beyond belief.

Write What You Know

Writing is a craft and an art. It can't be gotten through formula. If you've been to high school or college, you may recognize the people in your classes. But did you know that most bestsellers were not high school or college students? They were people who were already successful in other areas of their life. This means that you won't be able to write like a bestselling author if you've never succeeded. Successful authors are the ones who write stories that are based on their experiences. They're the ones who can make a reader feel the emotions of their characters. This can be done through a memoir or through a fictional work. Either way, the key is to write what you know.

Edit Constantly

Authors are constantly revising their work. They spend hours on their computer screen editing every sentence in their book. It's not unusual for some authors to spend as much as five or six hours a day editing. But, despite the effort, there's just no way to get everything right on the first try. It would be best to edit your work until you get it right. Again, it's not about getting it perfect. It's about getting it as close as possible. There will be things in your manuscript that you don't want to be there. You may have misspelled a word or miswritten something. There may be places where you've written something and then forgotten to remove it later. All of these things can be fixed. Edit your work until you think it's as close to perfect as you can get it. You'll be amazed at how much harder it will be to make a mistake the next time.

Don't Be Afraid to Publish an Editable Beta Book

You may be putting the finishing touches on your final manuscript. You may have edited it, changed some words here and there, and taken out other mistakes. But, every author who has ever published a book has found themselves with a manuscript that is ready to be sent to the printer. The question, then, is whether or not to publish an editable book. The answer is yes if you want to test the waters. You may not like the results, but there's no harm in publishing them. Publishing a beta book allows you to see how your book is received. It gives you a chance to see whether or not your book sells. It will enable you to see what mistakes, if any, are in your book. You don't want to go through all this trouble to find out that your book sucks. You want to see if there's any interest in your book.

Use Reviews as a Tool, Not as a Requirement

Many authors have a policy that every book published must have at least five-star reviews on Amazon. They believe that this will encourage more people to purchase their books. The truth, though, is that this is a huge mistake. Authors must remember that Amazon is not a gatekeeper. Amazon is a platform that allows you to sell your books to readers. Readers, however, are not obligated to purchase your book based on the review that you provide. Instead, they'll make their decision based on their own experiences. Good reviews can indeed help boost the sales of your books. But it's also a fact that a few bad reviews can sink your sales. You can ignore the negative thoughts and focus on the positive ones. You can choose to let them influence your decisions.

Set Up Regular Discounts for Good Reviews and Bloggers

Authors have a tendency to hold out on publishing reviews. In fact, many authors withhold reviews until the very end. They believe that reviews are the key to boosting their sales, but they don't want to publish a low number of reviews. They're waiting for the perfect five-star review to appear. This is an unsafe practice. There are thousands of books on Amazon. Thousands of books need reviews to be posted. You have a minimal chance of getting a review posted. There's an easier way to boost your visibility, though. You can offer discounts for reviews. The idea is that you discount a review that's positive enough. You want to get a review that's just a few sentences long. Once you've received those reviews, you can post them on your social media profiles. You can post them on your blog. You can post them on forums where readers talk about books.

Don't Forget About Stamps and ARC Signing Crews

Some authors choose to go the traditional publishing route. They send their manuscripts to publishing houses to see if they are interested in publishing them. This is a good idea for authors who have completed their first manuscript. However, it's not a good idea for authors who have just begun writing. You've probably heard that self-publishing is the wave of the future. You've probably also heard that it's a challenging path to follow. Both of these statements are true. Authors must remember that they have many opportunities to boost their visibility. They can use Amazon's stamps to increase their manuscript's visibility. They can use ARC signing crews to promote the visibility of their books. They can use all of these methods to give their readers a boost in visibility.

Final Words

This article provides helpful tips to help you succeed in the world of self-publishing. It would be best if you never forgot that traditional publishing will only be a part of your writing career for so long. You need to break free from their chains and give your books the attention they deserve. You can do this by using the tips discussed in this article.

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Thanks for reading my article. As an author, I know how frustrating the publishing world can be. Hopefully this article will releave some of those frustrations. Feel free to like and share the article and comment below with any questions you may have.

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