So we come to the end of my series about publishing yourself on the internet. You have to admit, the title is dramatic.
I failed to point out one major advantage. By putting your book out there on Amazon, Smashwords, or etceteras, you can check to see how your sales are doing at any time. Not the case with independent or major publishers. They distribute sales results every two to four months.
Okay, I’m not going to make a big deal out of the last topics, formatting and artwork. I just want you to know that you don’t have to pay to have them done. Consider these points and options:
• Format your manuscript in Word which you probably already have. You may have to get intimate with the Microsoft application a little bit, but the knowledge you gain may benefit your future self pubs.
• Purchase one of the other document applications that the platform accepts. Again, you may have to learn a bit, but you wanted to get into self publishing, right?
• See if you have a chum who has the necessary software and will do it for you. Then you pay them back with one of your specialties.
• Buy a graphic design application to do your own cover. You don’t have to be able to draw. Images can be obtained through many legal and free providers.
• If you sink a few dollars into all the applications needed to self publish, then you might as well go on and offer it as a service to other authors.
To do the artwork for my self pub, I skipped over to a friend’s house and used his graphic design software. As a writer, you undoubtedly have a creative streak. Apply that imagination to saving a couple of bucks.
E.C. Stacy
I failed to point out one major advantage. By putting your book out there on Amazon, Smashwords, or etceteras, you can check to see how your sales are doing at any time. Not the case with independent or major publishers. They distribute sales results every two to four months.
Okay, I’m not going to make a big deal out of the last topics, formatting and artwork. I just want you to know that you don’t have to pay to have them done. Consider these points and options:
• Format your manuscript in Word which you probably already have. You may have to get intimate with the Microsoft application a little bit, but the knowledge you gain may benefit your future self pubs.
• Purchase one of the other document applications that the platform accepts. Again, you may have to learn a bit, but you wanted to get into self publishing, right?
• See if you have a chum who has the necessary software and will do it for you. Then you pay them back with one of your specialties.
• Buy a graphic design application to do your own cover. You don’t have to be able to draw. Images can be obtained through many legal and free providers.
• If you sink a few dollars into all the applications needed to self publish, then you might as well go on and offer it as a service to other authors.
To do the artwork for my self pub, I skipped over to a friend’s house and used his graphic design software. As a writer, you undoubtedly have a creative streak. Apply that imagination to saving a couple of bucks.
E.C. Stacy
2 comments:
You're right, there are opportunities to hire out to others if you learn the process yourself. The Kindle Expert who formatted my book expects the demand to grow so fast that he'll need to sub-contract some of his work.
I hadn't thought of that Stacy. I think I need more than one computer. This one is running low on memory.
Nancy
N. R. Williams, fantasy author
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