Have you thought about publishing a book? Do you know how to go about it? Are you thinking ‘Do I use a publisher or publish it myself’?
There are many questions to consider when undertaking the journey of becoming an author.
… What do I want to achieve with my book?
… How do I get my book seen by as many readers as possible?
… Do I publish it myself or engage a professional publisher?
Many authors do publish their books themselves, and a few might have some success with that. Many do not, which is a shame after all the hard work of writing the book and trying to get it out to their potential readers.
For those who do engage a professional book publisher, the benefits are wide-ranging.
If you find a book publisher who is interested in working with you on your book, this already means it is well worth the time spent, and more time that is yet to be spent, to get it out to your potential readers. A publisher’s first commitment is to ensure that the book is the best it can possibly be. This means editing. Yes, editing!
Some authors make the mistake that their book does not need any editing or polishing. ALL books need editing. The writer of the book cannot possibly give the manuscript a critical edit as they are far too close to their work. Hence, the more sets of eyes over it, the better.
A publisher will have professional people who will design the cover and typeset the manuscript to give a favourable finished project. Yes, you can do it yourself, but do you know ‘how’ to typeset your pages to that they look good and read easily? How many books are around that have ‘block’ paragraphs? That is not a professional look, and creates gaps in the reading matter, which distracts the reader. Your publisher ensures the presentation of your book is at its highest potential for you.
Once you have the book ready, where are you going to distribute it? Amazon is a good ‘self-publishing’ platform, but there is more in the industry than just this company. There are many other avenues to get your book distributed on a much wider global basis. A publisher will know where you can distributed your book, and make suggestions as to other avenues as well.
When the book has been published, you will need book promotion. With over 3 million books published every year, if you do not take the time to promote yourself and your book, nothing will happen. You have to SHOUT LOUD to be seen and heard. This is a mistake many authors make. They think once the book is published, that’s it. No. It is just the beginning. The hard work then starts!
Do you have an author website? This is extremely essential. Without a website, there is no point of reference, nowhere for your readers, or potential readers, to find out about you or your book. A website that is search engine optimized is invaluable. You also ought to be able to add posts about your book and connect with your readers through the avenue.
A professional book publisher will also support you, guide you, make suggestions on how you can enhance your book. They will work with you throughout the whole process, involving you every step along the way. In this way, you will also build confidence, as well as knowledge about the publishing processes.
If you have any questions or queries about publishing your book, you are welcome to contact our publishing team, obligation free, for further advice. We would love to talk with you and offer our assistance…
The team at Aurora House are passionate about books, and will go the extra mile to ensure your book is the best it can possibly be.
To help you along, there is also a FREE Publishing Guide you can download if you would like to read more about publishing before contacting anyone.