📌 New author? Please don’t think about publishing your book without first reading through these questions.

After helping hundreds of authors navigate the self-publishing thicket and safely to the shelves of major bookshops, here are the questions I recommend every new author asks themselves before reaching out to a book publishing business.

You may be wondering, why? Why do these questions matter? Well…👇

• These questions will save you time.
• These questions will likely save you money, avoiding costly invoices for help you never really needed.
• Lastly, these questions will help you get the most out of your publishing experience.  More fun 👌 + less tears 😭

I genuinely want you to have the best possible experience when publishing your first book.

PS. I won’t be going into detail about the costs of self-publishing a book. Book production costs vary according to the amount of help you need, your genre and length of your book etc. I’ll leave this topic for another time.

Dave. 🤓

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Part 1: About Your Publishing Expectations

This first part is about making sure you know what you’re getting into when deciding to self-publish. This also helps ensure you’re speaking to the right sorts of people.

Questions:

Why I Ask:

Many of my conversations with new authors end abruptly when they realise that the self-publishing process is not really what they want – whether it’s the upfront fees, or the almost unavoidable need to involve yourself within the marketing process. Self-publishing a book will require an investment of both time and money from the author wanting to succeed.

I want you to be as comfortable as possible, before we chat, that this method of publishing is really what works best for you. To better understand the alternative to self-publishing, which is traditional publishing, read this next bit.

I want you to read this:

• Read this to better understand and explore the difference between self-publishing, traditional publishing and hybrid/ vanity publishing. 💡

Part 2: How to Convey Your Book Needs

Clarify your end goal for wanting this book published. You really don’t need to have a wealth of experience in the book industry if you use this method. “I want a physical paperback book published and available for sale in local bookstores”. This seemingly obvious statement already gives me an idea of the publishing steps required to help you achieve your goal.

Questions:

4. Can you summarize your primary goal for publishing your book in a sentence?
5. Are you working with a very tight or limited budget? (Tell us upfront!)
6. What book formats would you like have ready at the end of your publishing process? (Paperback, eBook, audiobook etc.)
7. Is this book a once-off passion project or do you see yourself writing other books?
8. For non-fiction, is your book linked to a current or future business idea?

Examples of publishing goals:

“I want to publish a series of best-selling novels.”

OR “I want to publish a business book that helps bring me new leads.”

OR “I simply want to publish a book for my friends and family about my life’s adventures.”

Why I Ask:

Each of the goals listed above will attract different advice. Each of these authors will receive a slightly different publishing process recommendation. As an example, an author publishing only for friends and family may require a less intensive edit, as the commercial success of the book is not the author’s primary concern. They would likely also only require a paperback book.

I often speak with the author who wants to publish a “bestseller” with a publishing budget equivalent to a KFC bucket meal. Whilst publishing on a shoestring budget is a reality for many writers, it often has implications on the quality of the final book. Cut too many corners from your publishing costs and you risk being left with a book destined for the dumpster.

I want you to read this:

• Publishing a book is not a reliable way to get-rich-quick; you would likely be better off investing in Bitcoin. To manage expectations for possible author earnings of books sold through Amazon KDP give this article a read.
• Short on publishing funds? Curious about creative fundraising ideas for your book? Here are a few suggestions on lessening the costs associated with publishing.

Part 3: Are You (Really) Ready to Publish?

Help me, help you. Having the right files in the right formats together with addressing possible copyright concerns, means less time will be wasted in getting your book ready for readers.

Questions:

9. Have you finished writing?
10. Have you obtained permission for all text and images that you did not write, design or create yourself?
11. Is your manuscript ready as a single Word document?  (DOC/ DOCX. Not PDF.)

Why I Ask:

My job helping you publish really only starts once you’re confident that you’ve finished writing. Once ready, receiving your manuscript in a Word document is by far the easiest, quickest (and cheapest) way for us to confirm your publishing costs. By ensuring you have permission for any (Googled) images or text you may have used within the manuscript, you help us ensure that we keep to our quoted costs and timelines.

You may also want to read this:

• For authors with handwritten manuscripts or books designed in Canva, I recommend this read.

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You are now ready for our first publishing chat 😊

• You have considered your goals for publishing this book. ✔
• You are clear on the benefits of self-publishing, together with its known risks. ✔
• You understand the need to roll up your sleeves to help market your new title. ✔
• You’ve finished writing, and your final draft manuscript is ready in a Word file format. ✔

Before You Go, Remember!

• Never go into debt to publish a book. (Why?)
• High-pressure sales tactics are a favourite of scam publishers. Take your time and only partner with people who make you feel at ease.
• Publishing a book is not so different from starting a new business venture. Corners cut during publishing often results in negative reviews or slower book sales later on.

 Congratulations! After working through these questions, you’re almost guaranteed to have a more satisfying book publishing experience. 🎉

PS. If you enjoyed these questions helping prepare you for publishing, here’s a video where I cover another 17 questions I think every author should be asking before signing any publishing deal.

 

Ready to publish your book? I would love to have a chat about where I can add value.