If you’re reading this, chances are you’re writing or have finished writing a book and may be looking to self-publish it. Congratulations — writing a book is a fantastic accomplishment! But the next steps can be confusing and overwhelming, and the process may not necessarily be an easy one to follow. When the time comes to tackle things like editing, design and layout, relying on the guidance and expertise of a professional book publishing and production partner will smooth out bumps in the road and put you on the path to publishing success.
Put simply, book production is the process of turning a raw manuscript into the final printed book and/or digital ebook. At its most basic, book production involves editing, design, formatting, printing, and ebook conversion. If you’ve decided to self-publish, all of these steps can prove to be daunting, not to mention the fact that a wrong move may result in wasted time and money.
If you do choose to self-publish, a professional book publishing and production partner can help you navigate the entire process or may specialize in particular author services, from editing and manuscript evaluation to cover design, interior layout, print/ebook management and marketing.
Editorial Services
Editorial services include ghostwriting, developmental editing, copyediting, proofreading, and indexing. These services will raise the quality of your book to a truly professional level. You want to make sure that your content is top notch, and editors will help you achieve that goal.
Book Design and Production
The book cover plays an essential role in the success of your book. Whether people are browsing through a bookstore or shopping online, the first thing they see is the cover. They’ll only give it a couple of seconds before moving on, so an eye-catching book cover is imperative. A professional designer understands that the cover is your sales pitch and will make sure it’s worth 1,000 words.
A professional partner can also create the book’s interior, which also needs to entice the audience but in a more subtle way. Selecting the right visual tone, as well as presenting a clear and comprehensive hierarchy of information, will enhance the content and create an engaging experience for the reader.
Printing or eBook Creation
When it comes to printing your book, there’s never a one-size-fits-all solution, which typically leads to confusion and frustration. A professional authoring service will help you understand what options are available to you and guide you to choose the one that best suits your needs.
You can opt for small-quantity printing or volume commercial printing. The most popular self-publishing option by far is a print on demand (POD) vendor such as Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) or IngramSpark, as well as ebooks for digital distribution. Depending on your book and what you want to achieve with it, you can choose one resource or a combination of vendors for a customized solution.
Book Marketing
Last but most definitely not least is your book marketing. Regardless of which publishing path you take, promoting your book is essential because no one will know about it unless you tell them. You should plan to be quite involved in the marketing process because its effectiveness needs to align with your publishing objectives. But a publishing partner will be able to advise and assist you with targeted activities such as book reviews, radio campaigns, social media, media interviews, launch events, promotional programs, pricing, and various distribution strategies.
So do your research to identify the professional book publishing and production partners who can best support you on these various aspects. Ask colleagues for referrals, and ask potential candidates for samples of their work. Your diligence in selecting qualified resources is a key step to avoid pitfalls and get your book off the ground in the most seamless and successful way possible.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
