How to Publish a Book
By Mary Kole
Mary Kole is a former literary agent, freelance editor, writing teacher, author of Writing Irresistible Kidlit, and IP developer for major publishers, with over a decade in the publishing industry.
Though some writers haven’t yet written or revised their manuscripts, most are wondering how to publish a book. After all, writing a book is an incredibly grueling and difficult task, and those embarking on it want to keep their goal of publication in sight. If writer’s block hits or the going gets tough, a lot of writers like to daydream of holding their book in their hands one day.
The question of how to publish a book can seem daunting, but I’m here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be. Read on for tips on how to publish a book and get it into the hands of readers.
How to Publish a Book Via Traditional Publishing vs Self-Publishing
The first step in figuring out how to publish a book is deciding whether you want to go the traditional publishing route or to self-publish. Traditional publishing involves partnering with a publisher who will edit, design, produce, distribute, and market your book. That means they will do all the legwork to not only create the product but get it out into the world to the best of their ability.
The downside is that traditional publishers are often picky about which books they accept, so there is no guarantee that your book will be chosen unless it is either on a very hot topic, very timely, or incredibly well-executed (or a combination of these factors). Additionally, if your book is accepted, there may be delays in getting your book published due to the long review and production process.
Still, a lot of writers consider traditional publishing to be the gold standard of how to publish a book. For a lot of people, the validation of being accepted by a gatekeeper is a powerful emotional motivator that they’re seeking. There’s also the money—a traditional publishing deal will offer writers an advance, royalties, or both.
On the other hand, self-publishing offers authors complete control over their work and allows them to publish their books quickly without having to wait for approval from a literary agent, publisher, or editor.
Some writers opt to self-publish when deciding how to publish a book, and feel no attraction whatsoever to traditional publishing. If your book sells well, you also stand to make higher royalties with self-publishing than you do with a traditional house.
However, self-publishing also means taking on all of the responsibility for marketing and distribution yourself. For every copy of your book that sells, it’s reasonable to think that you had something to do with it (especially until your book gains momentum).
The burden of how to publish a book—meaning how to produce the actual product—is also entirely on the writer. Self-publishing can be more expensive than traditional publishing because you’ll need to pay for editing services, cover design, formatting, layout, etc., out of pocket. It’s also entirely the writer’s responsibility to do book marketing in a way that results in sales, either, so there’s no guarantee of recouping your investment.
How to Publish a Book: Getting Ready to Submit
No matter what you decide about how to publish a book, you will need an editor, beta reader, or critique group to give you some advice. Even those writers who want to publish traditionally—into a system where their books will be professionally edited at the publishing house—often find themselves working to get writing notes before they submit. The slush pile is a very competitive place.
An editor can help refine your manuscript so that it meets industry standards and is free from any errors or typos before it goes live on shelves (or digital shelves). If you’re self-publishing, this means investing in a proofreading round, at the very least. You definitely don’t want your reviews pointing out errors, as writers are notoriously bad at spotting all of the typos and errors in their own work.
For a self-published project, you’ll also want to hire at least a cover designer to create an image that accurately reflects what’s inside your pages, while also catching potential readers’ attention. A good rule of thumb is to spend at least one third of your budget on these two components—editing and design are essential elements in creating a successful book project.
How to Publish a Book: Formatting and Distribution Services
Once you have taken care of editing and cover design, it's time to format your manuscript for print or digital publication. When you publish traditionally, the publisher will call the shots in terms of format and production. If you’re self-publishing, you can choose whether to invest in a print run, use print on demand services, or make your work available in ebook format only.
If you choose print publication, make sure that your manuscript is properly formatted for the desired printing method (offset printing vs digital printing). If you opt for digital publication via Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) or another platform, make sure that your file meets requirements before you upload it. You should also consider using distribution services such as IngramSpark or KDP Print On Demand (POD) if you plan on making physical copies available. As you can see, there are many considerations and decisions when it comes to how to publish a book, especially in the realm of self-publishing. But such is the beauty of the publishing industry. There’s a lot to learn, and it’s all about creating a manuscript or project that will touch others’ lives.
When it comes down to it, learning how to publish a book requires patience and perseverance — but with some research and hard work, anyone can learn how to publish a book. Which route you take or which publishing path you pursue is up to you, and your choice can vary from project to project.
Whether you decide to pursue traditional publishing or self-publish through Amazon KDP or another platform, use these tips on how to publish a book as guidance along the way to your dreams.
Click here to purchase Successful Query Letters, my book on query letters, including over forty examples with comprehensive notes on each one. There’s a ton of submission advice, best practices, and insider information in these pages, and you’ll really enjoy seeing what other writers are doing in the slush.