Amazon recently announced that it is setting aside a prize of £20,000 for self-published authors. This would likely spur a new generation of self-published authors. Agora Publishing has been in the business of helping authors achieve their self-publication goals for many years now.

Budding writers often get overwhelmed by the number of rejections they get from traditional publishers. Those who are technology savvy resort to self-publishing to find success or defy traditional models. Anyone can self-publish. All it takes is a few simple steps but it takes more than that to be successful. Here are the top 5 book self-publishing tips that will get you the success you desire.

1. Write a Series Rather Than Standalone Novels

The success of series like “Harry Potter” and more recently, “Game of Thrones” is a testament that readers appreciate series more compared to standalone novels. According to Mark Dawson, if there is a character in your series that readers fall in love with, they will be willing to follow their adventure. You may be surprised that your readers who grind through the suspense would be the ones to send you an email to know when to expect the next book in the series. Writing series also makes it easier for you to grow your fan base compared to when you write a standalone novel. Be sure to build a mailing list for easy communication with your fans – and inform them about your next book.

2. Hire an Editor and a Proofreader

One thing that traditional publishers don’t compromise is quality. When you choose self-publishing, you are pitching yourself against traditional publishers. One of the biggest mistakes you will make is to compromise on the quality of your work. Don’t try to proofread your own work; a simple typo will skip your sight. Consider saving up to hire a proofreader because it is worth it. Even if you have a fine story, typos and grammatical errors can make it unpalatable for readers.

3. Have a Target Audience

Before you pick your pen to write you have to know your target audience. There are lots of reasons why this is important. Firstly, if you have a target audience, it will help you to understand the kind of stories that interest your audience. You might have a good story but when it is not in line with the genre of interest of your audience, it may never be read. Also, when you have a target audience it will be easier for you to organize a program to promote your work. Your book cover, genre, book description, and interior design should work together to determine your target audience.  Narrowing your audience will help you to avoid the proverbial “Jack of all trade, master of none”.

4. Build on Your Success With a Good Writing Routine

A successful self-published author is not a feat that is achieved by chance. The fact that you are not under the supervision of anyone doesn’t mean you should throw your discipline and commitment to the wind. You can have a brilliant story in your head but you need to a solid routine to have it on the page. If you self-publish your first book and it gets a positive nod from your audience, you need to follow it up with another book. If you make your audience wait too long before writing another book you risk losing them to another author. You need to strike while the metal is hot.

5. Do Proper Research Before You Write

When readers pick up your book, they expect to see accurate information. Let’s say you are you are writing a scene with guns. Imagine what your readers would feel when you talk about safety for a gun that doesn’t have safety. If your readers cannot trust you to provide accurate information they probably will desist from reading any further book from you. It is possible to crowdsource experts to review your draft to make sure that the information is accurate. The best way to avoid this pitfall is to write on familiar topics as well as the ones that interest you. However, be sure that the topic is one that can sell. Find the balance between writing what you love and what the market loves.