Writing is hard enough and many writers don’t want to see their works tossed like a trash by traditional publishers, hence the rave of self-publishing. The ease of self-publishing has also led to the flooding of the market with poorly written, poorly formatted, and error-ridden stories. The five tips below will help you to avoid these pitfalls.

1. Have your goals clearly defined

There are different routes to different goals. For example, if your intention is to make money then you need to invest more in instruction books, resources that can be used in schools, guides, and ‘how to’. If you hope to further your writing career or hone your skills in the creative craft, online communities or forums and blogs will be the best way to get your name out.

2. Resist the urge to be completely independent

Some writers define self-publishing as the freedom to do everything on their own, from writing to editing to cover design. That has never really gone well for anyone. Notwithstanding that you are choosing this otherwise lonely path, you still need to be sincere about your strength and weaknesses. It is still OK to pay an editor or proofreader to have a second look at your work and a graphic artist to design the cover. It is important to make a strong impression with your first book or it might as well be the last you would ever sell.

3. Learn a bit about online marketing

The availability of the internet and the rise of social media means more people spend long hours online. However, with the numerous content competing for attention, you need to be on the faces of your audience or you will sink in their priorities. In a related post in Kotobee, Cassie suggested the following when preparing for an online marketing campaign; “Having a website as a central hub and using social media to interact directly with your fans and create lasting relationship”.

4. Choose the right self-publishing service

The platforms for creating, publishing, and distributing your work as a self-publisher is growing tremendously by the day but it doesn’t mean that all of them are right for you. If you are looking for a platform that helps you to compile and format your book to look professional before putting it on sale, Agora Publishing offers a great service in this regards. For distribution, Amazon remains the giant because of its large audience. Lulu has better royalties for writers although the platform doesn't record as many sales as Amazon.

5. Patience and persistence are great virtues

You need patience and persistence to scale through the early uncertainties of self-publishing. As Amanda Fleet puts it, “Even with everything as good as you can get it, the chances of being an overnight success are close to zero”. Your visibility will tend to increase as you publish more books.

Conclusion

You can never overemphasize on the importance of a good first impression. Agora Books will provide the quality control that will help your masterpiece compete favorable with books from traditional publishers.