Five Keys for the Self-Published Author

I just wanted to share a quick post today on five keys that I think every self-published author should know. Even if you are still considering whether to try self-publishing, take these keys to heart. I know in this blog I may repeat some things, but the goal of this blog is to teach you information to help you succeed in this industry. I encourage you to print information from this blog and share it with your friends. And by all means, study the content of it.

My five keys for the self-published author are:

1. If your manuscript is not truly complete, finish it first. Take your time to finish it. Don't rush. If you rush to finish your book, you will find that you didn't take the time to fully develop your story and that could result in earning readers that are not satisfied with your work. Unhappy readers leads to returned books, and we don't want that.
2. Have your book professionally edited. I can't stress this enough. I know that even the best books may have errors in them, but when your manuscript is riddled with them, it will reflect poorly on you as an author.
3. Research companies that you plan to work with. Watch out for companies that charge you a fee to publish your book, then turn around and pay you a royalty from each book sold. Remember, when you self-publish, you don't get royalties. 
4. Always have your marketing plan in clear view as you print your book. Who will you be selling your book to and where can you find them? Knowing the answer to these two questions will help you decide on how you want your cover to look and the way you want your story to read.
5. Remember that self-publishing is starting a business. Make sure that you are ready for such a huge responsibility.

Until next time,
~Sandra~