A Quickstart Guide to DIY Self-Publishing

If you're thinking about DIY self-publishing, you may wonder what you'll need to get your book out into the world. This list will help you get a plan and get organized and get up and running! Articles to come will cover various aspects of these subjects more in-depth. If you have a particular question about any of these topics, leave a comment and I may cover it in a future post!

DIY Self-Publishing Outlets
This is a relatively new field and I'm confident more outlets are on their way. These are the DIY self-publishing places I'm aware of. If you know of more, do share!

Ebook Publishing
Createspace (a.k.a. Amazon)
Smashwords
PubIt (Barnes & Noble)

Print-On-Demand Publishing
Createspace
Wordclay

What You'll Need
Regardless of where you publish, there are four basic things you'll need to get your book ready for distribution (especially if you're serious):

• Professional Book Cover
• Properly Formatted Manuscript
• Book Description
• Author Bio

Other things you might want include a website and/or a blog, a business card, and a book trailer.

Pulling It All Together
Do your research before choosing a DIY self-publishing company. Once you're ready to publish, you'll need to format your manuscript and get your cover ready. Then you should give a little thought to writing an enticing description and then a brief, professional author bio.

While this is a condensed version of the work you'll do, knowing what's ahead will help you to plan for a successful release of your book!