So you’re thinking of publishing a book? You might have written blogs as a business or even published eBooks. But physical copies are a little more complex. Here’s how to get started.
Find a Bookbinding and Printing Service
The presentation of your book is essential. Poor quality ink, cheap paper, and an unsteady finish mean people probably don’t buy it. So you need reliable and top-quality printing services. Fortunately, this isn’t as costly as you might think since many of these companies offer generous discounts and deals for self-publishers. And because you probably don’t know how to do this yourself, a quality printer will work witty you to find the most suitable style for your work. For instance, paperback for short stories, hardback for a novel, or a board book for children.
Copyright Your Work
An absolutely essential step in publishing your written work is getting it copyrighted. There is some confusion over copyright when it comes to certain things. But book writing is one of the most straightforward. In the eyes of the law, your copyright begins the moment you start writing. So anything you write is copyrighted automatically. However, to ensure your work isn’t plagiarized, you must register your copyright. There are copyright offices in almost every country, and it isn’t expensive. Especially compared to the legal fees should you attend court.
Publishing a Book Requires an ISBN
When your book is ready for publishing, it needs an International Standard Book Number, also known as ISBN. Every properly published book in the world (including eBooks) has a unique 13-digit ISBN. You can easily and quickly get an ISBN from the official website after paying a fee. But you will receive your ISBN in no more than two working days. So while an ISBN identifies your book, it also helps customers looking for it. In addition, ISBN is used to indicate single copies and editions alike and distinguishes between publishers, so it helps track sales.
Market and Sell Your Book Online
Online marketing is simple in theory and challenging in practice. It’s possible to market your book online through various channels. These include social media and online retail sites like Amazon. You could also consider creating digital copies of your published books for Kindle or audiobook versions. Both of these would help with exposure and sales. Of course, you could even create a website for promoting your work or supplement your existing blog with a locust page. Just make sure the books you promote are relevant to your blog’s niche.
Consider Shipping and Storage
Even small books will take up a lot of space when you have hundreds or thousands of copies. So you couldn’t possibly keep them in your home unless you have an empty garage or a spare room. And even then, you need some way of preparing the logistics for when someone orders a copy. It might help to consider renting a storage locker to keep your copies safe or sign up with a distribution center that can send copies to customers upon request. Of course, you could do this yourself, but it will likely cost you more money and will take a lot of your time.
Summary
Writing a book is hard. Publishing one is even more challenging. You need to consider some things, such as a reliable printer, copyrighting, shipping, and storage.