How to Self-Publish Part 5

Hello and Welcome back to Part 5 of my How to Self-Publish Blog Series.

I know it's been a while since I've updated my blog, and I apologize, but I'm here, and I'm back. I took some time off to publish my novel, and since then, I've written another book that is set to release later this year. I'm excited to share everything I've learned from this process, and I can't wait to dive into the rest of my Indie Author Publishing Plan with you.

If you haven't already, you will want to subscribe to my newsletter. I immediately send you a four-page checklist on self-publishing. Then be sure to check out Parts 1-4 of my How to Self-Publish Blog Series where I went over steps 1-12.

Step 13: Send your Manuscript to your Developmental Editor and TAKE A BREAK!

Once you feel your manuscript is as good as you can make it, it's time to send it to your Developmental Editor. (If you decided to hire one) Now you play the waiting game. This process can take weeks or maybe even months, depending on who you hired and their time frame. When you hired your DE they should have given you a contract with a completion date. Your editor may deliver the manuscript sooner than stated but don't plan on that.

This is now the best time to take a much-needed break. You got this far, and you deserve some time off! Your manuscript is out of your hands, so it should be easy to let go for a bit! Sure, you can work on other steps of the process, but really it's in your best interest to take a step back and relax! Congratulations on getting this far! You should be proud of yourself!

Step 14: Create a Marketing Plan/ Work on Social Media Presence.

It's time to up your social media presence. If you wait until your book is ready to launch, you will have no one to share it with. It's time to build up your audience and connect with readers and other authors now. But first, you need to decide which platforms you will utilize. Many authors suggest finding two platforms and giving them your all. If you choose to go all in and do all of them, I promise you will get burnt out in a heartbeat. It's best to focus your attention on a couple. You will have more time to create quality content and have more time to interact with your followers.

Do some research to decide which platforms will work best for you.

In the ever-evolving world of technology, we have a lot of choices. It can be daunting and overwhelming, but you need a social media presence to succeed in the self-publishing world. The top options are:

Instagram

TikTok

Facebook

Twitter

You Tube

TikTok seems to be taking off in a huge way right now, but I haven't jumped on that wagon just yet. Twitter is also another one I haven't dabbled in. For me, the obvious starting point was Instagram, and I loved it. I put all my effort into that platform. I recently added a Facebook page that I mostly use for Ads. (More on that in a later post.) One piece of advice that I can give you is to find your target audience. What platform are they on? Don't spend your time on Twitter if your target audience isn't on Twitter. It's a waste of energy. Spend your valuable time on the platform that will get you the best results.

Now on to creating a marketing plan. I love marketing, and you can probably tell that from my Instagram feed. I market the crap out of my book. I can now speak from experience that creating a good marketing plan and having a killer cover resulted in money, rank, and sales. (Not a lot of money but more than I expected the first month) My goal on release week was to hit the best-selling rank on Amazon. I thought it was crazy, and I had no reason to think my book would ever rank on Amazon, but it did! I believed in my book, my cover, and my marketing plan. The Pretty Ones ranked in the top 100 Best selling New Releases in four categories. It held tight for a couple of weeks! Now it's no USA Today or NYT Best-Selling list, but I was proud.

FYI-Ranking on Amazon will give you all the good feels, but it doesn't necessarily mean sales. In some categories, it's easy to rank because there are fewer titles in that category, while others are highly competitive. (more on choosing categories in a later post) Now back to creating that killer marketing plan. Once you get your cover back from your cover designer, I suggest starting your marketing campaign.

Plan the following posts:

Cover Reveal Post

Release Date Post

Count Down Post

Excerpts from your Novel Post

This is just to get you started. See what other authors are doing and give it a try for yourself. Don't forget to add a post introducing yourself. People will be curious about you.

I think this is such an important step. I'm not saying all your sales will come from social media, but it's a good way to start getting noticed. The more your book is seen, the better chance it has come release day. Some experts say that people need to see a product seven times before buying it. Create a presence now; you will be glad you did!

My book ranked #38 in New Releases in Domestic Thrillers

Step 15: Create an Author Website and Build an Email List.

This is another one that you don't wait on. Building an author website is a must! You don't want to rely solely on creating your business on someone else's platform, such as FB or Instagram. Things change. Do you still use My Space? Nope. It's gone. Platforms come and go. Use them as much as possible, but you want to have a landing platform to send your followers. Create a website so you can do just that.

Creating a website might seem like hard work, but websites such as Wix make it easy to set up a basic site. They even offer free versions. You can always start with the free version and then upgrade later. I will suggest purchasing a domain name. Mine is authorjamieleefry.com; notice no .wix or anything confusing about it. It's simple, and it's me. There is a small yearly fee to keep this domain name, but having a professional-looking web address is worth it.

When creating your website, things to consider adding:

An About Me Section

Your Books and Links to Purchase.

Upcoming WIP

Social Media Links

A Contact Form

A Place to Sign up for a Newsletter- Building an email list for future use such as book launch dates and much more.

I suggest checking out your favorite authors and seeing what you like about their websites. I also recommend watching youtube videos on creating an author website. You will find tons of helpful information. Just be authentic, professional and don't forget to create a cohesive brand for yourself.

Thank you for checking out my blog, and I hope to see you back here for Part Six.

Remember, only you know what is right for you. I can only offer my experience and advice based on what worked for me. Good luck and happy writing!