Editing, Design & Production
Traditional publishing is the publishing model that immediately comes to mind for most people. In this model, producing a book involves a lot of components, some of them operating simultaneously. The model has evolved somewhat, but nothing happens without the author producing the manuscript. Publishing depends upon the author’s productivity.
When the author acts as publisher on his or her own behalf, the author assumes responsibility for all aspects of the publishing process that would normally be undertaken by the publishing company. In fact, hybrid or subsidy publishers offer—for a hefty fee—to relieve authors of that burden by performing all the same functions as a traditional publisher. For some authors, the hybrid model works well and is money well spent.
Self-publishing authors commonly fall victim to the misunderstanding that self-publishing means “do it all yourself.” Responsibility simply means you’re responsible for the outcome and the expense, not for doing every task. Savvy authors delegate those tasks which they either do not know how to do or cannot do well.
Like every multi-step or multi-component project, publishing a book involves a process. For self-publishing, there’s a simple, straightforward process that yields best results.
- Write the story. As noted before, nothing happens until an author produces a manuscript. It’s smart and more cost-effective to self-edit and revise the manuscript before proceeding to the next step.
- Edit the manuscript. This means hiring professional editors because the author is too close to the story to see its flaws. Editing and revision involves different levels of editing: developmental, line, and copy editing in that order. (Line and copy editing are often combined into a single round of editing, which may save the author a lot of money.)
- Write and edit the back cover copy. The back cover copy doesn’t tell the story; it sells the story. Therefore, it falls under copywriting. If you’re not good at this, consider hiring a marketing writer or copywriter. Make sure the back cover copy is professionally edited, too. Errors or clumsy expression in the back cover copy will deter book sales.
- Design the book. Page design directly affects the reader’s experience with the content, and book design entails more than merely filling the pages with words. Ensure your book facilitates reading by hiring a professional book designer.
- Design the cover. Your book’s cover is its more important marketing piece. An effective cover appeals to readers, indicates the genre at a glance, and prompts the reader to pick up the book. Unless you’re knowledgeable of genre standards and reader expectations, hire a graphic artist who is and who is competent in cover design.
- Proofread the whole package. Proofreading is the last step before publication; therefore, it’s critical to catch and correct those errors that slipped through the cracks in previous steps of the process. The professional who proofreads your interior pages and cover (front, spine, and back) should not be the same person who edits the manuscript or back cover copy. Proofreading requires fresh eyes.
- Publish. IngramSpark, Kindle Direct Publishing, Draft2Digital, Lulu, and other online publishing platforms make publishing easy. Just as importantly, they make distribution easy. Make sure you have the properly formatted files: a press-ready PDF for all print versions of your book and cover, an EPUB for the e-book, and a high-resolution JPEG of the front cover for the e-book.
During this process and before proofreading, there are other tasks to complete. These tasks may include acquiring an ISBN and LCCN and registering your copyright.
Following the process outlined above doesn’t guarantee book sales, but it does put your book in its best position to sell and delight readers.
A word of caution, don’t skimp on expenses or skip steps in the process. Editing, proofreading, copywriting, book design, and graphic design are all sophisticated, professional skills. One person is unlikely to do them all, much less do them all well. Hire pros with the specialized skill sets necessary to avoid inflicting amateur work upon your audience. Readers who detect less than professional work may leave negative reviews warning other potential readers away from your book. You can’t count those lost sales.
Hen House Publishing offers ghostwriting, editing, page design, and proofreading services built through more than three decades of corporate employment and freelance service. Send an email to schedule a call and talk about your book and what it needs.
