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The End: Now What?!
You’ve finished your novel. Now what?
How to get your manuscript
published in six weeks.
Take your novel from Manuscript to Marketplace
Completing a novel is a big achievement, but your work is far from over. Now you’ve got to turn your manuscript into a published book. With so many steps involved (editing, design, eBook conversion, distribution, marketing, and more), many authors are understandably intimidated by this part of the book publishing process.
BookBaby outlines a simple 6-week strategy to help you create a book that will catch readers’ attention, get reviewers talking, and take you to the next level in your writing career.
Inside you will learn about:
How to tell when your manuscript is ready for editing
Why editing is essential and how to begin the process
Publishing options and choosing the pathway that’s best for you
Getting a jump start on your book marketing
Giving your book an eye-catching cover
eBook formatting and conversion basics
And more!
How to get your manuscript
published in six weeks.
Take your novel from Manuscript to Marketplace
Completing a novel is a big achievement, but your work is far from over. Now you’ve got to turn your manuscript into a published book. With so many steps involved (editing, design, eBook conversion, distribution, marketing, and more), many authors are understandably intimidated by this part of the book publishing process.
BookBaby outlines a simple 6-week strategy to help you create a book that will catch readers’ attention, get reviewers talking, and take you to the next level in your writing career.
Inside you will learn about:
How to tell when your manuscript is ready for editing
Why editing is essential and how to begin the process
Publishing options and choosing the pathway that’s best for you
Getting a jump start on your book marketing
Giving your book an eye-catching cover
eBook formatting and conversion basics
And more!
- GenresNonfictionWriting
11 pages, ebook
First published September 24, 2014
2 people are currently reading
6 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 17, 2015
This was a free ebook from the website bookbaby.com and is intended to be a guide after you’ve typed ‘the end’ on your manuscript.
Stephen Spatz runs the bookbaby company and has worked as a writer, journalist, marketer and designer of catalogues. He knows his stuff.
***
He describes traditional publishing as ‘hurry up and wait’ - so true.
As at January 2015, hardback sales are hit the worst and paperback sales are also down - but people are still reading - they’ve just migrated to more digital platforms.
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015...
The Author earnings website shows that traditional publishers are producing less than half of the ebook sales as well. The rest are self published.
***
The book is broken into six sections with a lot of helpful advice; some very basic, and grading up to the more advanced. He lists website addresses, definitions and ideas. Even video links if he thinks it will help.
1. Get the best final draft that you can.
Oh, boy - I want to double bold that line… when it is done let it be done. Stop fiddling. Stop rewriting. Stop messing with it. It’s not perfect and it never will be. Yes, you may be sick of it - everyone is at this stage. Send it to the editor.
2. Yes, you DO need an editor.
Can I double bold that one, too? I cannot tell you how many books I have read recently that really needed a better edit - even trad published ones. (I reckon there are some authors who get ‘too big’ and it is a brave person that tells them their story is flawed.)
He lists out the different kinds of editors, where to find an editor, what questions to ask them, and he estimates how much they may charge. He even has ideas if you have precisely zero dollars in your editing budget.
3. What publishing path?
Traditional - self published? Both?
He goes through the pros and cons for each - with figures and comparisons.
4. Marketing.
Even if you are traditionally published, you will still have to do some marketing. You really cannot rely on them to do everything for you. You have to have the right websites, media accounts, meta-data, book launches etc. Your author bio has to sound great, your photo look like you (on a good day), your summary be tantalizing, and your genre categories accurate - it’s all part of marketing. And of course, what works for someone else may not work for you. But if you don’t do ANY it won’t work at all.
[the stuff he gives you here for FREE I have seen in courses that people charge hundreds of dollars for. I am NOT joking.]
I have read so many times that the tipping point is book number five in a series… gah.
He lists websites here that I haven’t even heard of… librarything… noisetrade… plus all the usual suspects like Goodreads.
And he also talks about finding book bloggers and how to ask them to do a review for you.
And he lists the writers whose blogs you should be following.
5. Covers
A cover is your most important marketing tool. Writer’s Digest figures show that self publishers who spent money on editing and a pro-designed cover, earned more. It pays for itself. Covers tell people the genre, they draw people in who then read the summary. Some people buy on cover alone. [do not remind me about that book I read this month with the wonderful cover and it turned out to be rubbish…]
Exactly. Consider that double bolded as well.
Do not assume that your US cover will work for Germany, say. Do you need a back cover? A matching header for your webpage? Get it all done in a package. Can you see it when it is thumbnail sized?
6. Digital or analog? Or both?
You can’t just upload your Word file to a website. Kindle, Nook, Kobo and Apple use different digital file formats. Make sure there are no errors in all of them.
E-readers don’t suit everyone or every type of book.
Print on demand is huge right now, but brings with it, its own set of issues. No uploading the Word file here, either. Did you want a nice font, or a sigil at the top of each chapter? Typography and layout now have to be print accurate.
[this is where bookbaby comes into it - they process your manuscript into the various different formats at a fee currently under $100]
***
Sure, you could learn how to do all of this yourself - but honestly, is it worth your time? When you could be paying someone to do it, and writing your next book?
Ask yourself - what does my reader want? And make sure that they can get it.
He votes for hybrid publishing. (of course he does)
Hugh Howey is always the example here - he was approached by a traditional publisher for Wool, and he agreed to it, but kept the e-book rights for himself. To get that, he had to refuse a seven figure traditional contract and settle for six figures. That’s an amazing deal, but they wanted it and he said yes. He was a known risk. He already had fans and readers.
But whether you spend ten years crafting your novel or write ten in that time, you WILL have to work hard.
4 super useful stars
Stephen Spatz runs the bookbaby company and has worked as a writer, journalist, marketer and designer of catalogues. He knows his stuff.
***
He describes traditional publishing as ‘hurry up and wait’ - so true.
As I write this (2014), more people still buy physical books than eBooks (currently eBook penetration is at about 25%), but that equation is equalizing more and more every day and is sure to reverse itself in the next few years.(Kindle Locations 118-120).
As at January 2015, hardback sales are hit the worst and paperback sales are also down - but people are still reading - they’ve just migrated to more digital platforms.
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015...
The Author earnings website shows that traditional publishers are producing less than half of the ebook sales as well. The rest are self published.
***
The book is broken into six sections with a lot of helpful advice; some very basic, and grading up to the more advanced. He lists website addresses, definitions and ideas. Even video links if he thinks it will help.
1. Get the best final draft that you can.
Don’t let great be the enemy of good.(Kindle Locations 173-174).
Oh, boy - I want to double bold that line… when it is done let it be done. Stop fiddling. Stop rewriting. Stop messing with it. It’s not perfect and it never will be. Yes, you may be sick of it - everyone is at this stage. Send it to the editor.
2. Yes, you DO need an editor.
Can I double bold that one, too? I cannot tell you how many books I have read recently that really needed a better edit - even trad published ones. (I reckon there are some authors who get ‘too big’ and it is a brave person that tells them their story is flawed.)
He lists out the different kinds of editors, where to find an editor, what questions to ask them, and he estimates how much they may charge. He even has ideas if you have precisely zero dollars in your editing budget.
3. What publishing path?
Traditional - self published? Both?
He goes through the pros and cons for each - with figures and comparisons.
4. Marketing.
Even if you are traditionally published, you will still have to do some marketing. You really cannot rely on them to do everything for you. You have to have the right websites, media accounts, meta-data, book launches etc. Your author bio has to sound great, your photo look like you (on a good day), your summary be tantalizing, and your genre categories accurate - it’s all part of marketing. And of course, what works for someone else may not work for you. But if you don’t do ANY it won’t work at all.
[the stuff he gives you here for FREE I have seen in courses that people charge hundreds of dollars for. I am NOT joking.]
I have read so many times that the tipping point is book number five in a series… gah.
He lists websites here that I haven’t even heard of… librarything… noisetrade… plus all the usual suspects like Goodreads.
And he also talks about finding book bloggers and how to ask them to do a review for you.
And he lists the writers whose blogs you should be following.
5. Covers
A cover is your most important marketing tool. Writer’s Digest figures show that self publishers who spent money on editing and a pro-designed cover, earned more. It pays for itself. Covers tell people the genre, they draw people in who then read the summary. Some people buy on cover alone. [do not remind me about that book I read this month with the wonderful cover and it turned out to be rubbish…]
If the author didn’t want to invest any time, effort of money on a decent cover design, I can only wonder at what shortcuts he took inside the book.(Kindle Locations 1127-1128).
Exactly. Consider that double bolded as well.
Do not assume that your US cover will work for Germany, say. Do you need a back cover? A matching header for your webpage? Get it all done in a package. Can you see it when it is thumbnail sized?
6. Digital or analog? Or both?
You can’t just upload your Word file to a website. Kindle, Nook, Kobo and Apple use different digital file formats. Make sure there are no errors in all of them.
E-readers don’t suit everyone or every type of book.
Print on demand is huge right now, but brings with it, its own set of issues. No uploading the Word file here, either. Did you want a nice font, or a sigil at the top of each chapter? Typography and layout now have to be print accurate.
[this is where bookbaby comes into it - they process your manuscript into the various different formats at a fee currently under $100]
***
Sure, you could learn how to do all of this yourself - but honestly, is it worth your time? When you could be paying someone to do it, and writing your next book?
Ask yourself - what does my reader want? And make sure that they can get it.
He votes for hybrid publishing. (of course he does)
Hugh Howey is always the example here - he was approached by a traditional publisher for Wool, and he agreed to it, but kept the e-book rights for himself. To get that, he had to refuse a seven figure traditional contract and settle for six figures. That’s an amazing deal, but they wanted it and he said yes. He was a known risk. He already had fans and readers.
But whether you spend ten years crafting your novel or write ten in that time, you WILL have to work hard.
4 super useful stars
March 22, 2020
Raft of info
Stops short of detailed marketing. More about how to ready your book together it out there. Also neglects curated hybrid publishing, no surprise as written by head of Bookbaby.
Stops short of detailed marketing. More about how to ready your book together it out there. Also neglects curated hybrid publishing, no surprise as written by head of Bookbaby.
January 28, 2015
very helpful
January 31, 2015
A short book that gives a few ideas about when you've finished your first draft. Has some nice links and for a short book there was a nice amount of information that I will continue to reread.
October 22, 2015
Enjoyed reading it and learned a several of valuable things about publishing.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews