Self-Publishing for the First-Time Author

Author Your Ambition #1

by M.K. Williams

You’ve written your first book and you are ready to self-publish it, congratulations! Now what steps do you need to take to self-publish? What are the best strategies? How do you ensure retailers and libraries will carry your book?

These are a few of the questions that many aspiring authors ask as they set out on their publishing journey. Aggregating 5 plus years of experience in the self-publishing space, M.K. Williams has compiled the answers that you need into an easily digestible format to walk you through the publishing process. There are lots of online gurus who will throw acronyms, jargon, and advanced strategies at you right out the gate. Williams breaks down the practical steps that you need to take as you self-publish your first book.

Genres: Nonfiction, Writing

Kindle Edition

Published March 10, 2020

About the author

"Adventure for those who love to read. Ambition for those who love to write."

M.K. Williams writes suspenseful literary fiction for the contemporary reader. Her body of work is comprised of multiple novels, short stories, and her non-fiction work includes her self-publishing guides for aspiring authors.

Her first novel, Nailbiters, is an apocalyptic science-fiction thriller that has kept audiences up all night since its debut in 2015. The sequel, Architects, follows a new set of characters as they navigate the dystopian world created in the aftermath of the invasion. Her second novel, Enemies of Peace, is a cautionary tale of the American Dream gone awry. This domestic thriller has shocked audiences who never saw the final twist coming. Her latest series is a time-travel saga set across multiple universes, The Infinite-Infinite is the first in a series of feminist science fiction books across the multiverse.

Williams’ writing influences include a lifetime of watching suspenseful mysteries and action movies and reading Stephen King, Margaret Atwood, Ian McEwan, and Lauren Beukes.

After writing and publishing for years, Williams launched Author Your Ambition where she helps aspiring authors. Through videos, e-courses, and books, she helps first-time authors navigate the ins-and-outs of self-publishing. Her Author Your Ambition series of books cover self-publishing, marketing, and writing craft. Each short and information-packed book is designed to cut to the chase and answer the questions that aspiring authors ask all the time.

You can follow her on social media on Twitter (https://twitter.com/1mkwilliams), Instagram (https://instagram.com/1mkwilliams/), YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/c/MKwilliamsa...), and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/1mkwilliams/) for exclusive insights into her writing journey and the elements that inspire her work.

For more information on her work please visit: 1mkwilliams.com

Reviews

[Travis · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who is looking to publish a book in the near future, this book came at the exactly right time. It had just enough content to tell me about the journey ahead, but let me make my own decisions about what options were right for me. If you're looking to publish a book but don't know where to start, reading this book will certainly help.

[Cynthia Jamin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very detailed guide to self-publishing. We are just starting out and we found very reliable information that will get us started on the right path. Thank you, M.K. Williams!

[Drema · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very helpful resource. Glad to have it. It also contains useful worksheets. Happy I bought it.

[Matthew Dewan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is very helpful to the first-time author (such as myself), who is struggling to navigate the labyrinthian madness that is self-publishing. I had no idea what such things as "KDP" or "ACX" or "Ingram-Spark" were. M.K. William explained them all, (among many others), and in concise, easy-to-understand language. She also laid the book out well, too. It begins with the first few steps you must take to get on the road to self-publishing, to the final steps.
I just published my first novel on KDP (amazon.com), and it was incredibly confusing. I can't imagine how much more difficult and confounding it would have been without M.K. Williams' mentoring.
The money I spent on this book was well worth it, and I give it my highest recommendation. I have bought two more of her books: "Book Marketing for the First-Time Author," and "Going Wide: Self-Publishing Your Books Outside the Amazon Ecosystem," and I eagerly await their arrival. Watch her many videos on youtube, too. Her channel is called "Author Your Ambition," and she gives lots of solid advice. Thanks, M.K.!

[Mikkaka Overstreet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Practical and helpful!

I’ve done a lot of research in advance of self publishing my first book but nothing I’ve read or watched previously is as comprehensive and useful as this book. I’m so glad I discovered it while still early in the process because I already see tons of pitfalls I wouldn’t have avoided without it. On my way to read the her marketing book next!

[Lena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book for any writer looking to start their self-publishing journey.

[Meredith Kasian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so helpful! It makes what was initially a scary and daunting adventure seem approachable and doable. I'm excited to use the tips from MK on my first self publishing journey.

[Jules Walters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great starter for anyone about to leap into the world of self publishing.

[M.K. Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a direct download from my brain. After accumulating so much knowledge about how to self-publish over five years (from gold ole fashioned internet searched and making my own mistakes), I finally put it all down in writing. I've worked with many clients and over time the same questions and concerns kept popping up:

Where do I get started?
How do I get my book on Amazon?
Wait, do I need an ISBN?

I've put all of this information together to help save you time and cut through the noise of the online gurus who want to just tell you what worked for them. Each book is unique and the plan their author creates should be as well.

I can't wait to help you get started and self-publish your first book!

Links:
Amazon: https://amzn.to/33EpoSK
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/self...
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/self...
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/self-...
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/d...
Get a signed copy from me: https://payhip.com/b/l2ag

[Toi Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my Read With Fey selection for May '22. I picked it up because I'd been helping an aspiring author pursue self-publication and wanted to offer her some reference materials. There were a few books that I'd already considered and then I decided to try this one. I purchased it a while back but never read it until then.

I thoroughly enjoyed this quick and concise read. It is an inspirational and straightforward approach to first-time self-publishing, without any sugarcoating. It gives a new author realistic expectations. I understand that an update has been released for it and hope to re-read it once I'm able to acquire the update, so this review is only for the 2020 edition.

Highly recommended for those who want to take self-publishing seriously and get the most out of their publishing goals.

[Kelley Berberich · Rating 5 out of 5]

I stumbled upon MK Williams on YouTube and just had to buy her books. I had wasted so much time and energy before finding her and her resources. She is so engaging and helpful, writes clearly, and her books are simply amazing. I recommend them highly for any new author that needs guidance and encouragement- MK will give you all that you need!

[Jamie Schultz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so helpful! It carried a lot of information for such a small book. And while it didn't go super in-depth about each topic, it still helped me point my research in specific directions rather than just casting a net and hoping for the best!

[Trista · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! Very informative, it definitely covered all the bases and helped me in my own publishing journey.