4 Steps for Selling Your Self-Published Novel

Have you finally gotten through the editing process on your new novel? If so, you’re probably ready to publish it – congratulations!

Now’s the tricky part: you have to decide whether to wait for a traditional publisher to accept your work or publish it on your own. The former route could take years to take off, while self-publishing works as fast as you do.

Many authors have taken the self-publishing route because of its many simple and rewarding aspects. However, it’s not without its challenges. Today, let’s take a look at 5 steps every author should take when trying to successfully self-publish their new novel!

Partner with a Print on Demand Company

Want to fully customize the look and feel of your novel before it gets in your readers’ hands? If so, you need to find a professional custom book printing company that can walk you through every step of the process.

From choosing between hardcover or paperback to page count, font style, cover images, and more, perfecting the physical version of your book is crucial to your success as an author. Remember: that book could be sitting on your readers’ shelves for years – it’s important that it looks great and survives the eager page-flipping of the most voracious readers out there!

With a print on demand book printing company like Linemark on your side, your novel will come out exactly as you’ve dreamed it would. And soon after, you’ll be able to hold those dreams in your own hands.

Build a Platform For Your Book

If you don’t have places online where people can learn more about you, your book, and your next projects, you might not sell any books at all. The self-publishing world is all about connectivity with readers – so much so that you might become well-acquainted with thousands of your biggest fans overnight.

The best ways to build such a platform include:

• Creating and maintaining your author website. This enables your readers to contact you, sign up for your email list, and possibly purchase your book if you make it available.
• Amazon author pages. When you sell your book on Amazon, they’ll let you customize your profile and incorporate important elements like SEO into it. Take advantage of it every day!
• Social media and email. Even if you hate social media, it’s a big part of any self-publishing platform. Post on your various accounts as often as possible, and encourage readers to sign up for your email list where you can send out regular updates and blog posts.

Promote Your Self-Published Book

Once you’ve gotten your novel out there to the public, you might have to put in a little time, effort, and money to get more readers. Unless your book has already skyrocketed to the top of the charts, you’ll probably have to work hard to get it noticed organically through promotional projects.

Promoting your book can be done in several ways, but the most popular include:

• Choosing an online store like Amazon to be your exclusive publisher, then running discounts and special offers on your book.
• Sending out email promotions to subscribers.
• Taking out paid ads on Google, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
• Posting on your social media platforms regularly to encourage engagement with your readers.

Start On Your Next Book!

Now that you’ve put in all the work toward selling your first self-published book, it’s time to start on your next one. After all, previous books are some of the best marketing materials imaginable for selling a new book. It’s always hard work writing and self-publishing a novel, and it might take time, but remember: you’ve already done it once before.

Ready to learn more about the self-publishing process? Have a book ready for print on demand services from a professional custom book printing company? Contact the team at Linemark today!