Let's Get Published

Preface

As a writer, have you ever considered the ‘whats’, ‘whys’ and ‘hows’ of transforming your words into a published book? If not – prepare to be enlightened. First up, I’d urge you to dispel any preconceived notions you may have about book publishing, because the journey you’re about to embark on will be more challenging, but also more rewarding, than you may have imagined. Yet, as with anything in life, the key criteria for success are passion and determination. But before I start expounding the importance of ‘finding your passion’, let me take you on a short trip down memory lane.

I’ve always been a lover of books and fascinated by the stories within their pages. Growing up, I lived with my family in a picturesque Sydney suburb overlooking Middle Harbour. Yet, as kids, my brother and I didn’t appreciate the beautiful view. Instead, we just bemoaned the fact that our home had very poor television reception, so we missed out on many of the popular television shows our friends watched. Without access to TV, we were forced to discover other pastimes. While my brother enjoyed learning musical instruments and became a talented musician, I discovered the amazing world of books and stories created by writers … and that passion has remained with me ever since.

Given my love of books, it’s not surprising that my career has always involved dealing with words, language and images. Initially, I worked in libraries and, for a while, it was everything I’d ever wanted in a job. But over time, I became increasingly restless and longed for a change from the Dewey decimal system, covering and repairing books, and endless reshelving. I was ready to head in a new direction. Following a divorce, my self-esteem hit rock bottom and I was motivated to ‘shake things up’ in my life. So I decided to focus on my long-held dream of studying graphic design and enrolled in a communication and design degree.

After graduating from university, I worked briefly in a marketing role. But right from the start, I knew it wasn’t really my ‘happy place’. Next, I decided to study a postgraduate course in editing and publishing. It was at this point that a lightbulb went off in my head and everything fell into place; I’d finally discovered what I wanted to be when I grew up! In 2012 I started my own editing and publication design business, Epiphany Editing & Publishing. Then in 2014, I launched my specialist business for indie authors, Brisbane Self Publishing Service … and, as they say, ‘the rest is history’.

Fast forward to 2020, when the world was thrown into a state of turmoil and confusion due to the coronavirus pandemic. Everyone was struggling to make sense of the ‘new normal’. With more free time on their hands, many people decided to dust off the manuscripts that had been languishing on their computers and work towards getting them published. From my own perspective, I committed to making the most of this period of enforced isolation during lockdown by getting underway with writing this book to document my expertise and knowledge of self-publishing.

I hope you’ll find the information I share about how to prepare your book manuscript for publication useful, and I wish you every success on your writing and publishing journey.

Kirsty Ogden, October 2022

Introduction

During the past 30 years, advances in technology have led to massive changes within the publishing industry. Book publishing is currently undergoing a seismic shift, with the rising popularity of self-publishing breaking down the barriers to entry that have always been imposed on emerging writers by traditional publishing houses. In the past, large publishing companies, with their inherent judgement of worthiness and literary merit, were the gatekeepers; a publisher’s ‘seal of approval’ was the only way in for an aspiring author.

But now a grassroots cottage industry is emerging within the publishing world. In their book, APE – Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur: How to Publish a Book, Guy Kawasaki and Shawn Welch refer to this new style of book publishing as ‘artisanal publishing’, whereby writers can control their craft from start to finish. That is, they can exercise control over their book’s content, cover, interior design, sales and marketing in much the same way an artisanal bakery or cheesemaker oversees every aspect of their business. This means that authors are now able to bypass large traditional publishers to get their message or story out into the world.

These days, when readers contemplate purchasing a book, they’re often unaware who the publisher is. Nevertheless, buyers are just as discerning as they’ve ever been, and they expect any book they buy to be of high quality. Furthermore, although self-publishing is now a feasible option (particularly for first-time authors), without the legitimacy offered by a traditional publishing company, many writers question the validity of their work and wonder if anyone would be willing to read their story.

While these concerns are legitimate, I can say with absolute certainty that regardless of who you are, what you do or where you come from, you have a story within you that others can benefit from. And if you collaborate with the right people, your story can become a published book. It doesn’t matter whether it’s based on your personal experiences, or you have a knack for creating tales that transport people to other realms, or you are exceptionally skilled at what you do and want to share your knowledge with the world. In all these scenarios, your written words should be available for other people to enjoy or learn from.

Regardless of the theme or subject area of your book, there are people who will happily pay to read what you have to say. But telling your story in written format is just one phase of that journey. You still need to get your writing published so it can reach a wider audience, and then you’ll have to work hard to help them discover your book. Many authors aspire to having a traditional publishing company ‘pick up’ their book and take on the lion’s share of any marketing and distribution activities. But realistically, if you want your story to be out in the world, it’s likely you will have to assume responsibility for promoting it yourself, even if your book has been traditionally published.

Now, all this can be very scary if you’ve never previously published and promoted a book. From developing an initial concept through to writing the draft manuscript, editing the written content, creating the internal page layout and cover design, deciding on the publication formats and then marketing your book, there are so many things you need to consider in order to succeed.

Publishing a book can appear to be simple enough at the outset. However, when you consider such details as book trim size and formats, the administrative aspects (including ISBNs and legal deposit requirements), publishing legalities (including copyright infringement and defamation issues), and the range of distribution options available to authors, achieving your dream of publishing your manuscript can seem overwhelming. When I initially set out to publish this book, my goal wasn’t to provide a bullet-point checklist. Instead, I wanted to create a useful guide that would help you understand the self-publishing processes from the first draft of your manuscript through to the stage where your book is ready for readers to enjoy.

Since launching Brisbane Self Publishing Service in 2014, I’ve spent numerous hours working with many indie authors, helping them to achieve their dream of publishing their book. So I’m aware of the many advantages that self-publishing can offer if you have the right tools and resources at your disposal. Over time, I have developed a proprietary framework (which I’ve called the Let’s Get Published Framework and have registered as an official trademark) to help combat ‘overwhelm’ and to make all the publishing steps more user-friendly, particularly for first-time authors. My Let’s Get Published Framework® encompasses five key book publication stages (i.e. structural editing and/or copyediting, internal page formatting/typesetting, book administration, cover design and proofreading) and offers a useful roadmap for authors to successfully chart their self-publishing journey. I have also created a free email course designed to give aspiring authors a brief insight into the steps involved in publishing their book.

At the outset, I want to emphasise that the self-publishing process can be a minefield and comes with its own set of challenges. But with the right tools, a little motivation, a lot of vision and a team of helpful professionals in your corner, you can scale that mountain and proudly ‘raise your book publication flag’ for the world to admire. A published book provides an enduring legacy – not just for you and your family but for future generations as well.

So, whether you intend to write and publish just one book or many, this self-publishing resource offers a play-by-play action plan on how to do this while enjoying yourself along the way.

ONE

Before putting words on the page

If you’ve ever been a fan of reality TV shows like The X Factor, you would be aware that while some people are supremely talented and have the ability to deliver a highly professional performance, others make you question the logic behind their decision to get up on stage. And often this isn’t because they have no talent; it’s the performance itself that feels rushed, unrehearsed and completely out of sync. The difference between an extraordinary performance and a cringeworthy one can come down to preparation.

In the same way, you don’t have to be a professional writer in order to get started on the journey to self-publish your book (although, of course, that can be very helpful!). More than anything, you need to ensure that you’ve prepared yourself mentally for the task ahead. Writing a book doesn’t just start when you begin to put words on the page.

This is particularly true if you’re keen for your book to be successful in terms of reaching a readership base, creating an income or establishing you as a writer of note within the literary community. If all of these objectives (and more) are on your radar, there are certain things you’re going to need to put in place before you even make a start on writing your manuscript. And I’m not talking about developing your story’s characters, creating a book outline or deciding on the content you want to include in your book. All of these steps will come further down the track.

At the outset, what is important is laying the proper foundations that will influence your creative processes. This, in turn, will help you develop a better understanding of where to direct your energy and resources in order to achieve your long-term goals.

And speaking of goals, it is crucial for you to be able to clearly define your vision for your book. In the next section, we will explore the concept of setting goals as a writer, because this is critical to the entire publishing process. You want your published book to be like those talent acts that get the judges up on their feet and the crowd cheering the performers on. And that doesn’t just happen by accident. There’s a lot of preparation that goes on behind the scenes in the months leading up to any professional-quality stage performance.

Thankfully, unlike talent show contestants, you do not need to devote a huge amount of time and energy to mastering a strenuous routine that will only reap rewards for you in the short term. But before you heave a big sigh of relief, you should be aware that, in many ways, the preparation process for writing a book can be just as arduous. However, by following the steps that I’ll discuss in this chapter, you can avoid the pitfalls encountered by many writers, so you’ll have a better chance of succeeding.

What is your motivation for publishing a book?

Success means different things to different people. As a writer, success might involve becoming a bestselling author, achieving national or international recognition among your peers or, simply,