Have you ever gotten the crazy idea to publish your own book?

I have — and I’m here to tell you that it’s possible! (Hard work, but possible!) 😉

So far I’ve gone the Amazon self publishing route for two e-books — Letters to Grief and Start-Up Guide for Online Writers — and most recently, my first independently published print book, written with my co-author, Shannon Popkin. It’s called Influence: Building a Platform that Elevates Jesus (Not Me).

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Disclosure: Affiliate links have been used in this post; thanks in advance for your support!

While the endeavor to publish your own book is not a small undertaking, there are definitely many benefits involved.

RELATED POST: Pros & Cons of Self-Publishing Vs. Traditional Publishing

For all three of my self-published books, I’ve relied heavily on the information provided in the course, 30 Days to #SelfPub: How to Take Charge of Your Publishing Goals.

  >> CHECK OUT THE COURSE HERE <<

Fistbump Media University Learning Center

The 30 Days to #SelfPub e-course from Fistbump Media is just $29.99 and it provides step-by-step instructions for everything you’ll need to publish your own book, right down to the margin and page dimensions.

The course even includes screenshots for visual learners to follow along as you set up your print and ebook formatting, once your book is written and ready for the formatting stage.

publish your own book

I used this course from Fistbump Media for both of my e-books and did the entire process myself.

For our print book, Influence, I did most of the interior formatting myself but then decided to hire some outside help for the finishing touches.

I found Charity from Good Shepherd Publications, and she did an outstanding job taking our interior formatting to the next level for both the print and e-book versions. Hiring Charity was so worthwhile, as her professionalism and expertise truly enhanced the overall product (and saved me a lot of time and frustration!).

With any independently published project, I encourage you to head over to Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing site, also known as KDP. Make yourself familiar with their process before you make any big financial commitments to third parties, as KDP even offers a cover template that you can use if you wish. You can also create a cover elsewhere and upload it to KDP when it’s ready.

KDP offers both e-book and print-on-demand options. And the best part? You don’t have to pay anything out of pocket up front! Amazon will retain a portion of your sales and give you a percentage of the royalties on a monthly basis.

Set Realistic Goals

If you’re considering the worthy endeavor to publish your own book, be sure to set some realistic goals. Set deadlines for yourself.

Make a list of everything that needs to get done besides the written content (editing, proofreading, cover design, back cover copy, endorsements, ISBN, interior formatting for print and/or ebook versions, marketing, and much more).

Consider getting an accountability partner to help keep you on task and ask you about your deadlines and progress.

And don’t forget to have fun with it! Do your best, yes. Strive for excellence, yes. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it.

Most of all, seek to use your gifts to the glory of God.

>> PIN IT <<

publish your own book

RELATED POST:

The Spiritual Journey of Self-Publishing: Writing as an Act of Worship

Community Question:

What scares you most about the self-publishing process?

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