The Essentials
Paullett Golden, who has a doctorate in writing and multiple publications, keeps her checklist refreshingly short:
Once you have the book formatted with a cover and, optionally, an ISBN, upload it into your platform of choice and hit publish. Easy peasy!
Platform: Amazon KDP is the most popular choice—free to use, provides a free ASIN (no ISBN needed), gives access to Kindle Unlimited, and offers ~60% royalties on ebooks. For wider bookstore distribution, consider IngramSpark or Draft2Digital.
Formatting: Both platforms provide free templates. For professional help, Paullett recommends Deliberate Page, or use Fiverr for ~$75.
Cover: This is where I'd spend money. A bad cover costs you readers. Paullett recommends Fiona Jayde Media. Budget option: Fiverr designers (~$100). Ultra-budget: pre-made covers ($30-50).
Claudia's tip: Offer both ebook and paperback. "Some people only read paperbacks ('real' books) and some people only read ebooks."
Two Paths Forward
Quick launch (a weekend to 2 weeks, $0-300): Perfect if you want to see your book in print, build a backlist, or just get it out there and iterate.
Full marketing approach (6 months, $300-1,000): Better if you want readers to find your book at launch and hope for strong early reviews. "Once you involve other people, everything sloooooooooooows down," Paullett notes. Beta readers need 1-2 months. ARC readers need another 1-2 months.
Free Marketing That Works
Paullett's pre-publication checklist costs nothing but time:
- Build an author website and social media presence
- Set up profiles on Goodreads, BookBub, and LibraryThing
- Recruit beta readers (promise signed copies) and ARC readers (free book for honest review)
Post-publication:
You can pop into local bookstores and see if they'll carry your book... and/or host you for book signings. You can get any library to order copies of your book if you just fill in the library book-order request.
The Economics
Claudia's numbers on a $9.99 paperback: printing cost $3.02, royalty $2.98. That's roughly 60% through Amazon. Traditional publishing? You're looking at 10-15% after your agent's cut.
As Claudia puts it: "I want people to read what I write!" Traditional publishing's 3+ year timelines didn't work for her.
Start Where You Are
If you've written a book, you've done the hard part. Yes, there's a learning curve. But you're a writer—you already know how to research and learn.
Don't let someone convince you that your story isn't worth sharing because you can't afford their premium package. Your book deserves to exist in the world. And it can—for the cost of a nice dinner out, not a new car.
Over to You
What's your best money-saving tip for self-publishing? Or on the flip side—what's the one thing you're happy to splurge on for your book? Drop us a line at contact@manuscriptanalysis.ai. We'd love to hear from fellow authors in the trenches.
Self-Publishing Task Checklist (Click to Expand)
Phase 1: Essential Publishing Setup
Book Production
Phase 2: Pre-Launch Marketing (6 months out for full approach)
Author Platform
Review Strategy
Phase 3: Launch Strategy
Pre-Order Setup
Launch Week
Phase 4: Post-Launch Marketing
Priority Summary
Must-Haves: Professional cover, proper formatting, Amazon KDP account
High-Value: Beta readers, ARC readers, genre reviewer outreach, Amazon Ads
Nice-to-Have: Multiple platforms, hardcover, paid review services, blog tour
This guide was synthesized from advice generously shared by Paullett Golden (Ph.D. in writing, multiple publications) and Claudia Breland (9 published books across multiple genres).
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