My Self-Publishing Journey

Getting There

When my son was born, my husband and I made it a point to read to him every day. Each day we would go through several picture books together. I was keen to cultivate a love for stories, encourage his imagination, and educate him while doing all that. I came across books I really liked and my son too enjoyed them so much, that we still hold on to those copies. As I looked at these beautiful stories, wonderfully illustrated, and speaking to a child's inner self, I couldn't help but think back to the pages and pages of stories and poems I had written over the years. I wanted to have just one book with my name on it. One book that I can dedicate to my loved ones, and have as a gift to myself.

My first book, The Panda That Wanted to Touch The Sky, was penned down in a flash. The idea came to me as I put away my son's books. I was so excited with what I wrote, I drafted illustrations to go with it and shared them with my family. With their encouragement, I decided to embark on this self-publishing journey.

I would say, the first step really is to find your motivation. Who is it for and what do you hope to accomplish with your published book?

Traditional Publishing vs. Self-Publishing

I'll be honest - I was overwhelmed with the information I came across. In a nutshell, traditional publishing involves submitting your manuscript to literary agents who pitch it to publishers or publishing houses, on your behalf. You could also submit your manuscript yourself, but a majority of the publishers (not all though) don't take unsolicited submissions. If your manuscript is accepted, the publisher is responsible for editing, designing, printing, and distributing your book, which means they own all rights to your work, with your name on it. There may be changes made that you, as an author, may or may not be happy with. Traditional publishers also handle the complete marketing and promotion efforts. While this process can be lengthy and there is no guarantee that your manuscript will be accepted, it does help authors benefit from experts who take care of the entire publishing and post-publishing steps. If the manuscript is accepted, authors can often benefit from the reputation and reach of the publishing house.

Self-publishing gives you, the author, complete control over the entire process from writing, editing, designing, and formatting your book, to marketing and post-publishing efforts. You can choose to publish in print or digitally through platforms like Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) and more. The cost for self-publishing can typically range from $500 to $5000, or more, depending on who you choose. This process typically leads to the release of your book to be a much faster process and can yield higher earnings for the author, keeping 100% of the royalties. Because the post-publication efforts are typically entirely up to the author, there is unlimited opportunity for long-term promotion. Without a brand or recognition, it can be challenging and the promotion can be lengthy for newbies to take this route, but there is potential.

Make this choice only after considering your budget and how much time of your own time and effort you can invest. Time and money are both expended differently depending on what route you take.

What I Learned from Self-Publishing

I published my first book through the publisher, Gatekeeper Press. The package I used offered to get everything set up (ebook and hardcover) once I submitted the final files from my amazing illustrator, Tetiana Kopytova. They took care of the ebook and hardcover setup, Copyright, Library of Congress, and ISBNs registrations, and distribution.

My second book, Scooby's Pajamas, was done entirely through KDP and IngramSpark. While the general process was easy, I took care of all the publishing steps myself which meant additional research on things like categories, keywords, etc. There was also some back and forth involved with the designers and IngramSpark when templates and designs did not align right away. Regardless, the process is simple once the right files and metadata are ready.

Do Your Own Research

I was interested in publishing a children's book which meant (for self-publishing) thinking about all of the following:

• Finishing the Story: Editor, Illustrator

• Book: Trim size, hardcover/paperback/ebook, jacket or no jacket

• Pages: # of pages, types of illustrations

• Color: Full color/B&W, matte/gloss

• Additional content (dedication page, activity pages, about the author, etc.)

• And so much more...(more on this later!)

Start by picking up books in the same genre as yours and consider the parameters to get a general sense. Pro tip: The library is an excellent place to get your research in without spending extra money!

This particular step is also useful if you are considering going the traditional publishing route, by reviewing who some of the publishers are for that genre and you can target them. Publishers may have specific formats in which they require your manuscript. If your manuscript requires illustrations, consider adding art notes.

-> If you are writing a book for kids ages 2-8, check out my children's book recommendations to get started.

If you choose to self-publish like I have, enjoy the journey and I wish you the best!

---

Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Some of the links on this website are Amazon affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.