Hi I have completed my manuscript and it needs to be edited now. I am considering self publishing but it is like a minefield out there, different companies offering publishing packages. I don't mind investing in this at all but would like a service that would get my book out there the best way with the least royalties. (Dont we all?) Its a personal story about domestic violence and i see it has a misery memoir with the potential of helping other victims, well that is what i would love to achieve. Therefore i would like an editor who perhaps would help me shine my book in the best light. Any advice on getting my book to the next stage would be really appreciated. Stephanie
Hi Stephanie
You are totally right - it is a minefield! But you don't need to pay for any publishing packages. You can do it yourself. There is a lot of free information out there to guide you. Please don't let yourself be ripped off. It is completely free to upload to Amazon's KDP (for Kindle) and CreateSpace (for print) and the two will join up on the Amazon site so readers have a choice.
Getting into bookstores is harder for self-published authors because CreateSpace don't accept refunds. To have a better chance at that you would also need to publish your print book through Ingram Spark - but there is a cost to that. It's safer to test the market on Kindle and CreateSpace first to see if there is an audience for your book. You can make good royalties just from KDP and CreateSpace.
You would be far better investing your money in a great editor and an eye-catching, professional cover. Also get as many pairs of eyes on your manuscript as you can. Everyone misses some typos and inconsistencies. At my first writing conference I took what I thought was a thoroughly polished manuscript to a well-known editor and she immediately spotted a repeated word in one short paragraph - aargh!
You could check other self-published misery-lit books to see if they mention who edited them and see if any of those editors are accepting new authors (many are booked up for years - be prepared for a hunt!). On Amazon, look for books that are in the $2.99-$4.99 range in Kindle - they tend to be the self-published ones (traditional publishers won't lower their prices on Kindle and are usually upwards of $9.99 - which is why self-published authors often sell more books).
You can also find editors on Reedsy. I haven't used them but I know others who have.
Once you are published, there's then the minefield of paid promotion work - be wary of that too! There are only a few things worth paying for, the rest is down to consistent marketing, much of it free or low cost (e.g. a presence on Goodreads and other book cataloging sites, press releases, social media promotions, blogging & guest blogging). One of the things worth paying for is a BookBub promo - expensive but worth the money.
Best wishes with your book.
Michelle
Hello Lorraine,
Don't you want to go traditional way, as least give it a fair go? You never know....
and maybe have self-publishing as a second option?
Isa
Thank you Lorraine
Very informative.