Once you have written the story, where would you go to find an editor? Once that is done (the editing) where do you go from there? How do you even begin to self publish?
Once you have written the story, where would you go to find an editor? Once that is done (the editing) where do you go from there? How do you even begin to self publish?
If you're looking for an editor, do your research and look for someone who has proven experience in your genre, and, if possible, positive reviews. The SFEP (sfep.org.uk) has a comprehensive listing of freelance authors in the UK and, as an organisation, are governed by best practice principles, so you would hopefully have somewhere to come back to if you use one of their members but aren't happy with their work. I found my editor through them and was very happy with the result. They also publish recommended rates of pay, so you know what to expect.
I would really recommend investing in a professional edit, as it will make all the difference to your finished product.
I should add that Amazon aren't the only game in town - there's Smashwords, too, to name but one.
Self-publishing services have a bad press - often deservedly: they can quote high sums which the amateur writer, desperate to be 'a published author' will grab with both hands without thinking through the maths. You need to look at the percentage that will be paid to you in the event (and this may be unlikely) that your book sells; deduct the money you've paid upfront and you may be at a loss for years. I've seen examples where this has been the case: if the author had paid, say, £1000 upfront for the publisher to turn out a finished product and a certain number of copies, once his costs are met there is no incentive whatsoever for the publisher to do anything else for you. If you sell nothing, he's already made his money.
Nobody can guarantee you sales; how are they going to force someone to buy your book? It's unlikely they will have a publicity budget aimed at flogging your work, and you will be expected to shout your wares from every real or virtual street corner for all you're worth. As an unknown, the chances of you making a fortune are almsot non-existent: the chances of you selling more than 300 copies are small.
So if the self-publisher isn't going to do more than produce the thing - which you can do for free on Amazon (the ISBN will cost you a small sum, but e-books don't necessarily have to have one) - consider whether you are better off going it alone and saving that £1000; that way any sales you make mean money in your pocket.
It's entirely your choice, based on how much you want to do, and how much you want to earn from your work. Just make sure you read the small print, and do the sums.
You could do worse than look at the red banner above, where you'll find editorial services and a guide to self-publishing; you can look on Amazon at their guide to publishing for Kindle, and CreateSpace for paperback copies.
You choose between self-publishing through a service provider, or doing it all yourself. (Thousands do this - how hard can it be?)
Your novel needs to be really well proof-read so that there are no textual/grammatical mistakes; nothing gives a book a more amateur feel than poor proofing. Make absolutely sure it's the best it can be; then think about publishing.