Self-publishing allows authors to retain full control over their written work, book design, and (perhaps most appealingly) release timeline and sales price. While “traditional” publishing might come with certain institutional perks, self-publishing is the key to success and fulfillment for many authors… something I’ve witnessed personally in my work at a self-publishing startup.
In that vein, let’s break down exactly how to self-publish a book. I’ll even include tips from published authors on getting most out of this process — from editing to design to publication.
Step 1: Edit your manuscript Regardless of genre or subject matter, your book should be three things: carefully constructed, engaging to read, and memorable even after readers have turned the final page.
To ensure all this, you’ll likely need a few rounds of editing. Developmental editing is the first and most crucial: it should address all “big-picture” issues like structure, pacing, and characters (or “key figures” if it’s nonfiction). No matter how challenging, you must iron out these elements first and foremost. One of the biggest editing mistakes I see is authors trying to fix the minutiae of their sentences when they still have a ton of developmental work to do.
The next stage, copy editing, is one you’ve probably heard of. Some books need a heavier copy edit — sometimes referred to as a “line edit” — to dissect their sentences and build toward a certain tone of voice. Others just need a quick cleanup of spelling and grammar. And speaking of which, the final stage in this process is proofreading: one last read-through for typos, formatting issues, and other small mistakes.
While you can self-edit your book at all these stages, I wouldn’t recommend it. Instead, I’d suggest hiring a professional editor , who can apply their industry experience and genre-specific knowledge to your book.
Pro tip: Don’t delay your story’s “hook” “My editor quickly identified something that would transform my book: taking the ‘rust’ off my hook [the thing that reels readers in]. She introduced me to the eight-point story arc — which clearly showed how the inciting incident was buried four chapters in.
“This made it easy to see that I was delaying the start of my book’s real story. Although it wasn’t how I saw the book originally, cutting the first three chapters was the right thing to do. My editor’s suggestions worked beautifully, and now I can’t imagine the opening any other way.”
— Elizabeth Grieco, author of Paws in Paris
Step 2: Design your cover and layout While the editing process can be rewarding in its own way, the cover design stage is usually a bit more exciting. If you’ve long held that “finally published” fantasy I described earlier, you may have a few concepts in mind already!
However, I’d advise taking a step back here and not rushing the process. Another common mistake among self-pub authors is getting a quick-and-cheap cover design, often from a template — only for their sales to suffer when the cover doesn’t appeal. Of course, in recent years, more authors have also been using AI covers: an understandable shortcut, but one that’s faced increasing backlash in both self-publishing and traditional publishing spheres.
So for a high-quality and non-controversial cover, your best bet is to hire a vetted cover designer. I’m conscious not everyone will have the budget for professional edits and a professional design — but if you must choose, prioritize the cover. It’s the first glimpse that readers get of your book, and can significantly impact your marketing strategy and sales.
For your interior layout, though, it’s generally fine to use a tool or premade template. Look for book formatting templates online or, better yet, try a free tool like Reedsy Studio where you can “try on” different formats and export your favorite. The only exception here would be children’s books or otherwise graphic-heavy books — in which case, you should hire your cover designer to also design the layout, so everything looks cohesive.
But for the majority of books (i.e. text-only), the combination of professionally designed cover + DIY interior will serve you well.
Pro tip: Find the right “emotional aesthetic” “When it came to my cover designer’s portfolio, his mastery of lighting and contrast was immediately evident. He had a remarkable ability to create emotional focus and tension through subtle details and dynamic compositions.
“What really captured me was how his characters often appeared small against vast, dramatic backdrops — an effect that aligned perfectly with the emotional themes of my series. That sense of isolation, of standing on the precipice of something greater, resonated deeply with the story I wanted to tell.”
— N.K. Edo, author of the Kōken series
Step 3: Publish and distribute your book With your editing, formatting, and cover done, you’re ready to look at publishing. Though some indie authors publish ebooks only, you can just as easily print your books on demand , so that readers can receive physical copies.
Many indie authors are publishing in both digital and print formats these days (much like their trad pub counterparts!). So below, I’ll cover both types of distribution — that is, how your book is presented and delivered to readers.
Basically, if you’re self-publishing an ebook, you’ll want to use Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) to publish and distribute on Amazon. However, if you wish to “go wide” and sell your ebook in other (virtual) places, you can use Draft2Digital — a distribution network to get your book on other major retailers like Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and more. This means you only have to upload your ebook’s information twice: once on KDP and once on Draft2Digital.
And in terms of print distribution platforms, your options are actually pretty similar. Most printing authors use KDP Print to sell on Amazon, and if they want to go wide, they use a platform like Draft2Digital Print or IngramSpark. On balance, if you want to sell your book in physical stores, I’d recommend IngramSpark — Draft2Digital is great for ebooks, but for print, they use Ingram’s distribution network anyway.
Pro tip: Try to “go wide” if you’re printing “I use KDP Print for Amazon sales worldwide and opt out of Amazon’s Expanded Distribution, as it pays lower royalties and simply piggybacks off Ingram’s network. For non-Amazon sales worldwide, I use IngramSpark.
“I get a better return with Ingram by going direct, choosing my wholesale discount and, if necessary, setting the recommended retail price a little higher than for KDP.”
— Karen Inglis, author of The Secret Lake
Step 4: Market to your target readers (and beyond) The final stage of self-publishing a book is, of course, marketing it. For many authors, this is their least favorite part — but if you want people to read your book, you have to give it a try.
On the bright side, if you’re new to this process, there’s plenty to discover and test . As with designing your book, I’d suggest seeking out further tools and resources on book marketing. But at minimum, you should optimize your book’s product page with a compelling description and pull quotes; post about your book on social media; and try to get as many (positive) reviews as possible, since readers rely on this “social proof” when choosing a title.
And once again, you can hire a professional marketer if needed — which may be particularly useful if you’re trying to concretely define and/or grow your target market.
Pro tip: Expand your genre horizons to reach new readers “I always saw my writing as upmarket fiction, and picked that genre on Amazon without thinking twice. But my book marketer opened my eyes to the chick-lit genre in the US, and how it was different from the UK market I was familiar with.
“In hindsight, I’m so glad we shifted from upmarket to chick-lit, because it turned out to be very important for ads. I paid for my initial readers [via ads], but they recommended my books to others — and that’s where I made a profit.”
— Cary Hansson, author of A Midlife Holiday
Ready to self-publish? It’s okay (normal, even!) to still feel hesitant about self-publishing. There’s no shying away from the amount of work it takes; it’s part and parcel of the whole “DIY” thing.
But the upside is that you get to publish your book on your terms and timeline. What’s more, if you self-publish your first book , it’s not as though you must commit to it forever. If you’re still interested in trad pub, you may even get “discovered” by a major publisher because you’ve put your work out there. (This is what happened to Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James and The Martian by Andy Weir; both were originally self-published.)
Whatever route you end up taking, it has to be right for you. Still, I hope this article — and those author stories — have provided something of a roadmap to what’s possible.
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