“If you set your mind to it, you can accomplish anything,” is something I find very hard to believe. Really? Don’t you need capability?
So, when I ventured into writing a series of children’s books, called the Beaming Child Series, the thought of self-publishing never crossed my mind. I mean, how would I even get started? Where do I get the ISBN? How do I sell the books? All kinds of questions were floating around my mind, and the answers were nowhere in sight.
Initially, I went the traditional route and found a publisher willing to look at my books. But fate had other plans and I made the decision to self-publish my series of books.
Here are the steps to follow to independently Self-Publish your book once your manuscript is ready –
Make sure your manuscript is edited by a professional editor. A good editor will not only find errors and correct the grammar, but they can also give you suggestions to improve the flow, clarity, engagement, etc. I found my first editor by googling ‘Top Children’s book editors in India’ and then getting a good reference from one of those editors.
Go to the ISBN website. It is free and pretty straightforward. You need not upload the entire manuscript, just the Title Verso Page with the details like Edition Number, Printer Details, ISBN, Copyright info, etc. You can find examples of title-verso pages by searching Google. The process takes 15 days or so, so budget that into your process.
Although there is 0% GST on books, you need a GST number to sell books online through ecommerce marketplaces like Amazon and Flipkart. While the ISBN registration and editing are happening, apply for a GST. You can get the GST done through any CA that you know, one of the online portals – India filings or do it yourself with the help of these steps on Amazon.
If it is a children’s book, this is the time to get an illustrator for your book. Ensure that the illustrator will split and place the text accordingly, choose appropriate fonts, and design the cover page. You can find amazing illustrators through Instagram, Upwork, Fiverr, etc.
Once you have your online copy of the entire book in front of you, find a printer who will print out your book for you. Tell them the size of the book, the kind of binding you need, and the number of copies you want to print. 500-1000 is a good number to start with. You might have to work with the illustrator to get across the right format of the file for printing.
Now you can go on to register as a seller on Amazon. You only need your PAN, GST, and Bank Account details. Check out the details on Amazon.
Go through the tutorials on your seller account to understand how to list your book, manage the inventory, and ship your books.
There are two shipping options on Amazon
a. Easy Ship — you pack your book, stick the label and an Amazon executive picks it up and ships your book.
b. Self-Ship — you can check out Shiprocket to help you with the shipping.
Now for marketing it – put a post on Instagram linking to the book’s Amazon page, tell your friends on WhatsApp, and announce it on Facebook. Through these, you get some traction with the orders.
You also get Rs. 2000 Amazon Ad credits when you join, so once your initial social media marketing is over, use the credits to run Amazon Ads. Go through the tutorials once to understand how to run the ads and what keywords to use.
Also read : Should I pay for publishing my book?
Congratulations once again!
Not only are you a self published author, but you are also a registered Amazon Seller. This might seem overwhelming, but trust me, if you approach it step-by-step, you CAN accomplish anything.
In hindsight, I am happy I made the decision to be a self published author, because more and more consumers are buying books online, and traditional publishing isn’t as glamorous as it seems.
Additionally, each step taught me something new and allowed me to grow. You will undoubtedly come out of this feeling like an expert, capable of advising other new authors.(wink, wink)
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