“This is my book.”
Like the sound of it?
Once you have finished writing your book, you have covered half of the journey…you are very close to saying this.
The second half however, has two ways to go…
One, go find a publisher,…
Knock knock!
Rejected!
Again start,
Knock knock!
Sorry, no first timers.
Again..
Again..
You know, breaking this cycle is not very difficult. Stephen King did it!
SELF-PUBLISH.
Try it, then, in real sense, you can say with a head held up high…
“This is my book”.
Let’s hear from some self-published authors, what they feel about the process..
Sameer Kamat, self-published author of “Beyond the MBA Hype” (2011) says” The biggest difference between traditional and self-publishing is the author’s role in the project, self-publishing makes you think beyond the writing.”
Adithya Iyer, a student who dropped out of engineering college in Mumbai, backpacked across India, raised money on a crowdfunding platform, wrote a book, and then, wasted no time in publishing it himself. He said,“It was the best decision of his life.”
Challenges With Self-Publishing
After writing the books, the challenges start…
- Editing the book:
When you are done with writing your book, the next most obvious step is to edit it. To proofread it.
Fix the spelling mistakes
Correct the sentence structure
Polish the paragraphs
- Designing the best book cover:
After you have the final manuscript of the book ready, it’s time to enhance it with visuals and art.
Selecting the right book cover which gives away the theme and the mood without revealing ‘the secret’ is very important in taking your book off the shelf and into the reader’s hands.
The colour..
The design..
The subtitle..
The art work..
So many things to achieve that perfection which lures the reader towards your book.
- Illustrations and artwork
The right illustrations can add wings of imagination to your ideas and create beautiful graphical ways of taking your words to the reader.
Whether you write fiction or non-fiction, self help or drama, prose or poems, you need illustrations.
Consider Harry Potter without the illustrations. Would you ever imagine his face, his scar, his glasses as such a characteristic of his features? Illustrations help put visuals in your reader’s minds to help them create a picture, a picture you describe in words.
- Layout and printing
The right layout and alignment can be the difference between a reader finishing your book or just keeping it aside and never returning to it.
Too much of text or too little of text, too much blank space or too little of it, these are the questions that you need to ask for your book to make sure it is not left unread.
These might seem as insignificant details but the devil is in these details.
- Marketing and distribution
You might be unsure of your destiny, but the book you write is destined to find it’s reader, and taking it to the right reader is the key aspect of marketing.
Now as the author, it is your job to make this happen. And how?
By using the right marketing strategy. By targeting the right audience.
Achieving this goal is more difficult for self published authors and specifically the first timers.
Book trailers are the coolest way to make sure you reach the millennial audience who is always on Instagram and TikTok.
How to Solve the Challenges of Self-Publishing
- Edit your book:
Edit yourself as much as you can.
Proofread the book as many times as possible.. take a second opinion.
Editing you own gives you valuable insights about your future projects — especially if you can pinpoint your weak spots and work on them.
- Designing the best book cover:
Not everybody is artistically inclined. So, it is always best to get designers to make a book cover. But that does not mean you can’t do anything. Imagination is not the artist’s patent. Imagine a classy book cover and get and artist to make it for you.
Finding the idea and the inspiration is your job. You know your book the best, so you decide how you want people to see it.
- Illustration and artwork:
Graphics can be a strong tool. A good graphic designer should understand your words and the mood of your book to be able to do justice to the artwork.
What illustrations you need are again your own job. Imagine Game of Thrones without the map of Westeros.
All the characters and storyline would be a mess.
- Layout and printing:
The right kind of layout is the one in which the text emerges out while the reader keeps sinking in it. Getting the right printing service will make sure your book feels right in the hands.
Imagine holding your book for the first time. This when you actually realise how many pages you have written and how they look between the book bindings.
To get this right is most important.
- Marketing and distribution:
Social media has changed the way books reach its audience. Nobody goes around looking in the library or the book stores anymore.
More than just a book, you have to make a virtual presence for your book.
One way to get started is a book trailer. It showcases your book, teases the reader’s interest and keeps them salivating for more.
Steps To Work With Us
At Maple Publishers we offer
1. Full range of book designing services: from cover design to eBook & audiobook conversions, book trailers, motion graphics, illustrations, DTP and layout
2. 2D, 3D illustrations
3. Motion Graphics (E-Learning Modules, Book Trailers, and Explainer Videos)
4. Flexible and customized implementation procedure suited to your specifications
Getting started is easy. We can start with one project so you can see what awesomely safe hands you are in.
Based on the scope of your work, we will be happy to talk the best offer for you.