At first it feels like work will never end

I always knew that writing a book has many aspects to it. But what I didn’t know was, if you are self-publishing, you will not just have to market the book yourself. You will even have to design the layout, the front cover, the back cover, the illustrations and so much more.

Book designing is not a one-day job. Deciding the overall look and feel of the book is very important. Yes, it’s as time consuming as writing the book itself. I know you will say, “why to put so much of time in it, Swati. What happened to the good old, don’t judge a book by its cover.”  That sounds great but such an ideology won’t sell your book. And if no one told you this before make a note of it right now.

So how to go about it. Make sure that the cover gives that overall feel of what the book is about. Your readers should get an idea about the contents of the book. I wanted the cover to give a serene look.   And so, I chose blue colour for it. Also, as the name of the book is “Pebbles on Paper” the cover conveys the message aptly.

Designing the cover might seem like a very big task but bigger tasks await you. Decide the size you want your book to be published as. According to the size design the layout. If you will like to add some illustrations to your book add those too. It surely feels like a never-ending job but don’t worry one fine day you will be sitting with that book in your hand and everything will be worth it. 

No, math didn’t leave you in high school

You might have hated math in school and thought you can do without it. But it’s time to do some calculations now. Yes, you need to decide the selling price of the book. Experiment with different price points. Start with calculating what goes into the publishing of the book. Also take into account the shipping charges to be incurred by you.

You will have to make decisions according to your budget. Will you like to have a certain no of pre-printed copies or you want to go the print on demand way. Whatever you chose needs to be worked out as per your budget and goal for the book.

 Be in sight to be in mind

Firstly, Make it available on as many online and offline platforms as possible. Your book’s visibility is directly proportional to its sales.

And yes, you need to be visible too. Your readers should know the face behind those words. Be present on social media, post about your book. Tell your audience what is the book about. I will say you can choose any two social media platforms to actively post about your book. For me it was twitter and Instagram.

One more thing start posting about the book before its release. I realised this later and made the mistake of not posting adequately before the book’s release. Keep a note of it. And don’t make this mistake.

Networking is often the net working

Make friends, one recommendation can take you places. But don’t think that networking is all about asking for help. It is actually about connecting with people at a level where two people are comfortable having a conversation. Someone wants to help you or not is their personal call. That’s not the reason why we connect with people.

Breaking into a break is important

If you think you are not being productive a certain day or a certain week, finding something to do to unwind yourself will be a good idea. Yes, you need to relax as much as you need to work.  In fact, it can help you be more productive.

Remember you don’t need to let the stress get onto your nerves. You can write more books only if your mind and body are healthy. Your time off writing is as important as your time of writing.

Weird comments won’t feel weird anymore
So, when you will be able to do everything right. And one fine day you just sit down with your book someone will ask.

“So, you wrote just one book in a year? You should be more productive. Why don’t you write a book every month?”
“Write fiction next time because poetry you know is just too heavy.”
“Also why don’t you use heavy words. You are a writer you need to show off your vocabulary. Just open the thesaurus, you see.”
And the best is, “I will read your book if you write something romantic.”

Yes, such comments don’t feel weird anymore 😊

 

To order my book Pebbles on Paper click here

 in India  

 in USA