Self-Publishing Basics
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How to Avoid Wasting Cash
1.
Do not even attempt to pass Amazon customer muster without an editor.
Although editing is often your biggest pre-launch expense, it is the most essential. Do not publish a book that's not professionally edited. You will live to
regret it. Everyone is a critic.
2.
Don't just write a book and send it immediately to an editor.
Case Study: Editing
Editors usually charge by the word. Be wary of flat rates and prices that are too low or too high.
You should do as much editing yourself as you can. Grammarly and ProWritingAid are great help (both with free versions).
Friends and family are good for second and third eyes, but they are not professional editors (unless they are).
Without proper prep, an editor will correct your errors, you will make changes, and then you will pay to have the editor do it again.
3.
Don’t skimp on the cover. Cover art is your main-street public image.
This is your second most expensive pre-release expense. Do it with professional panache.
4.
Never respond to critical reviews. Just don’t do it.
Readers are skeptical about a book with only excellent reviews. Often, a poor review will nudge someone to buy your book.
Readers may perceive any response you make to negative reviews on Amazon or even social media as compounding the negativity.
5.
Pay-per-click and social media ads afford almost zero return and are an author's budget buster.
Case Study: Author experience = "Social Media ads for books are an expensive dead end."
FB charges you every time they purportedly show an ad to someone, rather than for clicks on the ad. Authors say, "I get more hate comments on FB
ads than anywhere else. People who aren't even in my target group mercilessly rage about seeing ads on their page with vulgarity and abusive
statements. I've wasted considerable time deleting offensive comments."
Target example: FB ad ran in the US, Canada, UK, and Australia. Almost half of the traffic came from China. There were no sales after 1.5K FB alleged
views. When attempting to alter the ad, FB failed to update the audience to the US only. The application said it saved changes, but after two attempts,
it remained as originally posted.
How to Avoid Author Scams
Recommended Reading
Things for Authors to Avoid
1.
Do not even attempt to pass Amazon customer muster
without an editor.
Although editing is often your biggest pre-launch expense, it is
the most essential. Do not publish a book that's not
professionally edited. You will live to regret it. Everyone is a
critic.
2.
Don't just write a book and send it immediately to an
editor.
Case Study: Editing
Editors usually charge by the word. Be wary of flat rates and
prices that are too low or too high.
You should do as much editing yourself as you can. Grammarly
and ProWritingAid are great help (both with free versions).
Friends and family are good for second and third eyes, but
they are not professional editors (unless they are).
Without proper prep, an editor will correct your errors, you will
make changes, and then you will pay to have the editor do it
again.
3.
Don’t skimp on the cover. Cover art is your main-
street public image.
This is your second most expensive pre-release expense. Do it
with professional panache.
4.
Never respond to critical reviews. Just don’t do it.
Readers are skeptical about a book with only excellent reviews.
Often, a poor review will nudge someone to buy your book.
Readers may perceive any response you make to negative
reviews on Amazon or even social media as compounding the
negativity.
5.
Pay-per-click and social media ads afford almost zero
return and are an author's budget buster.
Case Study: Author experience = "Social Media ads for books
are an expensive dead end."
FB charges you every time they purportedly show an ad to
someone, rather than for clicks on the ad. Authors say, "I get
more hate comments on FB ads than anywhere else. People
who aren't even in my target group mercilessly rage about
seeing ads on their page with vulgarity and abusive
statements. I've wasted considerable time deleting offensive
comments."
Target example: FB ad ran in the US, Canada, UK, and
Australia. Almost half of the traffic came from China. There
were no sales after 1.5K FB alleged views. When attempting to
alter the ad, FB failed to update the audience to the US only.
The application said it saved changes, but after two attempts,
it remained as originally posted.
How to Avoid Wasting Cash
How to Avoid Author Scams
Recommended Reading
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Things for Authors to Avoid
