Lingua Translations

The publishing world wants you to think publishing a book is tricky and full of pit holes to fall into. Not true! These simple 10 simple tips will help you publish your book quickly and easily, and the end result will be a professional product you can be proud of.

Tip #1 The first task to self-publishing is actually making a book out of your manuscript.

Here are just some of the decisions that go into transforming a manuscript into a book:

Cover design

Internal artwork and layout

Font, for example, Times New Roman or Arial

Type of binding, for example, spiral, ring, stitched, perfect, etc.

Hardcover or softcover

Book size (standard book size is 5.5″ by 8.5″)

Type of paper book is printed on

Color or black and white

Number of pages. It is generally easier for consumers to justify a book purchase if the book is over 100 pages.

While your printer can help you with a majority of these decisions by offering suggestions and examples it is helpful to go to a printer with a good idea of exactly how you want your book to look. Visit bookstores and find books that you want to model.

Tip #2 Understand the difference between publishers and printers.

POD Publishers

I’ve been involved in publishing for over a decade now as an author, editor, and project manager; however, it wasn’t until just a few years ago that I decided to move into self-publishing. Indeed, my first few projects involved consulting for others and, now, I am involved in my own, personal projects. It has taken a while for me to come back around to my own works, but in the process I learned how to minimize time and expenses in producing a book and getting it to market.

This short article will not try to explain every aspect of book publishing in detail, but it will brush on a few of the important topics. I have a few other book projects in the making that will detail the book self-publishing process; however, in the mean time, this should give you a good basis of understanding.

— The Idea —

The most difficult part of creating your manuscript is deciding on the topic. We all have ideas. It’s part of our being. Ideas pop in and out of our heads all day long; however, we usually dismiss many of them as useless or too simple to be of use. You would be surprised at how many people want “simple” and easy-to-understand information! Readers want books that teach, inform, and entertain.