So, you think you might want to self-publish your own Children’s book? If I CAN, YOU CAN! 😉
I have self-published five books so far. It’s a LOT easier than it looks!
If you’ve written a QUALITY manuscript, and can’t find a traditional publisher to take on your project, you should seriously consider self-publishing. Kindle publishing is easy. It’s a great a starting point. That is where I began.
After starting with Kindle, I also began to self-publish my print versions through CreateSpace. I’m selling copies of my books decently there too.
EBooks are the trend of the future though. My book sales are roughly 2/3rds Kindle and 1/3 print copy. The great thing if you self-publish is that you get to keep a much larger portion of the sales price!
I have provided you with a step-by-step guide below. It is a basic plan outline. If you prefer learning by diving into books, check out one of these below as good places to start:
The Unofficial Author's Guide To Selling Your Book On Amazon: The Top 5 Cheat Sheet for Self Publishing Authors (Self Publishing Disruption 1)
$0.00 (as of January 24, 2025 04:42 GMT +00:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)Publishing: Self Publish a Bestseller in 30 Days!: The Proven 4-Week Formula to go from Zero to Bestseller & #ShareYourAWESOME with the World! (Passive Income Freedom Series)
$2.99 (as of January 24, 2025 04:41 GMT +00:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)Secrets to Ebook Publishing Success (Smashwords Guides 3)
$0.00 (as of January 24, 2025 04:41 GMT +00:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)Here is my brief step-by-step guide about how to self-publish your book. It isn’t “training” like you’d get through one of the packages above, but it is basic free info. It will give you an idea about what is involved:
1) Write a top-notch manuscript and have it professionally edited. There are published writers, professional editors, and others who offer editing services for a small fee. Fees are usually based upon the length of your manuscript. You may be charged by the word, by the page, or by the hour. I have sought editing services through both Fiverr.com and Elance.com.
2) If your book requires illustrations, you can find someone to provide illustrations for a fee. Check out the Illustrating sites we have listed on the website. You might be able to find someone you can work with. You can probably find someone on Fiverr.com to help you, but I’ll give you a heads-up CAUTION!
I’ve had an illustrator take an image from another source and provide them to me as a finished product. He didn’t own rights to the image that he could transfer to me. Conversely, I had a very wonderful image drawn for me personally from someone on Fiverr. You just have to be careful to determine whether the illustrations are personally made or not.
3) Select your publisher! Watch to be sure you get a reputable one. I highly recommend starting with Kindle Books and/or Createspace. I started with Kindle for eBook publishing, and then published through Createspace. Both are free to publish!
4) If your selected publisher doesn’t provide an ISBN for free or at a low cost, or you if you want to manage your own ISBNs, you will need to acquire ISBN numbers. In the United States, you can obtain ISBNs through R. R. Bowker’s ISBN site. ISBNs are purchased as singles or in blocks of 10 or more numbers. You can also read their Frequently Asked Questions about ISBNs to learn more about them.
5) Have your book published.. You can get publishing services through a number of providers. I have found Amazon’s CreateSpace publishing service easy to work with. Since it’s free to publish through them, it’s the most cost-effective of solutions. There are MANY providers of independent publishing services these days. Just do careful research before paying anyone to publish your book.
6) If your publisher does not distribute your book for you, you will need to list your book with distribution channels. Amazon, Ingram Spark, Greenleaf Book Group, Barnes and Noble, etc. are all viable distribution options.
Amazon will accept listings for your book and this will provide you an instant distribution point. Ingram Spark and Greenleaf Book Group are book distributors which can help you will reach a significant number of booksellers across the country. Alternately, you can carry and self-distribute your book through online sales outlets such as Amazon and Barnes and Noble. I would recommend pursuing distribution through at least one major distributor to maximize your market exposure.
You might also want to consider complete digital fulfillment through Lightning Source, a subsidiary of Ingram Industries Inc. Ingram is one of the largest retail book distributors in the U.S.. Lightning Source offers a suite of digital fulfillment services, comprehensive packages for print-on-demand, and distribution services. Ideal candidates for Lightning Source are publishers, large and small, in need of digital printing and distribution services worldwide.
After publication, If your book is NOT selling and not ranking well on Amazon, you may want to grab a copy of a book that will help you improve your Amazon Kindle Ranking. Check out:
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