If you’re serious about publishing, you’ll treat it as a business. That holds true if you decide to go the traditional publishing route or they self-publishing route.
Kristen Lamb has a great post about the odds of author success, where she talks about putting in the hard work to develop discipline, write and edit the book, network, and much more.
Published to Death posted a while back about an insider’s view of the publishing business, which portrays the business as complicated, and at times frustrating. If you’re interested in going the traditional route, then Every Writer‘s database of book publishers may be of some help.
If you’re interested in going the self-publishing / indie author route, then you should think about the business model you want to use. ALLi outlines the options nicely, which include publishing many books quickly, creating membership models, and teaching in addition to writing books.
Once you’re ready, you’ll need to write. What genre will you write in? If you know, it may make sense to join a genre-related group, according to The Blood-Red Pencil.
Additionally, good writing requires a lot of revision and editing. Many people advocate using beta readers for early drafts. Book Works wrote about using beta readers to cultivate fans, along with resources of where to find them. Helping Writers Become Authors has a post about beta reader etiquette, which includes being honest and specific, and respecting deadlines. On the flip side, it recommends authors show gratitude, and respect the reader’s time. One thing to keep in mind, according to Small Blue Dog, is that it takes time and effort to find good beta readers.
There are other considerations as well, such as translations, taxes, ISBNS, and affiliate associations (this is not an exhaustive list). Then there are marketing considerations. You need to decide where you want to sell your work. Amazon is the most popular choice, but there are others. Plus, Google recently reopened their Play Books Publisher Program, according to GoodeReader.
You also need to decide where you want to be seen. Kirkus Reviews has an article on the importance of being platform agnostic, meaning test all outlets for engaging with readers (social media, blogs, podcasts, etc.) and determine which work best for you.
