Five Tips to Save on a High Quality Debut Book for Indie Authors

There are a lot of resources for any writer who wishes to self-publish their book. Often, this information can get overwhelming and first-time authors spend too much money on their books to obtain a better quality product. I did the same with my debut novel Unclutter: A Survivor’s Story. But I’ve learned from my mistakes. And you can avoid these if you follow some of my tips.

1.       Stay clear of vanity presses/hybrid publishers

I‘m sure many of you know this, but please avoid publishing with vanity presses. These now call themselves hybrid publishers. They charge you an excessive amount for almost no returns. A publisher will never approach you or take money from you. I almost got scammed by one of these but saved in time, thanks to author-friendly Facebook groups.

The worst thing about hybrid publishers is that you lose control of your book once it’s published. They decide your royalties (which are lesser than other self-publishing platforms such as KDP, IngramSpark, Barnes & Noble, and Draft2Digital), overprice your book, and sell it only on a few websites. Their contract will not allow you to avail your book anywhere else. It’s almost impossible to retrieve the amount you spent on publishing because of their rules. It will end up being a very costly mistake.

2.       Request an editorial review from developmental editors

Developmental editing is extremely helpful for debut authors. These professionals help with the story structure and write it in a way that’s appealing to readers. However, this type of editing costs a lot. If you’re working with a developmental editor for the first time, even if a friend recommended them, request an editorial review. The quality of the review will help you decide whether or not to proceed with the person.

A good editorial review should provide your manuscript strengths, focus areas, and clear recommendations/next steps for the book. The editor must understand the purpose/message of your book. Their feedback must be objective with examples. This means they must tell you why something wouldn’t work instead of simply saying it’s bad. Most importantly, they must be honest about your book requirements: does it need developmental editing?

Getting an editorial review will cost a little more, but it is better than paying for a developmental editor that you’re not happy with/you don’t need. If a professional does not provide an editorial review service, they are not likely to be experienced in this field.

3.       Request a free sample from copy editors

Copy editors look at everything in your book. They look at plot consistency in logic, timelines, and accuracy. They also ensure that the appropriate words have been used depending on the genre of your book. Hence, it is the most important step of publishing any book and must not be skipped.

If you found a good developmental editor, check if they also do copy editing. I highly recommend using the same professional for all rounds of editing. If you skipped the developmental editing step, request sample edits from multiple editors for a chapter or two. This will help you decide which one works best for you.

4.       Self-edit/incorporate editors’ comments before the next round

Spend a lot of time self-editing and incorporating your editor’s comments from the previous round before proceeding to the next one. This will save you from unnecessary expenditures in future rounds and result in a better-quality product. If any edits are unclear, schedule time with your editor to walk through the modifications. Most editors answer questions up to a few weeks after completion, but it’s best to include a session or two in your contract.

If you’re happy with your editor, you will agree with 90% of their comments. If you don’t agree with some of the feedback, ensure you know exactly why so that they don’t come up later. Most editors use the “track changes” feature making it easy to accept/reject any changes.

Before sending your manuscript for proofreading, ensure that there are no plot holes or other obvious errors. If you have friends/family/beta readers who can take a look at your book before the proofreading round, it will work best.

5.       Provide specific details for the cover design

A professionally designed cover is mandatory for all books. That’s because readers judge your book by its cover. It’s the first thing that catches readers’ eyes. A good cover needs to be appealing and appropriate for your book genre. Plus, it must be unique and stand out from the rest of the covers.

While choosing your cover designer, ensure you look at enough samples of their previous work. Ask them to provide a link to their website with these examples and see what works best for your book.

Remember, designers can’t incorporate all your requirements if they are not spelled out. I recommend creating a detailed document with the covers in your genre you like and dislike, with the “why” clearly mentioned. Include everything – colors, fonts, images, simplicity, etc. It’s best to send them up to three stock images that would work for your cover.

If you don’t do this, likely, you won’t like your cover the first time. Whether you hire a different designer or request a new set of designs from the same one, you’ll have to spend more.

What are some things you do to save when self-publishing your books? Let me know in the comments.