How to Self Publish a Book and Succeed - Barker Books Publishing

So, you’re ready to self-publish your book. At its core, the process means taking a polished manuscript, wrapping it in a professional cover and interior design, and getting it into the hands of readers through a solid distribution plan. It’s a journey that involves editing your work, securing an ISBN, formatting for both print and ebook, and choosing platforms like Amazon KDP to make your book available to the world.

And the best part? You're in complete control, every step of the way.

Why Going Indie Is Your Smartest Move

Before we get into the nitty-gritty, let's talk about why self-publishing has become such a powerful, strategic choice for authors. Not too long ago, it was seen as a last resort. Today, it’s a deliberate business decision made by thousands of successful authors every single year.

This path gives you advantages that traditional publishing just can't offer. When you learn how to self-publish a book, you're not just putting a story out there—you're building a career entirely on your own terms.

The Power Is in Your Hands

The biggest draw for most writers is having 100% creative control. You make the final call on the cover, the title, the page layout, and every single word inside. No gatekeepers telling you your story isn't "marketable enough" or that you need to rewrite the ending. Your vision, from start to finish, remains yours.

Then there's the money. The financial upside is huge. Traditional publishers typically offer royalties somewhere in the 10-15% range. As an indie author, you can earn up to 70% royalties on platforms like Amazon KDP. That's a massive difference, meaning you keep a much larger slice of the pie for every sale.

But the real game-changer is speed. In the traditional world, you could be waiting years to see your book on a shelf. As an indie, you can go from a finished manuscript to a live, purchasable book in just a few weeks.

This agility is incredible. It lets you react to what readers want and get your stories out into the world while the passion is still fresh.

The Indie Author Boom

This shift isn't just a feeling; the numbers back it up. In 2023 alone, the number of self-published books with ISBNs jumped by 7.2%, with over 2.6 million new titles hitting the market. This explosion has been powered by accessible platforms like Amazon KDP and IngramSpark, which have given authors the tools to run their own publishing businesses.

Of course, being in charge means you are the publisher. You’ll be overseeing the editing, design, distribution, and marketing. It's a lot of hats to wear, for sure. But it’s also the most direct route to becoming a published author with total ownership over your work and your career.

From First Draft to Polished Manuscript

Finishing that first draft is a massive achievement. Seriously, take a moment to celebrate. But the book you just wrote isn't the book a reader will buy—not yet. What you have is raw material, the creative clay you'll now shape into a professional product.

This transformation from draft to polished manuscript is where the real work begins. It’s the single biggest thing that separates a hobbyist's book from one that can compete on the digital (or physical) shelf.

Your story might be brilliant, but readers are unforgiving. If it's full of plot holes, clunky sentences, or glaring typos, they’ll notice. The negative reviews will pile up, and all your hard work will stall out before it ever gets a chance. That’s why a multi-stage editing process isn't just a good idea; it's essential.

The Different Layers of Editing

Think of editing your book like building a house. You don't hang pictures on the wall before the foundation is poured and the framing is up. The same logic applies here. You have to fix the big-picture structural problems before you ever start worrying about comma placement.

Most successful indie authors I know treat editing as a series of distinct stages, moving from the macro to the micro. It’s a funnel, refining your book with each pass.

H3: The Foundational Edits

1. Developmental Editing (The Blueprint)
This is your structural overhaul. A developmental editor is concerned with the core of your story or, for non-fiction, your central argument. They’re looking at the bones of your book.

They’ll ask the hard questions:

Does this plot actually work? Is it compelling?
Are the characters and their motivations believable?
Where does the pacing drag? Where does it rush?
(For non-fiction) Is the argument logical and easy for a reader to follow?

This is easily the most intensive and expensive edit, but it can literally save a book. If you have a fantastic concept but the execution is tangled, a good developmental edit is a lifesaver. For those on a tight budget, assembling a team of trusted beta readers can provide a similar, high-level gut check.

2. Line Editing (The Interior Design)
Once the structure is solid, you zoom in on the prose itself. Line editing is all about how you tell the story. It's the art of the sentence.

A line editor’s job is to strengthen your voice, smooth out awkward phrasing, and make your dialogue pop. They hunt down repetitive sentence structures and clunky paragraphs, all to make the writing flow with power and grace. They don't change your style; they elevate it.

H3: The Final Polish

With the story and style locked in, it's time for the technical cleanup. These final two steps are non-negotiable. Skipping them is how you end up with one-star reviews that just say, "Full of typos."

3. Copy Editing (The Inspection)
This is the grammatical deep-clean. A copy editor is your rules expert, the person who ensures everything is correct and consistent.

They’re on the lookout for:

Spelling, grammar, and punctuation mistakes.
Consistency errors (like a character's eye color changing on page 150).
Correct and consistent formatting for dialogue and chapter breaks.

You can't do this yourself. Your brain is programmed to see what you meant to write, not what's actually on the page. You need a fresh, expert set of eyes.

4. Proofreading (The Final Walk-Through)
This is the absolute last line of defense. A proofread happens after the book has been formatted for print or ebook. The proofreader's only job is to catch any lingering typos or formatting glitches that were missed or, more likely, introduced during the layout process.

Investing in professional editing isn't a cost; it's an investment in your book's future and your reputation as an author. Skipping this step is one of the biggest mistakes a new self-publisher can make.

Formatting Your Manuscript for Readers

After all that work on the words, the presentation has to match. Poor formatting is just as jarring as a typo. Whether you’re creating an ebook or a paperback, the interior layout needs to be clean, readable, and professional.

For most authors, user-friendly software is the way to go. Tools like Vellum (Mac-only) or the free formatter on a platform like Draft2Digital are fantastic. They can turn your Word document into a beautifully designed book file with just a few clicks.

However, if your book is more complex—think cookbooks, photo books, or workbooks—you’re better off hiring a professional interior designer. They understand typography, margins, and file prep on a deeper level, ensuring your book looks every bit as good as one from a New York publisher.

Creating a Cover That Actually Sells Books

https://www.youtube.com/embed/p2I4EyTvyWo

Let’s be blunt: your book cover is your single most important marketing tool. Think about it. When a reader is scrolling through a sea of options on Amazon, your cover is the first—and often the only—thing they see. It has a split second to make a promise.

A professional cover instantly communicates quality and signals to readers that your book is worth their time and money. On the flip side, a bad cover screams “amateur.” I’ve seen countless brilliant manuscripts get completely ignored simply because the packaging looked cheap or homemade. If you’re serious about this, cover design is a non-negotiable expense.

Your Three Paths to a Perfect Cover

You basically have three ways to get a book cover, each with its own price tag and level of hands-on work. Your budget and design chops will steer you toward the right choice. Don’t forget, a killer cover can easily double your sales, so this is one of the smartest places to invest your money.

DIY Design: It’s tempting to fire up a tool like Canva or Adobe Express, especially when you’re trying to keep costs down. Honestly, this is only a good idea if you have a real background in graphic design and typography. If not, it’s a false economy. An unprofessional cover will cost you far more in lost sales than you ever saved on design fees.
Pre-made Covers: This is a fantastic middle ground and my top recommendation for many first-time authors. Talented designers create professional, genre-specific covers and sell them "off the shelf." You get a high-quality design for a fraction of the custom price, usually somewhere between $50 and $150. The designer just pops in your title and author name, and you’re good to go.
Custom Design: Hiring a professional designer to create a cover from scratch is the gold standard. They’ll read your manuscript or synopsis, dig into your genre’s trends, and create something completely unique that’s tailored to your book's tone and target audience. A solid custom cover typically runs between $300 and $800, but what you get is a powerful sales asset built just for you.

Decoding Genre Expectations

Readers have deeply ingrained, subconscious expectations for what a book in their favorite genre should look like. Your cover's job is to instantly tell them, "If you like that kind of book, you'll love this one." This is not the time to get overly clever or break all the rules.

A professional cover isn't just about looking good; it's about looking right for the genre. It needs to fit in to stand out.

Take a look around. A thriller cover often uses dark, high-contrast images and sharp, bold fonts. A contemporary romance? You'll likely see a bright, illustrated couple or a soft-focus photo. Business non-fiction usually leans into clean, minimalist designs with a powerful, clear title.

Before you even think about talking to a designer, go to Amazon. Find the top 20 bestsellers in your specific sub-category and just study them. What do you notice? Pay attention to the typography, color palettes, and imagery. You’re not looking to copy anyone, but to understand the visual language your readers already speak. This research is pure gold when you go to write your design brief.

Working with a Professional Designer

Hiring a designer is a partnership. To get the best results, you need to show up prepared with a clear and detailed creative brief. This document is your way of guiding the designer and making sure your vision comes to life.

A good brief should always include:

Book Details: Your title, author name, subtitle, and book blurb.
Genre and Sub-genre: Get specific. Don't just say "Fantasy," say "Epic High Fantasy" or "Urban Fantasy Romance."
Target Audience: Who, exactly, are you trying to reach?
Key Themes and Mood: Is your book dark and gritty, or light and hopeful? What feeling do you want to evoke?
Cover Examples: This is crucial. Provide links to 3-5 covers in your genre that you love and—this is key—explain why you love them. It’s also incredibly helpful to include a few examples of covers you dislike.

Doing this homework helps the designer get inside your book’s world and understand the market you’re competing in. The whole point is to create a cover that not only looks amazing but also works tirelessly to sell your book 24/7.

Managing the Business of Being an Author

The moment you decide to self-publish, you're wearing a new hat. You're not just an author anymore; you’re the CEO of your own small publishing company.

This mental shift is everything. It’s about making smart, strategic decisions for your book’s future, from how it’s legally protected to how it finds its way into the hands of readers around the globe. Don't worry, this isn't as intimidating as it sounds. Let's walk through the business essentials you'll need to master.

Securing Your Book's Identity With an ISBN

Think of an International Standard Book Number (ISBN) as your book's unique fingerprint. It's a 13-digit code that identifies everything about a specific version of your book—the title, publisher, and format (like ebook, paperback, or hardcover).

You’ve got two main routes for getting an ISBN:

Use a free, platform-provided ISBN. Services like Amazon KDP will happily assign a free ISBN to your book. The upside is it's fast and costs nothing. The catch? The platform is listed as the publisher, and that ISBN is stuck there. You can only use it on their platform.
Buy your own ISBN. You can purchase ISBNs directly from the official agency in your country, which is Bowker in the United States. When you go this route, you or your company are the publisher of record. This gives you the freedom to sell your book anywhere, on any platform, at any time.

My two cents? If you're just dipping your toes in and only plan to sell on Amazon, the free KDP ISBN is a perfectly fine starting point. But if you have ambitions for wider distribution and want total control over your career, buying your own ISBN is one of the best early investments you can make.

Protecting Your Work With Copyright

Here’s some good news: in most countries, including the U.S., your work is technically copyrighted the moment you create it. As soon as you write it down, basic legal protection kicks in automatically.

However, I strongly recommend formally registering your copyright with your national authority (like the U.S. Copyright Office). Why? Official registration creates a public, undeniable record of your ownership. More importantly, it’s a prerequisite if you ever need to sue someone for infringement. It's a cheap, powerful insurance policy for your most valuable asset.

Choosing Your Distribution Platforms

Okay, your book is ready for the world. Now, where will you actually sell it? This decision directly impacts how many people can find your book and how much you earn from each sale. Most indie authors start with a combination of the big three: Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, and aggregators like Draft2Digital.

Each one serves a different purpose, and understanding their strengths is key. This handy infographic breaks down how the two biggest print-on-demand players stack up.

As you can see, KDP is the no-cost gateway to the massive Amazon ecosystem, while IngramSpark opens the door to a much wider world of bookstores and libraries for a small fee.

Choosing Your Self-Publishing Platform

Deciding where to publish can feel overwhelming. To make it clearer, here’s a breakdown of the major players and what they offer. This should help you figure out which platform—or combination of platforms—aligns with your goals.

Platform	Distribution Reach	Ebook Royalty Rate	Print Option	Exclusivity
Amazon KDP	Amazon's global marketplaces	35% or 70%	Yes (Print-on-demand)	Optional (for KDP Select)
IngramSpark	Global (40,000+ retailers, libraries)	40% – 65% (depends on wholesale discount)	Yes (Print-on-demand)	No
Draft2Digital	Wide (Apple, B&N, Kobo, etc.)	~60% (after D2D's 10% cut)	Yes (via KDP/IngramSpark)	No
Barnes & Noble Press	B&N online and physical stores	65%	Yes (Print-on-demand)	No
Kobo Writing Life	Kobo's global storefronts and partners	45% or 70%	No	No

Choosing a platform really comes down to your personal strategy. Are you aiming for maximum visibility on the world's biggest retailer, or do you want your book to be available everywhere possible?

Here’s a quick rundown of what each platform is best for:

Amazon KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing): The giant of ebook sales. You simply have to be here. Their optional KDP Select program gives you access to powerful marketing tools, but it requires you to keep your ebook exclusive to Amazon for 90-day periods.
IngramSpark: This is your ticket to getting your print book into physical bookstores, libraries, and online shops beyond Amazon. Their network is massive, reaching over 40,000 retailers and institutions worldwide.
Draft2Digital: The simplest way to "go wide." Instead of setting up your book on a dozen different sites, you upload it once to Draft2Digital, and they push it out to stores like Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo. They take a small slice of your royalties for the convenience, but many authors find it well worth the time saved.

Your distribution strategy is a core part of your author brand. Knowing who you are and who you're trying to reach will make these business decisions much clearer. A solid personal branding guide can be incredibly helpful in defining your unique identity as an author, which in turn informs every choice you make.

Launching and Marketing Your Book for the Long Term

Hitting "publish" is a huge moment, but it's the starting line, not the finish. Honestly, the real work of building an author career begins now. A powerful launch gives you that initial push, but it’s the consistent, long-term marketing that will keep your book selling for months and even years.

Too many authors pour their heart and soul into writing the book, only to have their launch feel like a whisper in a hurricane. You can avoid that, but you need a plan. This isn't about trying to do everything at once; it's about focusing on a few high-impact strategies that build real momentum and connect you with readers.

Make no mistake, self-publishing is a booming industry, which makes a smart marketing plan more critical than ever. The online self-publishing market was valued at $2.5 billion in 2025 and is on track to hit $7.2 billion by 2033. E-books are a massive part of that, and with online retailers making up 54% of book sales channels in 2025, a strong digital presence is non-negotiable.

Building Your Author Platform

Before you can sell books, you need a place for readers to find you. That’s your author platform, your digital home base—the one piece of the internet you completely own and control.

There are two pillars to this platform you absolutely cannot skip: a simple author website and an email list.

Your Author Website: This doesn't need to be some complex, multi-page behemoth. A clean, one-page site is often perfect. Just make sure it has your author bio, a professional headshot, clear info about your book (cover, blurb), and obvious links to buy it. Most importantly, it needs a prominent sign-up form for your email list.
Your Email List: Social media algorithms can change in a heartbeat, but your email list is a direct, unfiltered line to your biggest fans. I can’t stress this enough: it is the single most valuable marketing asset you will ever build. Give people a compelling reason to sign up, like a free short story, a deleted chapter, or a cool character profile.

Think of it this way: your website is your storefront, and your email list is your VIP club. You want to make that club as appealing as possible because those are the people who will buy your next book on day one.

Crafting a Realistic Launch Plan

A successful launch isn't about luck; it's about orchestrated buzz. The goal is to drive a spike in sales and reviews right out of the gate, which signals to retailer algorithms (especially Amazon's) that your book is worth showing to more people.

A core part of any good launch is your ARC team. An ARC, or Advanced Reader Copy, is just a pre-release version of your book that you send to a select group of readers. In return, they agree to post an honest review on or right after launch day.

Getting those early reviews is crucial social proof. When a potential new reader lands on your book’s page and sees that other people have already read and enjoyed it, they’re far more likely to take a chance on an author they’ve never heard of.

For a much deeper dive into building out your strategy, you should check out our guide on how to market your self published book successfully. It’s packed with actionable steps to get your book the attention it deserves.
https://barkerbooks.com/how-to-market-your-self-published-book-successfully/

Sustainable Marketing for Ongoing Sales

Launch week is a sprint, but book marketing is a marathon. You need to find strategies you can stick with for the long haul without burning out. For many indie authors, Amazon Advertising is one of the most powerful and direct ways to do this.

Amazon ads let you put your book directly in front of shoppers who are actively searching for titles just like yours. You can target specific keywords (think "space opera with aliens") or even target the product pages of similar, more established authors in your genre.

The whole process can be supercharged by using pay-per-click (PPC) ads to drive targeted, profitable sales velocity. This guide offers some great insights into Launching a Product on Amazon: PPC as Your Lever for Organic Growth. It provides a solid framework for using paid ads to fuel organic discovery.

Engaging Without Exhaustion

Beyond paid advertising, you need a sustainable way to connect with the reading community. This does not mean you need to be on every social media platform. Pick one or two where your target readers actually hang out and focus your energy there.

Book Bloggers and Influencers: Do some research and find the bloggers, Bookstagrammers, and BookTokers who review books in your genre. A single feature from a respected influencer can create a massive sales spike. Just be sure to approach them professionally with a personalized pitch.
Social Media Presence: Instead of just shouting "buy my book!" into the void, use your platform to share your journey, talk about other books you love, and actually engage in conversations. Provide value first, and the sales will follow.

The key to long-term success is simple: consistency. Marketing isn't a one-time event you check off a list. It’s an ongoing part of being an author-publisher. By building a solid platform, executing a smart launch, and engaging in marketing you can actually sustain, you give your book the best possible chance to find its audience and thrive.

Answering Your Lingering Self-Publishing Questions

Even with a solid plan, a few nagging questions always seem to surface right as you're about to hit "publish." It's completely normal. Let's tackle some of the most common ones I hear from authors who are new to the game.

What's a Realistic Budget to Self-Publish a Book?

This is the million-dollar question, isn't it? The truth is, your budget can range from nearly zero to several thousand dollars. While you can technically publish for free, a book produced without any professional investment often looks and reads that way, which can kill your sales before they even start.

Let’s talk about what a realistic budget for a professional-quality book looks like.

Editing: Don't skip this. Seriously. It’s the single most important investment you'll make. For a standard 60,000-word manuscript, a good copy editor will likely cost between $1,200 and $2,000.
Cover Design: Your cover is your #1 marketing tool. Readers absolutely judge a book by it. Plan to spend $300 to $800 for a high-quality, genre-specific custom design.
Formatting: Whether you use a program like Vellum or hire a pro to handle the interior layout, set aside $50 to $250.
ISBN: If you're buying your own (which I recommend for full control), a single ISBN from Bowker is $125 in the US. Buying a block of 10 drops the price significantly, which is smart if you plan to write more books.

All in, a safe budget to produce a polished, competitive book typically lands somewhere between $2,000 and $4,000.

How Long Does It Really Take to Go from Manuscript to Published Book?

One of the best parts of self-publishing is that you control the clock. Once your manuscript is finally done, the actual production phase can move pretty quickly, especially if you've done your homework.

Here’s a practical timeline for production:

Editing: This often takes 4-8 weeks, depending on your editor’s workload and how much work your manuscript needs.
Cover Design: From the initial concept brief to having the final files in hand, this can take 2-6 weeks.
Formatting & Final Proofread: Once you have the final, edited text, this last step usually takes about 1-2 weeks.

From a finished manuscript to launch day, you’re realistically looking at about three to four months.

My best advice? Start booking your team before you finish writing. The best editors and cover designers are often booked solid for months. Don't wait until the last minute to start reaching out.

Do I Need a Literary Agent?

Nope. Not at all. Agents are the bridge between authors and traditional publishers. When you self-publish, you are the publisher. You get to skip that entire system.

This direct path to your readers is what the indie author movement is all about. You hold all the cards—your rights, your royalties, and every single creative decision. It's incredibly empowering. Of course, being in charge means you have to manage every moving part. Using a comprehensive self-publishing checklist can be a lifesaver to make sure nothing important falls through the cracks.

How (and When) Do I Get Paid?

When you upload your book to a platform like Amazon KDP or Draft2Digital, you'll set up your author account, which includes your bank details and tax information. They handle all the complicated stuff like processing payments from readers around the world.

From there, the money flows directly to you. Most platforms pay royalties about 60 days after the end of the month in which a sale was made. So, you'd receive your January earnings at the end of March. Every platform has a sales dashboard where you can see your earnings add up, giving you a clear picture of how your book is performing.

Ready to turn your manuscript into a professionally published book available worldwide? At BarkerBooks, we handle everything from editing and cover design to global distribution and marketing, so you can focus on writing. Let's publish your book together.