How to Self-Publish Without Going Broke

by J.U. Scribe

Finally, self-publishing advice that’s recession-proof.

Are you a struggling indie writer trying to make sales? Or maybe you are out there thinking about self-publishing but feel overwhelmed by the process. How do you publish a book people actually want to buy? Before you hit "Publish," discover the important steps involved in the process so you can avoid common pitfalls that many novice writers make. In my comprehensive step-by-step guide, I will teach you how to package and position your book for optimal success all while not going broke in the process. You have little to lose but everything to gain by following the 15 basic steps I outline, including:

• How to draft your best manuscript
• How to self-edit your work
• Where to find beta readers
• How to find out what editing your book needs
• How to avoid the biggest mistakes in cover design and where to find affordable cover designers
• Formatting your manuscript for print, eBook, and audiobook
• How to market your book for success
• And more!

255 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 29, 2020

About the author

J.U. Scribe, also known as Joseph, is originally from the states where he currently resides and works. He is of Nigerian heritage, which he attributes as one of the influences to his unique view of the world. His interest in the arts, range from drawing, graphic to multimedia design, blogging and writing.
Before the Legend is the debut novelette from the budding author. Step inside the world he's created at Writer's Nook

Reviews

[Cara]

The advance review copy I received contained multiple significant inaccuracies. I hope they were fixed before publication. As I don’t know one way or the other, it feels unfair to give this book a star rating.

[Tenesha L. Curtis · Rating 3 out of 5]

[Excerpts from my full review]

This book is advertised as one that strives to help new authors navigate the self-publishing process. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like the author is familiar with the process himself, this only being his second published book in almost ten years (as of February 2021).

This piece isn’t a strong step-by-step guide. More like a poorly organized, superficial overview of some possible steps to consider. As someone who has been working with new authors since 2010, I have daily, first-hand knowledge of what it’s like for someone to feel nervous, vulnerable, and confused, desperately seeking a source of comfort and guidance as they begin a challenging journey toward authorship.

I worry about a new author reading this book and picking up a lot of misinformation that will only end up confusing them and making the self-publishing process more difficult than it needs to be.

ALL TALK, NO WALK

As with most things in life, leading by example is usually best. I think this is true when helping people write and publish their work. I found it strange that the author seemed to be dishing out advice to new authors that they should do things it’s obvious he did not do himself. He encourages hiring an editor, but it doesn’t appear that he has done so for this book.

I suppose he could have hired an editor (he claims two within the text) and not followed their guidance. But why hire someone in the first place if you’re not going to listen to them? I suppose it's also possible that these were not professionals and simply people (family, critique group members, friends, etc.) who read over the piece and gave him some general feedback. I'll admit this is a great way to save money, but it's not a great way to create a quality book.

As happens with many new authors, I fear that he was misled in his dealings with his supposed editors. This happens a lot in the industry. Fresh writers come to someone they found on places like Fiverr or Craigslist and ask for editing without having any idea what that entails, the different kinds there are, how much it should cost, or how long it should take. These “editors” or “proofreaders” will often read through the book at a pace that makes it virtually impossible to edit or even proofread effectively. But the naive new author thinks they’re getting a great deal because the services are fast (less than two weeks most of the time) and cheap ($500 and under). But then they end up with a book full of inaccuracies and grammar and spelling mistakes, just like this one.

Another piece of “do as I say, not as I do” advice: At location 330 (16%) Scribe states that “If [your] book is designed as a guide or how-to, at the start, you need to insert your authority to speak on the subject…” Yet his book does not open this way. He doesn’t have a creative writing degree, he doesn’t run a publishing house, he hasn’t been on a bestseller list, he doesn’t publish regularly, nor does he discuss anything else that would label him as an authority on self-publishing. So, it’s difficult to understand why someone who picks up this book should listen to him and follow his content. Yet, he states, “Readers need to build trust early if you want anything you say to be taken seriously.” How much are readers supposed to be able to trust him without sufficient reason to? How much faith can a reader put in someone who has only ever done something twice?

COPY EDITING (OR LACK THEREOF)

Scribe states (location 1947 / 94%) that your book should be “error free.” Any independent author or book editor worth their salt will tell you there is no such thing as a book with zero errors. Telling a new author to strive for this is misguided at best and irresponsible at worst. One of the major reasons people spend so much time writing their manuscript instead of moving on to the editing and publishing processes is because of their anxiety about “perfection.” Scribe risks throwing authors back down that rabbit hole (or keeping them trapped in it) by promoting this idea.

Should authors do their best to clean up their manuscript? Yes. Should they hire a professional to help them? Of course. But they shouldn’t refrain from publishing their book until it is 100% error free, or else they will never end up publishing at all. I got stuck in this terrible place as a new author and know others who have as well. It took a lot of work to find the clarity of vision and the courage to push through our fears about imperfections, but we finally did. But if we had read and heeded a book like this, that wouldn’t have happened. We never would have finished our manuscripts. We never would have edited them. We never would have published.

MISINFORMATION / LACK OF CLARITY

All throughout the book there are places where the author is either just plain inaccurate or leaves a lot to be desired in the information department. Again, I recognize that this is likely because he doesn’t have enough experience in this arena to provide the kind of detailed guidance that new writers are searching for.

At location 342 (17%) he tells the reader they may want to “change when your story starts, so the inciting incident or action starts sooner,” but provides zero information on how to do that. Does the reader even understand what an inciting incident is? If they don’t, tough luck, because he doesn’t define it for them. And after the change has been made, how do they weave it into the rest of the story organically without it looking out of place? I would have recommended they do their best and hand it off to their desired developmental editor. But, the way the book reads, Scribe seems to lay all the responsibility of doing this at the author’s feet instead of reminding (and reassuring) them that they can share this burden with their editors.

Starting at location 1184 (57%), it becomes apparent that Scribe doesn’t understand the difference between KDP, KDP Select, and Kindle Unlimited. He states that KDP Select is a distributor platform that allows you to create print and ebooks. This is incorrect. KDP is the publishing platform where you can publish and distribute your paperback or ebook through Amazon. KDP Select is an agreement between you and Amazon that places you in the Kindle Unlimited collection of ebooks. At first, I thought the hiccup may just be in this one spot, just one typo among the many in the book. But as I read on, it became obvious that he had no idea what he was talking about. He even notes that (1194 / 58%) “KDP Select also allows you to set your price.” This is a bizarre statement, because this is standard practice for digital publishing platforms. This is like saying McDonald’s is special because you’re allowed to order burgers at their restaurants.

IN CONCLUSION

I hope the author wrote this book in good faith and not to regurgitate blog posts and website content just to make some money in book form. But, as it stands now, this book is too inaccurate and misleading to be of much help to a brand new author. At best, it could serve as a reminder of things to consider for someone who has published many times before but has been out of the game for a while. Otherwise, I’d recommend finding another source of assistance for your self-publishing endeavor, lest you wind up with a book full of the same problems as this one.

[Carolyn Overcash · Rating 5 out of 5]

Self-publishing is complicated

This book is a comprehensive, well-written primer on self-publishing. The author stresses having a plan for your book. The “why, what, who, when, where, and how” questions that you need to ask yourself, are explained. You need to determine the direction that you need to go for publishing your work.

The author stresses the need for proofing, having beta-readers, ARC readers, and that necessary editor. Copywriting is essential; the cover sets the tone of the sale. The author explains that sometimes one needs to pay for help to get that book to market.

Having read through the book and noticing the complexity of issues involved, I recommend a newbie writer have a mentor and spend at least some money getting the book to that all-important “print stage.”

There are suggestions as to programs and organizations where a new writer can get guidance or help. Having a copy of the book gives you those references.

I received a free ARC for review. I am interested in the subject matter covered and consider the book to be highly informative.

[Jamie Bee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helpful Hints

As a writer and a freelance editor, I am always drawn to books about any aspect of writing, publishing, and book marketing. This book actually addresses all of these topics. The structure of the book is logical for the most part, although I thought the full marketing section came a little late. The book starts with having you formulate an overall plan. Up next was a surprisingly long chapter on how to craft the best manuscript, mostly about writing fiction (though nonfiction gets a little love). The book goes on to look at other crucial aspects of self-publishing like self-editing/editing; beta readers; the focal points of title, cover, and blurb; formatting; pricing; and marketing.

For some topics, I thought the author presented the options too simply or made them seem too easy. This was most problematic in the marketing chapter and sections. Book marketing can be complex; simply telling the reader that an action should be done or considered is not the same as showing them how it is done. As a self-publisher, an author wears many hats, fulfilling many functions or finding others to do them. The book is actually full of some good advice, but I just think the author only gives passing mention to some ideas that needed more information to be as helpful as possible. Some chapters seemed more like lists of what you should do rather than directly actionable information. He might have served the topic and his reader better by creating multiple short books on the different aspects so he could drill a little deeper, give some more options, and lead the reader through action steps.

I did think the author needed to more fully discuss nonfiction, especially in the earlier parts of the book. He certainly favored fiction! Some chapters talked about fiction in great depth, but nonfiction was either not mentioned at all, depending on the chapter, or only had a relatively short section compared to fiction. As I am a nonfiction writer, it does sometimes get a little wearing being the redheaded stepchild of the author world!

As promised in the title, the book does look at most aspects of self-publishing through the lens of money. While this book is certainly not about self-publishing on a shoestring budget, the author does discuss where it's important to put your money, like good editing and an excellent cover. He shares where he thinks you can cut corners. A few things did surprise me, though. He advocates actually paying for official copyright status for a book; that seems like an unnecessary expense.

I don't agree with everything the author says, but he clearly speaks from experience, which I do appreciate. My experience of some of these aspects of self-publishing has been different, as both a writer and an editor. But if you are interested in self-publishing, whether you are new to the field or not, this book has enough helpful information to make it worth your while. But don't be surprised if some sections seem a little short or you feel like you're missing a few key details to truly make everything work. The book is a good starting point for beginners and has more than a few wisdom nuggets for those who already have a few books to their name.

I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.

My book blog: https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com

[Riley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although the author could have included more in-depth information on several of the topics, I'm giving it 5 stars because the book delivered what was promised in the summary. I haven't actually published anything yet, so I have no opinions on the accuracy of the tips and suggestions, but it provided a lot of things to ponder that were new to me and seemed helpful too. I really liked that he stressed how important the cover is and pointed out that it's money well spent, because honestly there are an awful lot of horrid covers out there for potentially wonderful books that will never be read. There was a lot of information on story and character development which seemed interesting, especially for authors just starting out. The timing of publishing was also discussed, which seems so obvious in retrospect, but aside from holiday and seasonal themes wasn't something that would have occured to me. Additionally, I liked that he included resources, references, and a link to his blog, Writer's Nook for people looking for more help or direction in specific areas. In summary, this is probably not the only book on self publishing someone will want to read, but it seems like an exceptionally great place to start.

I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.

[Alec · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an excellent resource for aspiring self-publishers who want that step but are nervous about the potential pitfalls and costs involved.

Scribe writes in a clear and concise manner, going through each of the necessary steps in order, giving advice and links to resources for writers at every stage. Each of these resources is evaluated and compared against its alternatives to give readers the best idea possible of which will be the most effective.

I have given it 4 stars because at times the advice was a little US-centric, and because it's often the most expensive option that the author recommends.

[Cayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book covers the process of what you need to do if you ever decide to publish your book independently. J.U. Scribe provides some resources to help you along the way. It's not as easy as it looks. I get the impression that it's quite a bit of work, but if it's your dream, it should be well worth the effort.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.