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Beginner's Tips for Aspiring Authors and Publishers

Read all you can about self-publishing. There are many different aspects of the business to consider before you even start
writing your book.

Join St. Louis Publishers Association (SLPA), Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), or other professional publishing associations.

Research your market. Be sure your book fills an existing need.

Compare. Spend a couple of hours at a bookstore studying books that are similar to the one you plan to write. Check for
price, size, number of pages, overall appearance, and tone.

Know who your target market is and how you’re going to reach them.

Enlist the help of other professionals, especially in areas where
you lack expertise.
Get several bids for each job—printing, artwork, and
such—you’re going to have done by an outside contractor. Get
references and be sure terms are in writing.
Find out from those with some experience what questions to
ask BEFORE getting those bids.

Hire someone else to edit your manuscript, regardless of the strength of your editing skills. Writers are not good editors and proofreaders!

Make every effort to send an error-free book to the printer. Correcting your errors during the printing process will be very costly.

Have your book cover professionally designed.

Send bound galleys or advance copies to reviewers and
possible endorsers several months before you go to press.
Be sure your distribution plans are in place BEFORE you get
your books back from the printer.

Don’t be afraid to ask “Would you explain what that means?”.