If you’ve ever wondered, ‘How do I self-publish a book?’—this guide is for you.
What is Self-Publishing Exactly?
The dream of holding your own book is a powerful motivator. Today, learning how to self-publish a book has democratized the industry. We’ve moved past the “gatekeeper” era, where unsolicited manuscripts sat endlessly in a publisher’s “slush pile.”
You no longer need a celebrity profile or a literary agent to find your audience. Modern self-publishing provides the digital tools to write, edit, and distribute your work globally. Consequently, you aren’t just printing a book—you are taking professional control of your career.
How Print-on-Demand (POD) Revolutionized Self-Publishing
Traditional publishing faced a major challenge: scale. Publishers had to print thousands of copies speculatively to keep costs low. Often, these books sat in expensive warehouses until they were sold or destroyed. Because of this risk, publishers rarely took chances on unknown authors.
Everything changed in the late 1990s. Print-on-demand (POD) technology allowed individual copies to be printed only when ordered. This breakthrough, paired with Amazon’s reach, was groundbreaking. Additionally, the rise of eReaders like Kindle drove eBook sales even higher. Today, this direct-to-consumer model gives you unprecedented control over your work.
Why Self-Publishing Is a Great Option: The Top Benefits for Authors
Self-publishing your book on platforms like Amazon KDP and IngramSpark offers several key advantages:
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Creative Control: You are the publisher. Therefore, you control the story, design, pricing, and marketing. You maintain full ownership of your intellectual property.
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Higher Royalties: Traditional publishing typically offers 8-15%. In contrast, self-publishing with Amazon offers up to 60%.
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Faster Publishing: Traditional houses can take years to release a book. Self-publishing lets you control the timeline. For instance, books on Amazon often go live just days after upload.
How to Self-Publish Your Book: A Step-by-Step Guide
Step 1: Write and Edit Your Manuscript
Many authors are tempted to act as their own editors. However, familiarity makes it impossible to evaluate your own work critically. A professional editor provides a fresh perspective. They catch errors and refine character voices to elevate your book from good to great. Ultimately, professional editing is an investment in your book’s success.
Step 2: Choose the Best Self-Publishing Platform for Your Book (KDP vs. IngramSpark)
There are two main players in this space. You can choose either or both, depending on your goals.
Amazon KDP
Amazon KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) is Amazon’s self-publishing platform. Publishing on KDP allows your book access to Amazon’s global marketplace. With KDP, Amazon not only posts your book to Amazon.com, but they also print, ship, deliver, and handle customer service. The royalty split between the author and KDP is currently a 60% royalty rate if the list price is at or above the marketplace-specific threshold (e.g., $9.99 USD on Amazon.com). Amazon also offers free additional marketing space on your listing page, which they call A+ Marketing.
Ingram Spark
IngramSpark is a competing (or more accurately, a complementary) self-publishing platform. IngramSpark differs from KDP in that they will make your book available to other online retailers like Apple, Kobo, and Barnes and Noble, as well as independent bookstores, and libraries. IngramSpark will also distribute your book to Amazon.com, but they’ll take a portion of your Amazon royalty payment.
Many authors decide to use both platforms to get the widest possible distribution for their book.
Step 3: Format Your Book for Both Print and eBook Publishing
After writing, you must transform your manuscript into a beautiful, sale-ready file. While DIY tools exist, the process is often frustrating. Using a professional service like Sprig Publishing Solutions ensures your book meets all technical specifications. Professional formatters produce clean files that function perfectly on all devices.
Step 4: Design a Book Cover that Sells
Readers definitely judge books by their covers. In a crowded marketplace, your cover is your most important marketing tool. A great design uses typography and color to signal that this book is for your target audience. Conversely, a poor cover makes a great book look amateur.
Step 5: Upload Your Book and Optimize Metadata
This process is like placing your book on a digital shelf. Metadata includes your title, subtitle, and author name. Furthermore, your keywords are the phrases potential customers type into search bars. Choosing the right keywords ensures readers can actually find your work.
Step 6: Choose the Right Price for Your Book
Pricing can make or break your sales. As a new author, you should generally price your book near the category average. Fortunately, Amazon provides tools to calculate your printing costs and royalties before you go live. You can always adjust your price later based on sales performance.
Step 7: Market and Promote Your Self-Published Book
Now that your book is available for sale in multiple markets, the question is how do readers discover your book? Here are some (but certainly not all) ways to market and promote your new book:
- Build Your Author Platform: Setting up an author website and growing an email list are great ways to expand your audience. You can also join online communities (Goodreads, Facebook groups, Reddit) and contribute value without spamming.
- Social Media: Building your author platform without social media is like throwing a party but forgetting to send out invitations. Many authors are building large engaged audiences (and email lists) using YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. These platforms not only build real connections between author and readers, but the comments section allows authors to hear feedback (both positive and negative) directly from readers.
- Optimize Keywords for Online Discovery: Boost your book’s visibility by using targeted keywords, writing compelling descriptions, and choosing niche categories. Many tools, including Publisher Rocket, make finding profitable keywords easier than ever.
- Utilize Amazon A+ Content: Amazon offers this free service that allows authors to add custom marketing assets, such as custom images, banners, side-by-side product comparisons, and lifestyle images showing your book in use to further promote sales.
- Amazon Ads: This subject deserves its own article, but, in a nutshell, you pay Amazon to rank your book higher in the search results. For example, if your book is about coping with anxiety, you can bid on related search terms so your title appears more prominently when shoppers search for books in that category. However, ranking higher doesn’t guarantee success. You’ll still need a compelling book, great cover, and enticing description, at the very least.
Ready to Publish? Your Journey Starts Now
Publishing your story is easier than ever, thanks to the tools and platforms available to authors today. By following the steps above, from meticulously editing your manuscript, designing a compelling cover, and strategically marketing your book, you can successfully navigate the self-publishing world. Of course, partnering with a service like Sprig Publishing Solutions can make your journey less stressful and more rewarding. But whichever path you choose, the ability to put your book into the reader’s hands is easier and more rewarding than ever.
George McKeon is a self-publishing expert with three decades of experience at top-tier publishing houses including Random House, HarperCollins, and Macmillan. Today, he shares that expertise with first-time authors, guiding them through the self-publishing process and helping turn their dream of becoming a published author into reality.
