I first thought that all I needed to plan for were the words I wrote on the page, or a book cover that will stand out on bookshelves. Yes, all that is part of the process. But I was missing the bigger picture for my book’s plan. Once you get to the file upload stage you’re going to be prompted to make choices that affect your book’s future. If your book gets all the way to that point without a real plan you are limiting its success. That was something I overlooked about a decade ago, when I was working on my first book- and the second, third, and so on.
Needless to say I was a slow learner when it comes to some things. I remember sharing my dummy book (mock-up of my idea) with a bright group of third graders. About all I knew was that I wanted to publish my book, Lil Phyllis Loves To Laff. But my knowledge of publishing was just about as elementary as my audience was. But I actually did go on to publish my first book. I learned how by trial and error. And I am still learning today.
But not everyone has to learn by trial and error. Not having a publishing plan before hand forces you to make hasty choices at crucial points. This will be costly and hinder the outcome you work so hard to achieve. Books are a big business with some figures showing over 1.7 million titles produced each year. While other figures say between 500,000 to 1 million . . . new titles are published through traditional publishers” (Dean Talbot, “Number of Books Published per Year,” WordsRated, February 2, 2022). So the total number of new titles being published each year in the US—combining self-published and traditionally published titles—is approximately 3 million. Still others offer different numbers, stating that in 2023 there were over 500,000 self-published books.
That’s a lot of books. So there’s no need to rush to market. If you rush the process your new title will be swallowed up by a sea of competing titles.
Whatever type of book you are publishing, a self-publishing plan is an important tool to help guide your decisions. It is a book’s business plan to reach success, providing clarity on all aspects of your book. A thorough plan will consist of: services you’ll DIY and those you’ll outsource, the book’s formats, the target audience, metadata collection, the self-publishing companies, and how much money you can allocate to each stage of production.
A self-publishing plan will help you to strategize from the start. And then you can begin creating a book marketing timeline. Your book marketing timeline is built upon the self-publishing plan, and extends far after choosing a books publication date. A self-publishing plan must allow for flexibility as changes may occur, as well as delays. It also provides guidance on steps to be taken, resources required for achieving each milestone of the self-publishing plan.
After the book has been successfully launched your self-publishing plan can be modified or updated. It then can become a template for future book projects, as your backlist grows. Unlock the benefits of a self-publishing plan. It sets your book on course for success, with as little stress as possible. To get started on your self-publishing plan Take The Assessment
Works Cited:
How Many Books Were Published Last Year? (2024 Statistics) Joel Mark Harris Ghostwriters & Company
