If you’re thinking about writing and self-publishing a book, you don’t need nearly as much as you might think.
All you really need is something to write with, something to create a cover, and somewhere to publish it.
Of course, you’ll find plenty of advice telling you that you need professional editing, proofreading, formatting, cover design, ISBNs, marketing plans, websites, mailing lists, and a lot more.
For sure, some of those things can certainly help. But they’re not all necessary if your goal is simply to publish an ebook or paperback.
Self-publishing a book can be easy
I’ll head to the finishing line first because then what you need to get there will make more sense.
You only need a manuscript file and a book cover image. That’s it. As long as you know how to upload files, it’s just a couple of clicks.
However, you will need to add a little bit of information during the process so that your new book ends up in the right place in online bookstores.
These details include your title, author name, book description, selected genres (categories), and some search keyword phrases.
The last detail is to choose your price.
However, the most time-consuming part is before you publish your book. You’ll need to create an account and enter your bank details for your royalty payments.
Another necessity is to understand and complete your tax details to comply with the requirements of your country and the country where you are publishing.
Sometimes, your correct tax status might take you a little while to complete, especially if you don’t live in the US or UK.
Because of this, allow plenty of time to be sure you will get paid and, if possible, not be subject to withholding taxes.
Once you have your account set up and your royalty payment method secured, you can get back to writing your book. Here’s what you’ll need.
Something to write with
In my younger days, I was involved in printing and publishing a memoir that became a bestseller in its time.
It took a while to write because the author wrote his book at his kitchen table each evening after dinner with a pen and notebook.
While it’s not unusual, even today, for some writers and authors to write by hand, there is a massive danger involved.
Writing like this means working on the only copy in existence. That’s being on the high wire without a safety net.
Even if you are only a two-finger typist, a computer is a much safer and more secure way to write your book.
Then you can save backups or copies on your computer, cloud drive, or even a thumb drive.
As long as you have at least two, but preferably three, copies of your manuscript as you write it, you’re safe from most potential catastrophes.
You can choose from any number of apps, software, and tools to write a book.
But the easiest free way to write a book is to use a word processor.
It doesn’t matter which one. If you have a word processor already installed on your computer, that will probably do the job just fine.
If you’d prefer to use writing software that has more features, that’s fine.
But a word of warning.
Some free book writing tools look inviting. But quite often, features you might need at some stage are locked and only available by paying for a premium version.
That’s why I would always recommend using your word processor to write your book.
It might not have all the bells and whistles, but it won’t let you down.
Something to help you create a cover
For an ebook, a book cover is simply an image.
It can be a PNG or JPEG image file, but for a print book, it needs to be a PDF file.
An ebook cover is much easier to create because it is only one image. As long as it is big enough and high enough resolution, it will work.
For a print book, the cover is more complex. It’s because your PDF cover image file needs to have the front, back, and spine of your book. It also needs to be in high resolution to ensure print quality.
If you only plan on self-publishing an ebook, you can use almost any free image design and creation tool.
Amazon KDP recommends 2,560 pixels tall by 1,600 pixels wide (a 1.6:1 height-to-width ratio) for ebook covers. I’ve used slightly smaller and larger ebook covers with no problems. But the 1.6:1 ratio is the most important to ensure your cover fits the displays in online bookstores.
These dimensions are also acceptable on most self-publishing platforms.
If you also want to publish a paperback version, KDP has a lot of guides and templates to help you create your print book cover.
One new option for authors is to use AI tools to generate book covers. I’m not a fan of AI in most cases, but it might be an option if you’re happy to use this new technology.
However, you may have to declare your use of AI-generated content on some publishing platforms.
Should you use a cover designer? Yes, it’s always preferable, but it can be expensive. If you’re on a budget or want to self-publish for free, you can produce adequate book covers.
Somewhere to publish your book
You have no shortage of options. You can look at our article listing seventeen self-publishing services.
However, it’s no surprise that Amazon KDP is the most popular choice. It’s by far the largest online bookstore globally.
The alternative option many authors take is to use an aggregator. Draft2Digital is a popular choice.
With an aggregator, you can publish once and have your ebook available on multiple book sales sites like Apple, Kobo, and B&N. While it works best for ebooks, you can also publish a print book with Draft2Digital.
While most new authors will choose either of these two options, you do have other avenues. Do your research before you make your final decision.
Ordering your priorities
You’ll never publish a book you haven’t written, so that’s your absolute number one goal.
If you’re not sure how long it will take, you can use our Novel Planning Calculator to help you estimate how long it will take you to write your book.
Yes, it takes a while, but during that time you should choose your self-publishing service and make sure your payment and tax details are in order. The last thing you want to do is waste time on these admin tasks when you’re finally ready to publish your book.
Another consideration is when to design or arrange for your book cover. It’s a matter of getting the timing right.
Realistically, it should be toward the end of writing your book, so you know what the whole story is and how you want it portrayed on your book cover.
A good time to start is often when you begin your editing, checking, and proofreading stages. Whether you decide to use a designer or do it yourself, allow at least two or three weeks before you plan on publishing.
It might sound like a lot of work, and yes, it is. But if you plan well and take things in the right order, it’s not as difficult as you might think.
The two most important factors are planning well ahead and writing your book.
Summary
Everything you need to self-publish a book is probably already at your fingertips.
As long as you save and back up regularly while you write your book, you’ll get to the end with a complete manuscript.
You could use Canva or any other design app for your cover, and then you only need to choose your self-publishing service.
But keep things in perspective, because not every book will succeed and sell well.
Publishing a book is easy.
Writing one is the long, hard part.
Selling one is even harder still.
Related Reading: 5-Minute Self-Publishing Checklist For New Authors With A Free Template
English teacher, writer, and author. Passionate about grammar, creative writing, and self-publishing. Always exploring new tools and tech to help writers succeed.
