File 0138-0139: So, You Want to Publish a Book
August 23 2024 / September 6 2024
In this two-part episode our hosts, Cayla, Nathan and Courtney get to grill Halli on what it takes to break into self-publishing. Halli explains the importance of editors, formatting, ISBNs, covers and so much more!
It's a Writerly Life
So you did it. You wrote a book. You might be exhausted or elated or somewhere in-between, but it's done. At least as far as words on the page go!
But where are you in the editing process? Do you need an editor? Oh, wait…and what about a cover? How does that work? If you want to sell it, what then? And audiobooks? Ebooks?
The process from first draft to finished book seems pretty straightforward. Only, it's not. At all. I wish it was, because then I wouldn't have made so many mistakes along the way
I'm Halli Starling. I'm a librarian and author, a queer person who wanted to write stories that reflected my own journeys but also avoid a lot of pitfalls I see in queer fiction, especially romance. I called myself a romance author for the last 3 years, but that's slowly changing as I expand into different genres. As of this recording, I've written 10 books, published 9, and been featured in 1 anthology. I've been reviewed by the Stonewall Book Award Committee twice. I've been a finalist for 2 indie book awards.
But those numbers don't mean anything when I hold a light up to what writing means to me as a person, a human being who lives with the rest of you in this often-dumpster-fire world. I started really writing - really writing, focused on a book - in 2020, but I've been writing since I was a kid. Stories have always come naturally to me, and I can easily credit my many years playing D&D and other tabletop roleplaying games in reigniting that spark. It's how I met everyone on this podcast, too.
When I sat down to write WILDERWOOD, my first novel, I focused only on the writing. I had friends read it, I played around with some formatting in Word. All fine and good, but when it came time to focus on the other aspects of putting together an actual book, a thing people could hold in their hands and/or read on their phones or tablets, I had a leg up. My library days and my time working in the book world had taught me about ISBNs and book jobbers (we'll define that in a second) and I was very familiar with how to even get audiobooks made. But some of the finer points about book formatting, the art of covers, and even font choices on your book spine, weren't on my mind.
Well….learn from my mistakes.
This isn't a one size fits all walkthrough, but it should give you places to start.
Halli's Resources:
Editing
Graphic Design Sites
Writing and Formatting Software
Publishing
Covers
Audio Books
Where to Begin
I'm going straight to the end of the beginning. You wrote a book. You've read it through a few times, maybe already had a trusted family member or friend read through it. And you're thinking of publishing it.
First things first - I highly recommend getting an editor or a really well-read friend to take a red pen to it. Editors can be expensive, and it might feel awkward or intimidating to try to find one, let alone one that's affordable for you. There are a ton of freelance editors out there; you can search through Instagram or on Facebook or check places like Fiverr. In the case of editors, their knowledge of grammar needs to be Fort Knox, but just like any good editor, their assistance with things like plot and characterization can go a long way as well. This doesn't mean you always need to take that advice.
There are three main types of editing I see freelancers putting out their shingles for. Not every editor can do a combo or all three.
Developmental editing: Also known as substantive editing. It's what you're probably guessing; these editors help you with the development of your big ideas and characters. Fixing plot holes, tweaking characterization. They're looking for the story stuff and not so worried about grammar.
Line editing: Sometimes called style editing. A lot of people conflate line and copy editing, but they are different. Line editing, as per the name, focuses on each line of the manuscript. This editing looks at the strength of your sentences and word choice, along with word flow. It can make your dialogue heftier and your descriptions more beautiful.
Copy editing: This is where we fix all the grammar and punctuation and spelling. The nitty-gritty to make sure your book reads nicely.
No editing is foolproof. I mentioned that editors may suggest things you don't agree with. Ultimately, you're paying an editor for their opinion and expertise. Reedsy, another service you can use to locate an editor, has a really great article on what to look for in this partner to your book.
And remember - credit your editors. Yes, you paid them but they deserve the recognition for their work.
Okay so you've done the editing thing. How the hell do you turn it into a proper book? Formatting? Is that a thing?
It IS a thing, and a very important one. When I formatted WILDERWOOD, I used a Word template that, in hindsight, was fine but not great. Since then, I've learned how to make my books look really great, page by page.
There are two main programs I see people talk about that aren't connected to the Adobe suite of software: Atticus and Vellum. Vellum is Mac only (it does NOT work on iOS as of this writing) and is $199 for their ebook formatting software and $249 for ebooks and physical books. That's a one-time fee. Atticus is for PC only and while it's not quite as advanced as Vellum, I've found it pretty easy to use and adaptable to different layouts. Atticus is a one-time payment of $147. No renewing software licenses every year. You buy it once and that's it.
Either program lets you mess around to your heart's content. You can add in scene breaks with a simple line or use your own image, upload the cover to be included in the book itself, add dedications and resource lists, etc. Both are really flexible tools that are worth taking the time to learn.
Once you upload your document into these formatting programs, it's going to start to look like an actual book. You'll want to really look through each page, each section, run another spell-check, do all the things to ensure the book looks great.
In Atticus, you get lots of options for trim sizes. The actual size of the book when printed. For a lot of fiction and nonfiction, 6x9 inches is the most common standard size in the US. I've also done books in the smaller 5.5x8.5 inch trim, but 6x9 is my favorite. Half an inch on each side shouldn't make a difference, but it does!
Once your book is formatted and you've downloaded your files, you're…well, part of the way there to having a book. Because every book needs a cover and honestly, I find this process the most difficult. For WILDERWOOD, I knew I wanted something on the cover to let people know immediately it was a vampire book. Something with blood and fangs, but not too graphic.
Here's the thing about covers - they're all subjective. A cover you love your best friend might hate. It is art, and more importantly, it's art that promotes your book. Everyone judges books by their covers and anyone who says they don't is a liar. The cover is your "for sale" image, like the perfect picture you take if you're selling a house. The cover is your curb appeal.
I have some background in graphic design, mostly by necessity, but I do actually enjoy the process. When it comes to book covers, you can make your own or hire someone to do it for you. I've done a lot of it - I've made my own covers, I've commissioned art from friends and other artists, and I've bought premades. If you're not an artist or graphic designer, premade covers are an easier path to getting something pretty on your book cover. You can do a simple search for premade book covers, but I would give a bit of warning on that: a lot of premade covers are now being made by AI and then people are selling them. AI is ethically and environmentally damaging and takes money from actual artists, so I would be careful in who you select to help you out with a book cover. I know a lot of authors use services like BookCoverZone to get nice premades.
There are a ton of premade covers on Etsy as well (I sell premade for $20, and have some bargain bin ones for $10). Premades are great because the artist can simply add in your title and author name and any other info, and then you have a cover! Typically premades are for ebooks ONLY, and if you want a matching wrap (the front and back cover and spine) for a paperback or hardback, you'll want to ask them about that possibility.
Otherwise, you can hire an artist, as I mentioned before. Artist rates vary - I've paid anywhere from $150 to $1000 for art for a cover. Just the art doesn't typically include text placement, so if you have any skill in graphic design, you can import the art into a template (you can go to Kindle's cover calculator and get a template, then follow the instructions on a blog I've linked in this article to walk through how to make a full paperback wrap in Canva).
And now that you have a book - the interior, exterior, and everything looks perfect - you have to figure out how to get it out to the world.