The Self-Publishing Process
Self-publishing is a process.
Simple. Structured. Repeatable. It’s not announcing you’re “finally doing it” and then disappearing for three months to tweak fonts (raise your hand if you’ve got a draft that’s going on edit 58).
It’s logistics. Quiet, slightly unglamorous logistics.The aesthetic part comes later.
FIRST: THE FILE
You don’t publish a notes app epiphany with zero formatting. You publish a polished file.
A formatted interior. A cover sized correctly. Metadata entered without typos. Categories chosen with intention. A description that doesn’t sound like you’re asking for approval.
The draft is emotional. The file is technical.
Self-publishing begins the moment you separate those two.
THEN THE PLATFORM..
You choose where your book is going to live.
Kindle Direct Publishing. IngramSpark. Both.
Research is key here.
Each platform has its own specifications, royalty structures, and distribution reach. Some require exclusivity — meaning once you enroll, your book stays with them for a set period.
Read the fine print without skimming. Decide what matters more: broader distribution, higher royalties, or access to specific promotional tools.
Choose based on strategy, not urgency.
THE BOOK COVER
This is where writers can spiral in Canva at midnight. They want something timeless, but trendy. Literary, but commercial. Soft, but bold. Personal, but marketable.
Just remember: you don’t choose a cover to represent your soul. You choose a cover to represent your category.
Readers decide in seconds whether a book belongs to them. Your job is to signal clearly — add a little intrigue, but don’t overcomplicate it.
THE UPLOAD
So you’ve formatted to the gods, chosen a platform, created the account, and spent five days on a cover. Now what?
You start the upload: PDFs, cover files, descriptions — and then you wait while it processes.
Pro tip: Writing the description isn’t a summary. It’s positioning.
Who is this book for? What does it promise? Why should someone trust you with their time? You’re not explaining the plot. You’re setting expectations. The best descriptions feel calm. Certain. Slightly restrained.
THE RELEASE
You set the date and begin the rollout.
You can offer a pre-order. You can soft launch on your website with the first few chapters. You can post snippets of your favourite lines on TikTok. You can press publish at 11:42 p.m. and tell no one until morning.
You decided how it enters. After that, it moves in public.
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