Everyone knows how difficult it is to get your manuscript accepted by a traditional publishing company these days. Why not take matters into your own hands? You’ll have complete creative freedom, from the content to the cover itself (and a bigger cut of the royalties). The road to authorship can be a rocky one. Here are a few steps that will help you get started:

Write it

This might go without saying, but before you can publish your great Canadian novel, you need to write it first. Writing a book—easy, right? Wrong. If you’ve ever sat and stared at a blank page, you’ll know how challenging this process can really be. There are ways to help make you write, like:

• Make it a habit. Each week, you juggle a rotating list of responsibilities—where do you find the time to write? Set up a writing schedule; it can be a word count target or a couple of hours spent writing each day. Find what works best for you and stick to it. 

• Create a writing space. If you start writing in the living room, with the TV on and the oven humming, you’ll find yourself easily distracted. You’ll start noticing all the housework you have to do, and before you know it, the computer will be closed, and you’ll give up on writing for the day. Dedicate a room of your home as a writing den. 

• Hold yourself accountable. Procrastination is oh-so-tempting these days. But if you want to get this book done, you need to put your foot down. Give yourself deadlines and stick to them. To be a self-published author, you need to be your own boss.

Hire an editor

Knowing how to edit your work is an invaluable skill in the world of writing. Even if you’re a proficient self-editor, a fresh set of eyes can find loopholes that you’ve overlooked. As you write a novel, you spend months up-close with the text; it’s beneficial to get an outsider’s opinion on the work.

Before you pay for someone to edit your work, be sure that you’ve proofread it to the best of your ability. You don’t want to waste the editor’s time (and your money) correcting simple errors like missing articles and misplaced commas. 

Design a cover

We’re going to skip the cliché quote that you’re surely thinking of, and just say it outright: the cover of your book matters. It’s the first thing people see when they view your novel. Since you’re a self-published author, they likely won’t recognize your name, and they definitely won’t see the name of a big publishing house on the spine. Your cover is what will give your book credibility; it’s your first chance to show readers that they’re looking at a professional and well-crafted novel. 

You can find a freelance designer to help you create a fitting book cover. Some printing companies offer cover designing services, so seek that out if it’s something you’re interested in.

Find a self-publishing company

The final step before self-publishing your book is to find self-publishing companies in Winnipeg. PrintPro helps authors print runs of 15-300 copies. If you’re ready to turn your dream into a reality, give us a call today.