E-books are a quick and easy way for anyone with ambitions of becoming a self-published author to get their work out into the world. Here we’ll show you how to self-publish an e-book successfully, step by step.
First things first, why should you self-publish an e-book?
E-books are forecast to make up nearly 26% of total book sales worldwide this percentage is still valid until 2023. So, while there has been a resurgence in the purchasing of printed books in recent years, e-books still make up a significant portion of the market. And for good reason. E-books have a much lower barrier to purchase than printed books, both in terms of price point and the time lapse between conception and consumption. In other words, e-books are popular amongst readers because they’re cheap and can be read immediately after purchase. And they’re popular amongst authors due to their low production and distribution costs and the fact that they can be made and set up for sale relatively quickly.
Here at Noble 7 Publications we are equipped to publish and promote your e-book through our services. You are thinking, “But I don’t know where to start right?
How to Self-Publish an eBook in 5 Steps with Noble 7
Step 1: Fine Tune Your Content before submission
First, consider whether all the content you’ve got needs to go into your e-book. Are there natural breaks in the narrative this is a great way to maximize the money-making potential of your content and opens up new promotional opportunities.
Secondly, obvious but always worth re-emphasizing is the need to proofread your content before submission as well. Check, double check, then check again. The benefit of the self-publishing is that most e-book formats carry the ability to re-open the file at a later date and make edits if you spot a typo, but the ideal scenario is to get it right first time. With the enlisted help of Noble 7 Publications to help you review consistency and flow, as well as the usual spelling and grammar checks before final publication.
Last but not least, getting the cover of your e-book right is vital. Consider that potential readers may be scrolling through several rows of e-books on their screen, so your cover has to be eye-catching and in keeping with your chosen genre. The additional challenge is that it must stand out even as a thumbnail image. If budget allows, it’s definitely worth considering working with our professional in-house graphic designer to get this element of your e-book just right.
Step 2: Pick the Right Format
There are 3 formats you could consider for your e-book, Re-flowable e-books, Fixed-layout e-books & Digital PDF.
Noble 7 Publications uses the digital PDF publication format for production on our website. As we have found this to be the most efficient & cost effective for our services & clients needs.
Step 3: Describe Your e-Book
The term ‘book metadata’ refers to the words and phrases that you use to describe your book, including the title, the author’s name and bio, and your book description or Noble 7 Promoted authors section. It is this information that will help potential readers find and be interested in your book.
Start by doing a basic brainstorm. What words would you search for to find your self-published e-book? Once you’ve done this, narrow your list down to between 10 and 20 specific words or phrases. Test the relevance of each by conducting a search on Amazon. Does the search provide links to books that are similar to yours?
Once you have your list of keywords you can weave them into your author bio and book description, and possibly even into your title or sub-title in your promotion listing on the Noble 7 website.
Step 4: Set Your Pricing
One of the key benefits of self-publishing an e-book is that the reduced production and distribution costs allow for a higher profit margin. However, keep in mind that the low overhead costs are also reflected in the price a customer will expect to pay for an e-book versus a printed book.
The best place to start when deciding on the price of your book is looking at what similar books are being sold at with the retailers you wish to use do your research. This will give you a good idea of where you should be aiming, but there are a few other things to consider.
First, where you are selling your e-book. For example, the royalties you receive on Noble 7 Publications vary depending on the price of your book. Between $2.99 and $9.99 you’ll keep 70%. Above or below this bracket your royalties are reduced to 35%. That gives you a rough starting point.
Set up a phone meeting, to discuss your terms of percentages with CEO Cynthia further on this step.
Your e-book’s length is the first thing to consider. For short stories, say between 1,000-5,000 words, readers won’t expect to pay much above $0.99. Longer novellas tend to sell at between $2.99 and $5.99. And for a novel, between $2.99 and $7.99 would be about right. The genre of your e-book also has an impact on price point. Generally, romance, sci-fi and fantasy books tend to sell for less than literary fiction or non-fiction books.
Remember nothing is set in stone and your pricing strategy is flexible. You can adjust your price point at any time in response to the level of demand for your book or changes in the wider market.
Step 5: Promote Your E-Book