HOW TO BECOME A BOOK PUBLISHER IN 7 STEPS — PART 2

Understanding the importance of the first three steps of becoming a publisher is vital. Have you registered your company with Bowker Books and found a reliable printer? Are you searching for works worth publishing? If not, read HOW TO BECOME A BOOK PUBLISHER IN 7 STEPS — PART 1. For professional guidance, schedule a complimentary half-hour consultation with me. Then, read on for the next step in becoming a publisher.

Step 4: Publishing Processes

The publishing process involves more than scouting creative works. Whether you are publishing books or magazines, know the works you publish will initially be in raw form. In book publishing, you will start with a typed manuscript–with a magazine or music publication, you will receive articles typed in Word, and with music notes on music staff paper. Your job is to prepare digital files using publishing and art software to bring them to the form for digital printing. This requires graphic design, illustration, and layout to the proper size. For book covers and magazines, some advertising layouts or book synopsis copywriting will also be required.

Next, key creative decisions will need to be made. For example, what font we will use? Will we use black and white, four-color, and what size will our final published work be? Plus, how many will we print on the first run? And, unless you are interested in becoming an editor, you will hire a content editor, first. Then next, you will need to hire a copy editor, and for the last pass, you’ll need a professional proofreader. This applies to all publishing forms–whether your intent lies in becoming a magazine, music, or book publisher.

Step 5: The Proofs

Once you have acquired the creative works and prepared the digital art files for publication, you will need to create a few proofs along the way. The first proof will be an output of the digital files — sometimes a “rainbow proof,” or any accurate rendering of the digital files. Send this proof to the author or creator of the works to get them to look over and make any last-minute changes.

Next, you will need to check for color accuracy at this juncture. By now, the creative work has been content edited, copy edited, and proofread by professionals, so we can expect very few mistakes, but there may be something that was overlooked. To protect yourself, get a signature from the creator that everything on this proof is correct. Do not skip this step. The client needs to know the seriousness of this.

The next proof will come from the printer. The printer will send you physical proof of the work to be printed. Certainly, you will be required to sign off on this as well. Notably, making changes at this point can be time-consuming and costly, because the final digital screen or negatives will have to be redone. However, this choice is better than the publication being printed with serious errors. Finally, keep in mind, there are very few error-free publications, and always room for improvement on a second edition. Only very serious errors should be corrected at this point.

Step 6: Published!

Finally seeing your book, magazine, or music project published is thrilling! The glory of this moment has been worth all the efforts invested in becoming a publisher. While the details of the project are fresh, now is the time to prepare for the next edition. Remember, any publishing project is a continuous process. This is also the moment to take a breath and celebrate your newest publication. Embark on your last step which is distribution and book sales.

Step 7: Distribution & Sales

The shift from traditional publishing to digital publishing has allowed for new distribution and sales opportunities. Today, becoming a publisher, book publisher, or self-publisher is actually doable. Yet, in selling and marketing your published project, you will encounter competition. For the success of your publishing company, the bottom line is to market your works for sale. Publishers must design and implement a distribution and marketing plan for the works they produce. I recommend reading my article, “When Self-Publishing a Book, What Pitfalls Must Writers Avoid?” for more tips about successful publishing.

Considering about 80% of the printed books are purchased online, you would be wise to focus 80% of your efforts to publish online. Sales efforts, in addition, could include SEO optimization, links to Amazon, building a website, and online press releases. A plan for publishing the alternative versions such as audiobooks, e-books, downloadable files, and such, if not daunting enough, is a must. Finally, becoming a book publisher will require you to remain informed on new developments in the industry.

Deborah S. Nelson is the publisher of Publishing SOLO Magazine and the owner of the Dream to Publish Tools, Courses, Book Coaching Boutique.

Try my quiz, HOW PUBLISHABLE ARE YOU? to determine the level of your publishing skills and decide if self-publishing is right for you!