The Path To Truly Professional Indie-Publishing

As a professional graphic designer for over 15 years, I've had the pleasure of working on hundreds of books. I fell into the extraordinary world of Indie publishing almost seven years ago. From Children’s picture books to Romance, Sci-Fi, and Self-Help, I help authors polish their manuscripts for publication. Specifically, I offer formatting and book design services. I’m the last step before publication.
Oftentimes, at this stage, an author needs a bit of help beyond formatting. Frequently, they just need to be pointed in the right direction for ISBNs or copyright information. Sometimes, it’s a bigger discussion about publishing goals. And sometimes, it’s a matter of recommending and explaining industry standards and practices that may go against well-intentioned, but poor advice.
Anyone can publish a book… ANYONE.
Print-on-demand publishing services and DIY resources make publishing easier than ever before. You can take a manuscript from written to published in days, and all for free. This model has made self-publishing more accessible than ever, but has also created a serious reputation problem.
When I Google “Are self-published books…” the third option that pops up is “Are self-published books any good?” It reflects a sentiment I hear over and over from readers, and a fear I frequently hear from self-publishing authors.
But here’s the thing: A professional self-published book doesn’t look self-published, so in the arena of public opinion, it doesn’t often get included with unprofessional looking books. We hear far more about self-published books that don’t meet professional or industry standards. Note, I frequently use the term Indie publishing, and in this context, it is the same as self-publishing.
What makes a book unprofessional? Maybe the cover tells a different story than the book, or the formatting makes it challenging to read, or worst of all, it hasn’t been edited or has been poorly edited. I’d bet dollars to donuts, most readers can’t tell the difference between well done, professionally self-published books and traditionally published books (from a reputable publishing house). I have no doubt that an Indie book can sit proudly on the same shelf as books from the Big 5, but it requires a major investment of time, money, skill-building, or some combination of all three.
There are two primary paths to professional publishing. The first is through a reputable, traditional publisher. The second is what we’re going to explore here each month—the path to Professional Indie-publishing.
While the topics will be valuable for any writer who’s interested in self-publishing, this series will be most valuable for the writer who is seeking commercial success—book sales.

Read the entire article in the April 2021 issue of InD'Tale magazine.

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