There are a lot of benefits to self-publishing your book as opposed to wading through the maze of traditional publishing. Not only do you retain full creative control over your work, but the process is also significantly faster, and you don’t have to sign away the majority of your royalties to an agent and publisher. Since contemporary traditional publishers typically don’t offer authors much marketing assistance, there’s even less incentive to work with one. But one key advantage that traditional publishers do offer is prestige.
Self-published books can be successful if they look professional.
Self-published books are widely seen as much less prestigious, sometimes even being dismissed outright, largely thanks to the sea of poorly written, barely edited self-published books available on platforms like Kindle. But it’s possible to self-publish your book without making it look self-published—and for serious authors, that can be the key to success in the indie book market. At MemoirGhostwriting.com, we help authors with all aspects of the book writing and publishing process, offering a wide range of bespoke ghostwriting packages to fulfill a diverse array of needs.
Tips to make your self-published book look more professional
You can absolutely achieve success with your self-published book if it’s professional. The key here is that it doesn’t just look professional—it is professional. It’s vital to take the publishing process seriously and invest the necessary time, money, and effort in polishing your book such that it radiates professionalism. Readers definitely judge books by their covers, so it’s important to convey the right feeling from an initial glance and then back it up with high quality in the rest of your book’s composition.
Here are several ways you can self-publish your book without making it look self-published.
1. Get professional editing and proofreading
One of the key reasons self-published books have garnered such a poor reputation is their lack of editing and proofreading. Between the clunky storytelling, awkward phrasing, gaping plot holes, and copious typos, it’s easy to tell when a book hasn’t been properly edited. One of the most important ways you can make your book professional is to hire skilled copywriters and proofreaders and take their feedback to heart.
2. Design a professional-looking cover
Another reason why a reader may gloss over a self-published book is that it looks unprofessional right from the get-go. People absolutely do judge books by their covers, so it’s important to ensure your book has the right look. Unless you have meaningful experience designing book covers, it’s best to hire a professional—design isn’t easy, and most people aren’t good at it. Hiring a professional book cover designer is a worthwhile investment.
3. Hire a professional typesetter
If a prospective reader likes your cover enough to take a peek inside, you want to make sure the small glimpse they get gives them a positive impression. Whether you’re printing physical copies or publishing an eBook, it’s important to ensure that the interior layout of your pages looks consistent and professional. If they don’t, that’s a major red flag to a potential reader. Typesetting is much trickier than it may sound, so it’s best to hire a professional typesetter for the job.
4. Gather positive media and/or industry reviews
Reviews matter. With so many books on the market, readers want third-party opinions to help guide their purchasing decisions, so one of the best ways you can make your self-published book stand out is by collecting rave reviews from reputable media or trade industry sources. If a trusted authority figure likes your book, people will be more likely to give you a chance—whether they’re booksellers, librarians, or the general public just looking for a good new read.
5. Establish your own imprint
A key way that you can obfuscate your book’s self-published nature is by establishing your own imprint. This is, in effect, your own publishing company, which is worth setting up if you’re serious about being an author—it’s like your own brand. It’s a relatively simple process, and it allows you to instantly give your book a much more professional feel. It’s even better if you couple this with an ISBN, giving your book even more legitimacy.
We provide end-to-end services for professional-looking self-published books. We can also help you publish traditionally.
The professionalism of a book goes far beyond the words themselves. You need a great manuscript, no doubt—that’s the heart of the book after all. But it’s also crucial to ensure all the words are clear and flow well together, with no typos or grammatical errors distracting from the content. To entice prospective readers to open your book in the first place, you’ll need a stunning, professionally designed book cover that accurately conveys the mood of your book, and to prompt the reader to engage with the book meaningfully, you’ll have to present the content coherently with professional interior design.
We at MemoirGhostwriting.com can help not only write your book but also add all the necessary finishing touches to prepare it for successful self-publication. If you’re ready to get started with your story, check out our tailored ghostwriting packages to find the right option for you.