How to self publish your expertise

Self publishing a book is not the same daunting task it once used to be.

As someone who helps businesses self publish their books and has successfully helped publish and launch hundreds of books, I can tell you it’s now within the grasp of each and every one of us.

All it takes is the drive and patience to put your expertise to paper.

Here are some simple tips for self publishing your book.

1. Write — start by writing 500–2000 words every single day.

A typical book is between 40,000 and 80,000 words, so if you could write 500 words a day 7 days a week, you could write your first book in 80 days which is under 3 months.

As Steve Jobs would say:

“Real artists ship”

2. Self publish 3.0

Publishing has gone through 3 stages.

Publishing 1.0 was where you had to publish through a major publishing house.

Publishing 2.0 happened when self publishing became trendy. For instance, there were 15 million books published last year versus 300,000 10 years ago (holy cow). It’s cheap quick and easy to get your book published by doing it yourself or some cheap quick fix option.

Publishing 3.0 is where we are right now. Thanks to the digital economy and the huge growth in freelancing and startups, hugely talented publishers, designers and marketers are striking out on their own and are independently charging for their services. Top tier service, small business prices.

This costs more than publishing 2.0, a LOT less than publishing 1.0, but is far more lucrative.

3. Build your platform

Traditional publishers won’t even look at you without a big platform.

But why do you need them when you can build your own platform?

Build an effective platform for your book by having an honest voice. Provide a unique perspective on your industry and don’t be afraid to say things others wont.

Guest blog on big sites, automate your social media schedule and be consistent in your promotion leading up to the launch of your book.

4. Have a killer title

Headlines are what sell!

Why do you think there’s been so much clickbait the last few years?

Everybody is hungry for clicks. Your book title is going to determine how many people give it a second glance.

Just like with sales, your opener buys you those next 10 seconds and those next 10 seconds buy you the next 60.

Look at these headlines from Amazon’s best selling business books list, not one of them isn’t extremely intriguing or compelling:

5. Design the heck out of it

The cover of your book is incredibly important.

Picture yourself the last time you went to a large book store.

There’s literally thousands of books. How do you decide which ones to pick up?

The covers.

Enough said. Find a killer designer and make sure your title draws the eye and immediately tells people what it’s all about.

6. Edit your edits, then edit those edits. Hire an editor.

A good editor can literally make or break your book.

Listen to this by James Altrucher, a super successful published author and VC, on working with his editor:

Nils and I went back and forth on more than 15 different rewrites for my book. The difference between the original version and the final version is like the difference between chicken shit and chicken salad.

Chicken shit and chicken salad guys.

Nobody likes chicken shit, don’t be chicken shit!

7. Market your book

Do you think the world would go crazy for every iPhone launch if Apple weren’t marketing geniuses?

Of course not.

The same is true with your book. If you don’t market it, no one will know how awesome it is. Understand your audience and where they hang out.

Then make sure you poke your nose into those places and give them a bit of free value to introduce them to your book.

If your message and tone resonate correctly, it’s then a numbers game.

If you’re not confident on marketing your book, hire a marketer or a self publishing provider who can handle this for you.

Shout about it

Finally once you have successfully self published your own book be loud and proud about it!

Make sure you showcase your authority across your social media platforms, your website and in your marketing outreach.

Showcasing your book on your website landing page is bound to increase conversions and tip your social proof thermometer from lukewarm to smoking hot.