HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK IN 2024 (Part 1)

Every book undergoes a process before it is available to readers, either as hard copies or digital copies. That process, from editing to book cover design to typesetting and printing, is what publishing is fundamentally about.

To fully understand it, we'll go further to give you an insight into the book publishing process. In this article, you'll learn:

• The definition of publishing
• How to plan and write your manuscript in 2024
• How to edit your manuscript via a publishing route
• Legal and copyright considerations
• How to market and promote your book
• The best distribution and sales processes

Let’s get right in.

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK IN 2024

There are two primary ways in which books appear: soft copies and hard copies. Although soft copies, otherwise known as digital copies, have gained immense traction, hard copies haven’t lost their relevance. Each has its place in every industry and for every individual.

Now, what are some things you should consider when you want to publish your book in 2024?

PLAN AND WRITE YOUR MANUSCRIPT

There's hardly ever anyone who writes a book without properly planning it out, whether before or after writing the first draft. Fiction writers are familiar with the concept of outliners and pantsers. Generally, outliners plan their book from start to finish before penning down the first words of their story, but pantsers follow the story wherever it leads.

This is different for nonfiction writers, who will almost always outline their entire book content before commencing the actual writing.

Whether you're writing fiction or nonfiction for a first or final draft, you will certainly need to work with a plan somewhere along the line. This is where planning your manuscript comes in.

So, let’s get right into how you can go about planning and writing your book.

Research Your Topic

Research is like the foundation of a building. Without it, the first building blocks could crumble. Take the instance of creating believable characters for a fictional story. As a writer, you will need to understand human nature to create characters that leave a lasting impression. 

The deeper your search into real human experiences and psychology, for example, the deeper understanding you have of creating characters that resonate with your readers.

Prepare an Outline

We mentioned how some people let the wind carry them on their writing journey. This is beautiful for fiction, but sometimes, it may be derailing for nonfiction. This is why putting down your main topics with their subtopics before you begin writing is advisable. 

With a structure in place, such as an outline, writing becomes easier, and meeting your writing goal becomes more achievable.

Ignore Formats; Just Write

One mistake writers make while preparing their manuscripts is trying to polish everything as they go. This interferes with your imagination and impedes your flow. 

The best thing to do is to pour everything down without worrying about organization. When you're done writing, you should then begin to worry about submission guidelines and everything else. 

Write from Anywhere

Are you worried about where to begin writing from? There are no rules to this. You can begin with the most or least important points or ideas. You can begin from the second chapter of your outline or the story's final chapter. But not starting at all because you're uncertain about where to begin should not be the case.

Check the Facts

Facts matter. Whether you're writing a farfetched fantasy or a leadership book, you need solid information because your credibility rests on it. Writing science fiction that uses inaccurate scientific laws may cause embarrassment, especially when the critics come for you.

Redraft

Never think that your first draft is excellent. It is unlikely that the very first book manuscript will be as smooth as powder. This is why it is important to go through and begin to iron out every crease in your first work. 

Remember, we said earlier that you should avoid formatting while writing. In the redraft stage, you can do as much formatting as you like simply because you already have all your initial ideas written out.

Decide on the Book Version

The publication version usually depends on several factors, including your target audience, the type of book, and the marketing process. 

If you're self-publishing, you will have to make the decision yourself or seek professional advice before making a decision. However, if you choose the path of a traditional publisher, that decision may heavily involve the publisher.

In 2024, most books will be published primarily as eBooks, paperback, hardcover, or audiobooks.

EDIT YOUR MANUSCRIPT 

You may feel the need to edit your work by yourself, but this is hardly the best approach. A book editor can mean a world of difference to your book. 

Book editing goes beyond checking for errors. It is a step-by-step process, with the main types being developmental editing, copy editing, and proofreading. Depending on the budget, a different editor may handle each type. 

Each type of editing has its purpose, and unless you have all the answers as to what is best for your book, it is best to pass the book to an editor who is a trained professional in polishing a manuscript to publishable standards. 

You should consider these editing methods and ideas:

Self-Editing

A book shouldn't leave your desk and be handed over to a professional until you have gone through it yourself. Self-editing your work first helps you cross-check to see if you have done what you wanted to do. 

Did you make a typo there? Does that phrase communicate what you meant? Is that sentence clear enough to convey your meaning? Did you leave out one or two ideas?

Then, when you're done checking these and more, feel free to give the manuscript to a third party.

Professional Editing 

Going the professional editing route simply means hiring a professional editor to edit your manuscript. A professional editor is an experienced, skilled, and (sometimes) certified editor who does editing for a living, whether full-time, part-time, or as a freelancer.

Once a manuscript has been completed, it is best practice for the author to pass it to a literary agent, who in turn will look for a trusted publisher to publish the book. In the absence of a literary agent, the book is sent directly to a publisher by the author.

Most traditional publishers are very careful with the manuscripts they accept. A publisher will first have to consider several factors before deciding whether to accept a manuscript. Publishing can be risky, so publishers are less likely to accept anything blindly. They will consider the value of the content, the market, the target audience, and the prospects of the book, among other things.

Editors are alpha readers. Once the publisher decides that a manuscript is promising enough to be published, they send it to an editor responsible for polishing it into a book-worthy version of its original self. But you should know that a book undergoes different kinds of editing and sometimes goes through the hands of different editors, including proofreaders.

Use Beta Readers

Beta readers exist to give honest feedback on a manuscript. Anyone can pass for a beta reader: family, friends, colleagues, members of your target audience, or people you pay to commit to reading your manuscript. 

The feedback you receive will give you insightful tips to improve your manuscript. Editors can also choose to use beta readers, whether or not you, as the writer, employ the method.

CHOOSE A PUBLISHING ROUTE

One of the biggest considerations in book publishing is which method of publishing to employ. 

Should you send it to a publisher who will offer you a publishing deal (advance payment plus royalties) and handle every aspect of the publishing? Or would you like to do it all by yourself? 

Every author must make a choice. We will show you three standard options to use when publishing a book in 2024.

Traditional Publishing

The oldest and most common publishing method is for a publishing house to receive your work and publish it based on the value they see in it.

Traditional publishing houses like Gemspread Publishing are very valuable in the following ways:

1. They are professionals: These establishments bank on producing the best quality using only the best hands in the industry.
2. You save a lot of money: Unlike going the self-publishing route, you don't have to pay through the nose. They'll cover the publishing costs, pay you upfront (if it's part of the deal), and pay you royalties later.
3. Their brand is good marketing: If a popular publisher publishes you, rest assured that the name alone is enough benefit. This means having a well-known publisher is good marketing.
4. They promote your work: There's no need to have a book if it won't reach your readers. Traditional publishing offers you a smooth marketing and promotion vehicle.

Self-Publishing

Self-publishing became popular with authors trying to bypass the traditional publishing route.

One of the most popular self-publishing methods worldwide is Amazon Publishing and Amazon Kindle Publishing. Since launching in 2009, millions of authors have achieved writing success using these services. Some traditional publishers nowadays also use Amazon self-publishing methods.

Hybrid Publishing

Lastly, there's hybrid publishing, which blends traditional and self-publishing methods. When you seek to get published through hybrid methods, you should be very careful to avoid dubious vanity presses. 

Vanity presses or vanity publishers are a type of hybrid publishing in which you pay for all publishing services at no cost to the publisher, and they take the rights to your work.

Many hybrid publishers offer pay-to-publish methods. This means you bear the publication costs but receive professional services and higher royalties while retaining more creative control over your work. Hybrid publishers offer established distribution channels and maintain quality control, providing certain advantages over self-publishing. The specifics of hybrid publishing can vary, allowing you to choose the level of support you need.

We advise that you do proper research before deciding to use the hybrid route. If you want to use hybrid publishing, consider platforms like Gemspread Publishing, which offers a pay-to-publish option.

Final thoughts on how to publish a book (Part 1)

This first part covers the fundamentals you need to understand to publish your book in 2024. Publishing your book does not end with choosing a publishing route, especially if you choose the self-publishing route.

There are legal considerations, marketing and promotion considerations, and distribution channels to consider. 

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