Mark Dawson sold 300,000 copies of his self-published e-books in the last three years.
Centered around an assassin, they were a huge success with the audience.
The thing is –Dawson is not a professional writer. He’s not a trained writer either. He’s just a guy with a passion for writing. He works on his books on his 4-hour commute to London every day, all the while raising two small children.
Still, at $4 per Kindle edition of one book, his passion has earned him over 1 million dollars so far.
What is stopping all you writers out there from doing the same thing?
For the most part, it’s the fact that you have no idea where to start so I decided to give you a bit of a nudge!
Why is Self-Publishing a Great Way to Make Money Online
There are several reasons why aspiring writers should look more to self-publishing than to traditional publishers.
Your book will certainly get published, at least in an e-format
Mostly there are no upfront costs involved
You won’t be paying exorbitant fees for publishing services
A large percentage of your profit stays with you or gets reinvested in your business
Your success depends entirely on how good of a writer you are and how committed you are
Ways to Self-Publish a Book
The term self-publishing is an umbrella term that covers several different ways you can go about publishing your book.
True self-publishing – writing a book and publishing it independently on one of the platforms that don’t charge a publishing fee – you don’t hire professionals to assist you.
Self-publishing with assistance – you hire a designer for your cover, an editor to go through your manuscript, and/or anyone else whose services you require.
Assisted self-publishing – hiring a company that will help you handle the editorial process, designs, publishing, and marketing your book.
You will also have to decide on the medium for your book: e-book, paperback, or hardcopy. Most self-published authors choose to publish an electronic edition of their book first and wait to see if there is a demand for paperback or hard-copy editions.
Who Can Be a Self-Published Author?
You might think that you need to be one hell of a writer if you want to publish a book. For the most part, this is not true.
The truth is – it’s going to depend on what kind of a book you’re writing.
If you’re writing fiction, then sure, it’s going to matter whether or not you’re creative storyteller that knows about plot points and character development. On the other hand, if you’re a professional who’s looking to write a book about sales funnels, Facebook advertising, fitness, or anything else, the only thing that matters is that you have a wealth of knowledge you’re willing to present in an organized manner and share with others.
Where to Start
Start a book from its beginning. Self-publishing can be a nightmare if you don’t know what you’re doing. Luckily, here are some easy steps to follow.
STEP 1 – Prolific writers who want to share their ideas with the world, should start by writing
STEP 2 – If you need a nudge in the right direction, research the market before settling on a topic or an idea
STEP 3 – Identify current fads and trends (zombies, vampires, marketing on Snapchat, etc.) and decide whether you can write anything about that
STEP 4 – Enroll in a self-publishing course to learn more about it
STEP 5 – Sit down and write
STEP 6 – Edit and revise your work
STEP 7 – OPTIONAL – Hire a professional editor or an assisted self-publishing agency and have them critique your work
STEP 8 – OPTIONAL – make necessary changes
STEP 9 – publish your book on one of self-publishing platforms – Kindle Direct Publishing, CreateSpace, Lulu, or any of the others
STEP 10 – market and promote your book through Facebook ads, blogging, guest posting, featured articles, and more
STEP 11 – collect the money
Recommended Self-Publishing Resources
1. Learn About Self-Publishing Self-Publishing School | K Money Mastery 2.0
2. Assisted Self-Publishing Resources Motivational Press | Spiderwize | MindStir Media | Archway Publishing
3. Self-Publishing Platforms Nook Press | Smash Words Kindle Direct Publishing | Book Baby
Closing Statement
Writing a book may seem as a terrifying undertaking at first, but countless self-published authors have proven that it can be done rather successfully. With a lot of work and just a little bit of luck, you might soon be on your way to becoming a bestselling author and wouldn’t that be something!