Self-publishing can seem overwhelming because there are so many steps involved – I’ve made a checklist to help authors who are finding it all a bit overwhelming! This list was based on my own experience self-publishing fantasy books and working with indie authors for many years.
The checklist covers some of the publishing steps you need to take when self-publishing, as well as suggested marketing tasks. It’s not an exhaustive, in-depth guide, but should give you a brief rundown of things you need to do. This list is intended to get you started – you’ll probably want to research some of the individual tasks here more thoroughly, as there are lots of topics covered.
You can scroll down to the bottom of the post to download the checklist as a free PDF, which can also be printed out.
Publishing steps
Choose your book title, series title if needed, and pen name
Choose your release date
Buy your ISBN numbers (you need one ISBN per format, e.g. one for a paperback and one for an ebook)
Write your blurb/book description
Decide if you’ll buy barcodes (most print-on-demand services print one onto the paperback book for you)
Hire a cover designer for your ebook and/or paperback
Hire a formatter (or learn to do it yourself). Content you may need to include in your manuscript: dedication, contents page, copyright page/ISBNs, acknowledgements, thank you/request for reviews, author bio
Decide whether you’ll be Amazon exclusive or “wide”
Research keywords and categories (try Publisher Rocket for help with this!)
Order your proof copies to check for errors
Upload any corrected files
Prepare any advance review copies you have or want to send out to reviewers before release
Choose your Amazon categories (as of 2023, you’re allowed to choose three categories)
Marketing tasks
You don’t have to do all of these, they’re just ideas. I suggest starting with a few that interest you, or that you want to test out. You can always do more later, or stick to a couple of tried-and-tested methods.
Make a multiple-territory link for your book (try mybook.to)
Post social media announcements (pre-release posts might include cover, blurb, and title reveals)
Create an author website and add your book details
Create a media kit with your author bio and headshots
Start or grow your newsletter (try MailerLite) and offer freebies for signing up
Send out advance review copies (you can use sites like BookSirens or BookSprout for this, or contact bloggers)
Claim your book on Amazon Author Central and set up your profile and bio
Send out regular newsletters with updates
Try out Amazon or Facebook ads
Social media: share regular updates, post short-form video on TikTok or Instagram, aesthetics posts, quotes/snippets, photos of your writing space, reader Q&As, live chats, share reviews and book recommendations, writing tips
Add your book to Goodreads (try the Goodreads Librarian Group in Goodreads groups if you have trouble)
Set up your Goodreads author profile and do the Q&A
Try out some Kindle Unlimited countdown deals if you’re enrolled in KU
Set up and run a street team to help promote your book
Remind people to review your book if they’ve read it
Try doing some real-life events such as conventions or signings
Use Pinterest to pin content related to your book and any future projects
Take part in newsletter swaps with authors who write in your genre (try BookFunnel)
I hope this self-publishing checklist helped you on your publishing journey! Do you have any suggestions for things that I’ve missed from this list? I’m always happy to update it so feel free to leave a comment or get in touch with me with suggestions!
Rachel Rowlands is a fiction editor and author. She loves helping writers develop, refine, and polish their stories. To date, she has worked on around two hundred books for independent authors and publishers, including Hachette, HarperCollins, Black Library, and Penguin Random House. Her fairytale retellings The Darkest Curse and The Wicked Prince are available now.
Sensitivity reading, also called diversity reading, is a topic that’s often misrepresented these days in publishing. Contrary to what some believe (and what some sensationalist news pieces claim), a sensitivity reader doesn’t exist to make your work “politically correct” or to impose their own political…
Welcome to Author Journeys, an interview series focused on overcoming rejection and other struggles in order to get published, self-publish, or secure literary representation. If you’ve ever felt held back, lost, or stressed out by the path to publication, this series is here to inspire…
I’ve often helped writers get their query letters and submission material into shape before they send their work off to agents. I’m also frequently asked for advice on the process of submitting to literary agents more generally. It’s something that’s shrouded in mystery, and sometimes…
Writing a synopsis for your novel is one of the most difficult tasks you can be asked to do. It involves quite a different skillset. You need to be concise, understandable, and ideally keep it limited to a page in length – all while giving…
Welcome to Author Journeys, an interview series focused on overcoming rejection and other struggles in order to get published, self-publish, or secure literary representation. If you’ve ever felt held back, lost, or stressed out by the path to publication, this series is here to inspire…
Rejection is unfortunately a big part of being a writer, and so is coping with that. What makes it even harder is that we tend to be sensitive people. We’re emotionally attached to our work, pouring months or even years into it. When you spend…
