You finished writing your book.
Congrats, you freaking did it!!! That is not a small thing. Most people who say they want to write a book never actually finish one. You did. That, in and of itself, is impressive, so take a moment to let it sink in and celebrate.
Okay, maybe not quite like that … but you get the idea. It’s a big accomplishment!
And if you haven’t yet finished writing—SAVE THIS—and be way ahead of the curve when it comes time to publish!
This is the part nobody really prepares you for.
You’ve written the story that your heart has been dreaming about for years. But then, actually figuring out how to get it from manuscript to a published book can be overwhelming. When I finished writing Woven in Time and decided to self-publish, I felt equal parts elated and completely lost. And I made mistakes. I did things out of order.
I wished someone had been there to walk me through it.
What I didn’t know was this—the hardest part wasn’t even the technical process of publishing, it was dismantling my own limiting beliefs and overcoming my fears about putting myself and my story out there in the world. Most publishing resources just cover the logistics, but this one acknowledges that publishing a a book is an emotional journey too, not just a to-do list.
So, I made this list for you!
It’s broken down into six main phases of self-publishing. This is PART ONE because Substack told me I write too much, lol. It covers the inner work, establishing your author presence, and preparing your manuscript.
PART TWO covers production, launch, and marketing.
I think I could have written a whole article on each phase, and maybe I will soon! But for now, I tried to be as concise but as helpful as possible. If you just want the simple PDF version of this entire checklist, scroll to the bottom of PART TWO’s article—hit subscribe and DOWNLOAD!
Because skipping this phase is why so many authors quit and never hit ‘publish.’
☐ Get honest about your WHY for publishing. Your WHY is what will help you through those tough moments and help you define the path forward on your publishing journey. Why does this book need to exist? What outcomes do you want to see? What is your ultimate goal for publishing?
☐ Name and sit with your limiting beliefs. These are the stories (or lies) you’ve told yourself. We all have them. It’s our ego’s way of keeping us ‘safe’ but also of keeping us small. Is it about money, your worth, no one reading your words? You won’t be able to get rid of them right away, but being aware is the first step towards dismantling them and rewriting them.
☐ Write down your success story. Not your goals, not your to-dos. But your biggest dreams for this book and your future! Just as you are working to dismantle fears and beliefs that hold you back, it’s equally important to visualize what you want and where you’re going. It can be in the form of a letter from your future self, or an author bio five years from now, you decide.
☐ Discover your personal brand as an author. I know, I also kind of threw up in my mouth at the words ‘personal brand’ being in the section under inner work. But it’s helpful, I promise. It’s how you show up to others. It’s who you are. And it can be fun discovering the weird and unique things that make you YOU! And the more comfortable you are with your own voice, your vibe, and your brand, so will your book be to your readers.
✦ Jess’s note: Know that fear and doubt will show up throughout this whole creative process, not just at the beginning. There will be moments you want to trash the whole project. Every author goes through this. It’s part of publishing, putting yourself, and your creative work out into the world.
Feel it. Then keep going.
Start this earlier than you think you need to. Like—right now. Get comfortable telling people about your story. Practice your pitch, anywhere and everywhere. Get excited about your book. Because others will too!
☐ Do Market Research. This is my business brain talking. Who are you writing for? Who do you want to reach with your story? Describe them. Where do they shop? What social media platforms are they on? Then, identify comparable books already published and see where they sit in the market and how well they do. Because how you market, where you show up, and what decisions you make after this are important!
☐ Choose the social media platform that is best for you. Take note, I didn’t say join every social media platform. That can be overwhelming for sensitive and intuitive writers, so I suggest picking one or two that you are comfortable in and do them well. I chose Substack and Instagram. Then make sure that your target audience is actually on those platforms. It matters that you’re showing up where your readers are!
☐ Build your website. (optional, but suggested) If you can afford it, claim your author home on the internet. And if you’ve determined your personal brand colors, logo, fonts, etc. make sure they match across social media and your website.
☐ Build community. All marketing and sales ultimately come down to people and how you make them feel. For me, forced sales have always felt yucky. I crave authentic community and connection. And I imagine if you’re reading this, so do you. Luckily, if you’re passionate about your story, you can build those relationships naturally that will lead to sales when your book launches. AND you can build an email list and do it for free via Substack!
☐ Set up your business. Not necessarily part of building your author presence, but important if you are starting to spend money on your author business! In the states, an LLC or sole proprietorship is the cheapest and easiest way to go. The important part here is to keep a separate business account and transactions, to help you when it’s tax time.
✦ Jess’s note: Start talking about your book at least 6 months to a year before you launch. I mean it. Let readers come along for the whole journey. People connect with people, not with polished announcements. The readers who followed my journey from the beginning became my most loyal launch supporters.
I see a lot of indie authors who spend so much time on character art, cool graphics, great social media posts. But at the end of the day, you still need a good story! The work isn’t done when the draft is done. A strong book means hiring professional help to make your story the best it can be.
☐ Find Beta readers. Beta readers—these can be free or paid—give you feedback on your story from a reader’s perspective. They are NOT editors. They are there to confirm that your story is compelling, has interesting characters, and/or makes sense, meaning no plot holes, good story arc, etc. They can be friends or people you meet online. But this step is crucial in determining that you’ve identified your appropriate audience, your comp books make sense, and your marketing efforts will be directed correctly!
☐ Rewrites and self-editing. After or during beta reads, but before you decide to pay money for an editor, I suggest letting your manuscript sit for some time, at least two weeks. If you can, print it out and read it on real paper. Or listen to it using the ‘Read Aloud’ function in Word. Both will give you a different perspective on the story. Take your own time to get a feel for your story and identify where you can make it stronger.
☐ Hire an editor. There is a range of editing that can be done from developmental to line editing to proofreading, so determining what your book needs is important. If you’re unsure of what you need, you can do a FREE Story Edit, up to 15 pages, with the story team at One Brilliant Arc (OBA). When you are shopping around, editing is based on word count and generally between $.02-.05/per word (US dollars). If an editor ever makes you feel like your story isn’t valid, find a different editor. Their job is to make your story better, not change it!
☐ Write your book blurb. The hardest 200-300 words you’ll ever write, lol. But also, kind of fun! This is the hook that will get your readers to go from browsing to buying. Make sure it includes WHO your main characters are, WHY a reader should care about them (the stakes, their goal), but don’t give away the whole plot. Leave intrigue and mystery.
✦ Jess’s note: To use AI or to not use AI, that is the question in today’s author scene. While I know it can be tempting to use AI instead of an editor, I would not suggest it. This is a personal choice, but for me, I believe writing comes from our creative souls and I just don’t believe AI can duplicate that! If you are strapped for cash and can’t afford an editor, there are editing tools like ProWriting Aid or Grammarly (be aware they still use some AI) that I believe are better than ChatGPT for editing.
That’s the first half of the journey. Stay tuned for PART TWO!
If you’ve done the inner work, started showing up, and gotten your manuscript into real shape, you’re already further along than most aspiring authors ever get. Seriously. Most people never make it past the dream stage. You’re in the doing stage now. That’s huge. Cue the champagne GIF again …
PART TWO is coming and covers the part that trips up even the most prepared authors—production, launch, and what happens after. ISBNs, IngramSpark, ARCs, pricing, metadata, and marketing your book until the end of eternity …
Until then, keep dreaming.
With Love,
Jess
P.S. Want someone to walk you through these steps?
When I’m not writing book two or planning author events, I also work with other authors and creatives to help their on their journeys.
Whether you’re staring down a finished manuscript wondering what on earth comes next, or you’re somewhere in the middle of this list and feeling overwhelmed—I’ve been where you are. I can help you make a plan, work through the blocks, and actually get your book into the world.
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