Successful Self-Publishing: After self-publishing
Congratulations! Your book is now for sale on the online stores, hopefully in ebook and print, and maybe even in audio.
There are a few key steps to take immediately after publishing before we move on to marketing in the next section.
(1) Double-check all of your listings
Go to the various platforms and check that your book is there, that the sales description is formatted correctly, and that you’re happy with everything. It’s also worth buying a copy so you can experience the purchase process as a customer and then check what readers will get. You will learn a lot from this step, especially if you’re new to self-publishing.
If you need to make changes — for example, series spelling, or an issue with the cover, or you uploaded the wrong file — fix it as soon as possible, before you start marketing.
One of the great things about being an indie author is that you can update your files anytime, but catching problems early saves you potential embarrassment and wasted marketing efforts.
(2) Claim your book on Amazon Author Central
When you click on an author name on Amazon, you should be directed to an Author Page with their photo, list of books published, website details, and social media info.
You set up this page through Author Central at author.amazon.com, where you can claim your book, link editions, and upload extra details to enrich your author page.
(3) Create universal book links (UBLs)
Amazon has different country stores, and you want readers all over the world to be redirected to their specific store. You can set up one shareable redirection link with BookLinker.net or GeniusLink or Amazon OneLink if you’re an affiliate.
These services detect where your reader is located and send them to their local Amazon store rather than, say, sending an Australian reader to the US store.
If you publish wide or sell direct, you can set up UBLs at www.Books2Read.com or BookFunnel.com.
Both services create a page that readers can use to reach their favorite store and shop in their favorite format. Completing this step is particularly important for wide authors since readers have strong preferences about which store they buy from, and you want to make it as easy as possible for them to purchase.
(4) Add your book to Goodreads
Goodreads.com is owned by Amazon, so your book will end up there automatically at some point, but you can also add it manually. Taking control of this process ensures your book information is accurate and complete from day one.
Goodreads reviews are incorporated into your Amazon book page data, and they are also an important source of recommendation data for AI systems, increasingly useful for book discoverability.
You can set up an author profile on Goodreads and add information about you and your books, which helps readers connect with your entire body of work.
(5) Update your author website and social media
If you have an author website, you can set up a dedicated book page for your new release and add the buy links for each store once the book is available.
You can also start marketing by adding posts or videos on social media, and pinning them to your profile, or updating your bio. You can add specific links using Linktree or a similar service.
(6) Celebrate your achievement!
You’ve published a book! It’s an incredible achievement that many people only dream about, so take a moment to appreciate what you’ve accomplished before diving into the next steps.
Resources:
• Amazon Author Central — author.amazon.com
• Universal Book Links for wide distribution — www.Books2Read.com
• BookFunnel — www.TheCreativePenn.com/bookfunnel
• Goodreads — www.Goodreads.com
• Multiple link service for social media — www.linktr.ee
