Quick Start Guide to Self-Publishing a Book - Authors A.I.

Quick Start Guide to Self-Publishing a Book

A step-by-step blueprint to help you become a published author

By J.D. Lasica
Authors A.I. co-founder and thriller author

Every year, hundreds of thousands of writers become first-time authors. If you’re ready to go from rough draft to published novel, here’s how to do it—one step at a time.

Before you begin: Is self-publishing right for you?

If you’re nearing a completed first draft, it’s time to decide: Will you self-publish or pursue traditional or hybrid publishing? The majority of new authors today choose self-publishing, while many still pursue a traditional publishing route, and a small number choose hybrid publishing. Here’s an overview:

Self-publishing

Indie authors enjoy full creative control and significantly higher royalties. As your own publisher, you’ll oversee not just writing and editing but also cover design, formatting, and marketing. Thousands of writers now make a full-time living this way, while many more do it part time.

Traditional publishing

This path is harder, usually requiring you to secure a literary agent. For some, it offers broader bookstore reach and a chance at mainstream success. But it comes with far less control and a far longer timeline. To start querying agents, you’ll need a polished manuscript in hand.

Hybrid publishing

Here, you pay a small publishing house to handle production and promotion. This can be a valid option—but beware of vanity presses. See our tips below for spotting reputable hybrid publishers.

Self-publishing pros and cons

Self-publishing is now a legitimate and often a preferred path for new authors. It offers complete creative and business control.

Pros include higher royalties, full creative freedom, direct reader connections and fast go-to-market.

Cons include upfront costs and financial risk, the full gamut of editing, design, and marketing tasks, and the challenge of gaining visibility in a saturated market.

If you’re entrepreneurial, self-publishing is like running your own business — a path that many authors find empowering.

Your 10-Step Guide to Self-Publishing

1. Finish your manuscript

The hardest step, of course, is completing your first draft! Whether you’re a plotter or a pantser (discovery writer), get those words on the page — then revise! Authors A.I.’s Author Dashboard is designed to help get your manuscript in shape for commercial release. Things to consider:

  • Use frameworks like the Three-Act Structure or the Hero’s Journey if you need guidance (see the Story Structure section of the Author Dashboard for Marlowe Pro subscribers).
  • Make sure your manuscript fits genre-appropriate word counts (available to Marlowe Basic or Pro subscribers in the Get Started section).
  • Tools like Scrivener (or Atticus as a budget option) can help with organization and formatting.
  • Consider planning your book as part of a series, even if book one works as a standalone.

2. Use self-editing tools

First drafts are for getting the major components of your story down. Most debut authors make considerable changes to their manuscript during the rewrite process. After you finish a rough first draft, polish your manuscript using AI tools:

  • Marlowe Pro: Analyzes story structure, plot turns, pacing, clichés, language, and much more.
  • ProWritingAid: Helps with grammar, repetition, style, and integrates with Scrivener, Word, and Google Docs.

3. Bring in outside editors

Outside editors range from alpha readers or beta readers (who typically do it for free) to paid professional developmental editors. Remember, you are the publisher, which means taking on tasks typically handled by a publishing house. You may not need every kind of editor for every book, but consider at least one professional critique before publishing.

Depending on your budget, here are the types of editing to consider:

  • Alpha readers: Trusted early readers — typically, friends or critique groups. Alpha readers help identify major issues such as plot holes, pacing problems, and inconsistencies in the narrative. If you join a writers’ group, members who critique your manuscript serve this function. The size of an alpha reading group varies, but two to four individuals is common.
  • Beta readers: Beta readers provide more detailed critiques of near-final drafts, focusing on the reader’s experience and elements such as pacing, character arcs, plot continuity, and the manuscript’s overall polish. A team of beta readers can range in size from three to dozens of people.
  • Developmental editing: A developmental editor reviews your finished story and makes recommendations for strengthening the plot, structure, character development, conflict, characterization, and more. Think of it as a “big-picture structural edit.”
  • Line editing: Line editing entails a review of plot, pacing, word choice, dialogue, inconsistencies, and the readability of your story at the sentence level. Developmental edits and line edits tend to be the most expensive kind of edits.
  • Copy editing: Edits for grammar, punctuation, and to ensure proper style.
  • Proofreading: Final typo and formatting check post-layout. Some charge by the word (the current average is $15.80 per 1,000 words) while others charge by the hour (the median rate on the freelance platform Upwork is $25/hour).

Here is our Editorial Services Directory for vetted developmental editors.

4. Choose your book formats

What final form will your storytelling take? Common options include:

  • Ebook: for reading your story on a Kindle and other devices.
  • Paperback: still readers’ most preferred format.
  • Hardcover: generally recommended for later in your author journey.
  • Audiobook: An increasingly popular way for people to take in stories. Just be aware that the platform you choose affects licensing rights, royalties split with narrators, whether to use AI for voices, etc. Audiobooks are generally released weeks after the ebook edition.

Most authors begin with an ebook and paperback, then branch out.

5. Get a professional book cover designed

Your cover is your most important marketing asset. Readers will decide whether to click on or skip over your title in just a second or two, so make sure it pops! You can:

  • Hire a professional cover designer (best results)
  • Buy a pre-made cover (e.g., via BookCovers.com from Draft2Digital)
  • Use AI tools (e.g., Ideogram, Flux, or image generators from OpenAI, Google, etc.)

Things to keep in mind as you’re preparing your book cover:

  • For Amazon, the best results for an ebook cover are 1600px wide by 2560px deep in a jpg format.
  • You need a title and subtitle for the book jacket that exactly matches what you enter into the fields when you upload your book to Amazon.
  • Want to publish a paperback? You need to create a wraparound cover that includes the front (it appears on the right side), the spine (the book title and author name in the middle), and a back cover that includes your book blurb. The final image needs to be converted into a PDF with dimensions that vary depending on book length and page size (5.25 x 8 in., 6 x 9 in., etc.)

⚠️ Whatever choice you make, just make sure to do your research to make sure your cover is appropriate for your genre and looks professional enough to attract readers. Join writers groups on Facebook and ask for members’ opinions about the cover choices you’re considering.

6. Prepare front and back matter

Much of the material to include is optional. Thumb through some of your favorite authors’ books and you’ll get an idea of what to add.

Front matter may include such items as:

  • Endorsements/testimonials
  • Copyright notice
  • Publisher name — Your book distributor will ask for the name of the publisher, so if you’re self-publishing and plan to release other titles, put some thought into a name that’s fitting. 
  • Dedication
  • Epigraph — a short quotation that suggests the book’s theme or sets the tone.

Back matter can feature:

  • Character list
  • Author notes (especially for nonfiction or fact-based fiction)
  • Newsletter signup invitation
  • Request for a review and rating
  • Other books by you
  • Author bio and photo

7. Format your book

For ebooks, export to the .epub format using tools like:

For paperbacks, precise formatting is critical. Consider:

Always review your formatted proof — both digital and physical.

8. Write your book blurb & metadata

Before you publish, you’ll want to make sure you have all the required data in hand. For Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing program or Draft2Digital, you’ll need:

  • Book blurb. Don’t confuse this with a book description that spells out everything that happens in your story — and don’t give away the ending! A book blurb consists of one part plot summary, one part teaser, such as posing the central story question or cliffhanger that makes readers want to find out the answer. There’s an art to writing book blurbs. There are specialized services for this if you need one, and AI is becoming increasingly good at it. Your book blurb appears as the main text on your book sales page on Amazon and it doubles as the text on your print book’s back jacket. 
  • Keywords. What are at least seven keywords that people will type into the search fields on book retailer sites to find your book? Services like PublisherRocket can help with this.
  • Genres. Under what genres and subgenres does your book fit? Research titles similar to your story on book retail sites. 
  • Sales price. Spend some time researching the typical retail price for a novel similar to yours as an ebook or paperback.

9. Publish & distribute

Decide whether to:

  • Go exclusive with Amazon (KDP Select) — great visibility via Kindle Unlimited, but your distribution is limited
  • Publish wide — reach all major retailers and libraries, but your book will be harder to promote

Top distributors include:

Note: Kindle Select has a 90-day commitment. You can switch to “wide” later.

10. Market your book

Once you hit publish, it’s time to let the world know you’ve published your book! Ideally, you will have laid the groundwork for this beforehand by putting out the word on your network and building up a newsletter list. Consider these options:

  • ARC campaigns & influencers: Send early copies to readers and reviewers
  • Email newsletters: Build a list with free content giveaways
  • Preorder: Put your book up as a pre-order to gather momentum.
  • Social media: Especially TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook
  • Paid ads: Facebook, Amazon, Instagram — requires repeated experimentation for success
  • Book events: Great for networking, though costly
  • Promo services: BookBub, Freebooksy, etc. Work best with discounted ebooks.

You’re on your way!

Self-publishing a novel is a bold and rewarding journey. Whether you aim to build a full-time career or publish a passion project, this guide is your launchpad.

Let us know how your journey goes — we’d love to hear from you on our Facebook page!

J.D. Lasica is COO and co-founder of Authors A.I. See his author site for information about his high-tech action thrillers.

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