Tips for a successful self-publication of books

Over the past decade, the market for the self-production and self-publication of books, where the author and publisher are the same person, has been thriving.

Which means that today, your uncle can produce and publish his book cheaper and in better quality than ever before. So, if you have a manuscript that’s ready to go to press, there’s never been a more affordable time to print it.

Self-publishing a book? The quality of the end product is key

The self-publishing market is still booming, with millions of self-published books now sold every year in the Kenya and in genres as diverse as autobiography, fantasy, cookery and photo reportage.

The challenge for anyone publishing a book is to succeed in creating a product that is perceived to be of quality, which means as close as possible to the books found in bookshops. Graphic design and print quality are therefore crucial to publishing books that look professionally produced.

In this article, we’re going to give you five top tips for publishing a book. Of course, these only come into play if you’ve already done the hard work. Only once you’ve written your book, are confident in the content and happy with the quality of your writing can you focus on our advice for self-publishing your book.

• Finding a cover image
• Choosing a cover font
• Getting the layout right
• Publishing the book

Aesthetics, layout and legibility are often overlooked in people’s haste to get their book out there. Yet, these are key elements for producing and publishing a well-made book. Because a book with an attractive appearance will catch the eye of more potential readers. Let’s look at what you need to keep in mind.