3 Traps to Avoid When Self-Publishing

The self-publishing journey can be confusing and scary at times: you're putting yourself out there with a book that is close to your heart, while simultaneously figuring out how to get it out of your head and into readers' hands. With so much mystery around the process, there are traps you can fall into if you aren't careful. We've been down this road — here are the three that catch the most first-time authors.

1. You don't set a definite deadline

Dreamers and creatives feed themselves a steady diet of one particular lie: deadlines kill creativity. False. Deadlines are the date your dream becomes reality. Set a deadline, work backward from it, and don't push it. A book without a deadline is a wish.

2. You write your book in a vacuum

An award-winning songwriter once put it perfectly in a writing session: "Good songs are written. Great songs are rewritten." The same is true of books. Traditional publishers surround authors with editors who shape and refine the work; as a self-publisher, you have to build that circle yourself. Find trusted readers who will give you honest critique — and let their input make the book better. Don't ship your first draft to the world.

3. You don't have a marketing plan

Where will people learn about your book? What story will your marketing tell that makes someone want it? You can write the greatest book in the world, and it won't matter if nobody hears about it. You don't need a marketing degree — you need a plan, written down, before launch day: who you'll reach, where, and what you'll ask them to do.

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The world needs your book, and you are the only one who can write it. Don't let these traps stop you.

And when you're ready to sell it — do it from a store you own, with print-on-demand handling every order. Here's the complete guide to selling your book on Shopify, and the Bookworthy launch list will tell you the moment our free app is live.