Many of us enjoy writing and have considered publishing our own works before, although the process may seem overwhelming. However, with today’s technology and swarm of entrepreneurs that have tried every side hustle under the sun, it’s no longer a daunting process to not only write your own book, but to also publish it on your own, as well.

Self-publishing options are abundant, and there are countless authors who have walked the path before and written their hints and tips about how to make it work for you. A simple browser search can show you step-by-step guides to publishing your own book or articles and getting your name out there, possibly even making you some money in the process. With a bit of guidance and the right tools, such as book writing software, publishing your book can be more approachable than ever.

Here are some tips for publishing services that will help expedite the process and make it more simple.

Peer Review

If your book is more of a non-fiction or technical manual, a peer review can be wonderfully helpful to get your work off of the ground. A peer review consists of a reading of your book done by someone who is knowledgeable about the subject matter of your book without having any other ties. This service has the capability of giving you a perspective on your book that you or others who have helped you along the way may not have been able to see before.

Peer review can also help with the general layout of the book, and give an impartial review as to the thoroughness and understandability of what you are writing about. Even if you have enlisted another person to read over your works before you send it for publishing, a peer review by an objective person may do wonders for your completed book.

Copyediting and Proofreading

While these terms are often used interchangeably, copyediting and proofreading are two different things with similar processes. Copyediting is more of a polishing step. You want your final product to be cohesive and comprehensive, with a good flow and an understandable progression of storyline or information. A copyeditor helps your story make more sense and move in a particular direction.

Proofreading can happen at the same time as copyediting, but it focuses much more on mechanical aspects of the work instead of story or information flow and cohesiveness. Proofreading focuses on spelling, grammar, page layouts, format, and other aspects of a similar nature to help your work look as finished and professional as possible.

Marketing and Distribution

While self-publishing a book may not leave much room for marketing and distribution, there are self-publishing services and sites out there that will help with this aspect of book promotion for a fee. Of course, if you want to make money off of your publication, this step is a necessity. Media placement and social media marketing can mean the difference from a few pennies to dollars and is worth looking into. However, you also want to make sure you are doing the research for yourself. If you pay someone to market and distribute your book for you, make sure the cost is not more than what you would be getting in return.

Choosing a Company

Many big-name companies offer self-publishing services that cover nearly as many bases as paying someone to completely publish your work. Companies like Barnes and Noble and Amazon have self-publishing services that many authors have used to get their books off of the ground and into the limelight. However, a smaller company may be able to give more personalized help and be more aligned with your values than the equivalent of a big box store. A little research into any company will tell you what services are offered and what exactly the costs may be for those services, as well as what they can ultimately do for you.

Once you have gotten so far into your writing that you are considering publishing, make sure you are doing your research and putting the work into self-publishing your book in the best way that is going to optimize both the distribution of your work as well as the money it may bring in for you. You’ve worked so hard to get to a publishing point, so don’t let yourself back off of that before getting your book out there! A little more hard work can possibly give you an annuity that will last a lifetime.