[445] How to self-publish your book in 2021 with Sacha Black

Self-publishing your own book is a great way to build your online audience - and your authority. 

But how do you get started? How much does it cost? And should you do it all yourself - or use a print-on-demand service like Amazon, IngramSpark or Bookbaby. 

If you’ve been asking yourself these questions (and more) then you’ll love this podcast episode with publishing expert and bestselling Indie author Sacha Black.

Sacha shares every single step you need to take on your self-publishing journey - from coming up with a killer idea for a non-fiction book - to publication to promotion.

You’ll also learn how to promote your book (with or without an online audience) and some killer tips to avoid the stress of a one-star review.

PLUS the one thing you must avoid when you launch.

{Click on the player above to listen to the podcast episode and/or read on for a detailed overview. Scroll down to the bottom to read the show notes including all the links mentioned in this episode.}

 

Podcast shownotes

 

• About Sacha Black and how she helps people self-publish (02:19)
• Create engaging content with my Courageous Content mini-course (03:05)
• What you need to consider before you start writing a non-fiction book  (06:06)
• How to come up with a killer topic for your book (06:24)
• The differences between traditional publishing and self-publishing (09:42)
• The pros and cons of being an Indie author (11:18)
• How to structure your book and why the problem you solve is at the heart of it (12:50)
• Why choosing the wrong style/genre could upset your audience (15:10)
• The optimum word count for a non-fiction book (16:10)
• What it means to publish ‘wide’ or ‘exclusive’ (and the pros and cons of both) (17:15)
• Publishing costs of a digital book vs a printed book (20:25)
• Reasons to outsource the formatting of your book (22:26)
• Why you should invest in a professionally-designed book cover (23:01)
• What sort of budget do you need for marketing a book (24:04)
• How to publish your formatted digital book online (24:34)
• What not to include in a book description (and why controversial is good) (28:34)
• Tips to avoid one-star reviews on Amazon (and what you must avoid when you launch) (30:38)
• How to promote your book if you haven’t got an online audience (32:36)
• Why content marketing is great for selling a book (33:48)
• Tips to get people on your email list (37:11)

Resources

 

Vellum for formatting on Mac
BookBaby for publishing
Kobo for publishing
Barnes and Noble for publishing
Overdrive for publishing
Reedsy for editing
Draft2Digital online publishing
Ingram Spark print on demand
Bookbub for distribution

Mastering Amazon Descriptions by Brian Meeks
How to write a sizzling synopsis by Bryan Cohen
The Rebel Author Podcast Sacha Black

Sacha's published books
Sacha Black Instagram
Sacha Black website

Join my Courageous Content mini-course
Join my Instagram Success Academy

Other useful podcasts

[Bonus] Should you join Janet Murray's Build Your Online Audience Programme? (podcast)

[408] 11 Instagram Story ideas to help you make more sales (podcast)
[411] How to become the go-to person in your industry with Jen Hall (podcast)
[414] How much does it cost to launch your own planner? (podcast)

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