Self-publishing your novel can be the best and the most exciting time of your life. You will enjoy the thrill and the uphill battle that you will have to get your novel published the way you want. While self-publishing your novel is very straightforward, there are certain things that you need to be aware of before you make any decision and start the process. It is very easy to make mistakes that can cost you a lot, so making an informed decision is better than anything else.

Here are the do’s and don’ts of self-publishing your novel if you are interested in going this route.

The Do’s and Don’ts that You Must Remember

When you have finished your novel, do get a good editor and work with them to make your work on par with the current market standards. It is a universally acknowledged fact that editing your own novel is exceptionally hard. Many authors believe that it is impossible to edit their own books, which is often the reason why they prefer to use a traditional publishing house. Hiring an editor is going to cost you some money, but at the end of the day it is going to be worth it when your novel is successful.

Do make sure that you get a professional cover made for your novel. Readers definitely judge a book by its cover so you will have to make a good decision and get your cover designed by a professional.

Don’t leave things to the last minute. There are going to be tons of things that you will have to do at the last minute, so don’t add to your burden. If you are thinking about selling your novel via an ebook retailer, make sure that you get your ISBN number as it usually takes about two weeks to get one.

Set a deadline and make sure you stick to it. Just because you are going to self-publish your novel, it does not mean that you can slack off. Also, try to stay as far away from self-publishing companies as possible. Most of these companies are part of traditional publishing houses, so if you are going to use these companies, it is better that you use a traditional publishing house anyway.

Since you will be riding solo to get the job done and have your novel published, you will have to take the brunt of the responsibilities from the very beginning. You must start your marketing process before you even begin the publishing process. Use Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to hype up the release of your upcoming novel and ensure that readers are ready to get their hands on it when it is released.

Sure, you will be self-publishing your novel, but you will need support from the community. If you are going to release your novel only digitally, then you should have the novel available on your website and the major ebook retailers. You should also ask your local bookstores to stock your book and make it available for the masses if you are going to publish it in print.