Top Ten Tips for Publishing Your First Book

I've written poetry since high school and have always dreamed of seeing my work published. Like many writers the thought of publishing a book is intimidating and until the pandemic disruption the time was never right to turn my dream into a reality. As I talked with colleagues about publishing my debut book "canvas" (Viewless Wings Press, in pre-order now and shipping June 15) I found I was not alone - and was flooded with questions.

To help other prospective first-time authors I've collected my top 10 tips for publishing your first book. As we gradually leave the pandemic behind us there isn't a better time to make your publishing dream a reality.

Top Tip #1 - Write Every Single Day

"Being a professional writer means you have to write even when you don’t want to." - Kemp Powers (Screenwriter and Director of Pixar's "Soul").

Before I heard Kemp share those thoughts I wrote when inspired - which meant not very often. With Kemp's words ringing in my ears last December I started writing every day and haven't looked back. As writing became a habit instead of waiting for inspiration I find inspiration. I see poetry as I move through the world and am already well on my way to completing the manuscript for a second book.

Top Tip #2 - Storyboard Your Manuscript

When I realized I had enough poetry to create a book of 100-120 pages I had to find a way to structure the book. This is difficult to do in a word processor so I printed out poems I'd written over many years to start the difficult process of deciding what to include, how to group the poems, what wouldn't work and what gaps I needed to fill. For a couple of weeks I left the book in its rawest form on the family room floor as I played with the layout, using a storyboarding technique.

Top Tip #3 - Hire a Copyeditor

I was fortunate to have two excellent editors - my wife and my dad - who read every single poem (multiple times) and provided actionable feedback. I hired a copyeditor later in the process, when I had a completed manuscript, to ensure the book was letter perfect. Your editor and copyeditor might be the same person but they are different skills. I hired Brittany Smail who found errors (some small, some not so small!) that my wife, my dad and me all missed. Her feedback was invaluable.

Top Tip #4 - For Self-Publishers: Imprint, ISBNs, LCCN, and Barcodes

If you are self-publishing your first book, as I did, there are a number of items you'll need to take care of, not all are mandatory. The simplest path is for the print on demand (POD) provider to handle everything (Kindle Direct Publish, Barnes & Noble Nook and IngramSpark are all options). If, however, you want the most control over your book I recommend ordering your ISBNs directly from Bowker (which also provides barcodes), applying for a Library of Congress Control Number (LCCN) and creating an imprint for your book (for "canvas" I created the imprint "Viewless Wings Press").

Top Tip #5 - Get a Professional Profile Photo

Of the many details one could easily overlook hiring a professional photographer for the profile photo is one of them. In my case I've had many corporate photos taken for a business context over the years, but none were book jacket appropriate. And given the effort put into the manuscript I didn't want to skimp on the About the Author page. Kristin Cofer provided me with the "age appropriate cool" photo I was looking for.

Top Tip #6 - Copyrights and Art Usage Agreements

You'll want to register your manuscript - before it is published - with the US Copyright Office. Doing so will provide you with additional protection in the event your work is used without your permission. If you plan to use art or photography in your book that you didn't create make sure to complete an art license agreement with the artist / photographer (if the work wasn't commissioned "for hire" for your book). There are online resources or you can hire a lawyer.

Top Tip #7 - Choosing a Cover and Layout Designer

The single biggest, and most important, expense for a self-published author is hiring a designer to turn your raw manuscript into a work of art. I found my designer (Zoe Norvell) by looking on the copyright page of a book I thought was beautifully designed. While it is possible to license software like Adobe InDesign and design the book yourself, or using the book designer wizard from the print on demand provider I don't recommend doing so. Your book will look generic and self-published. The investment in my designer was worth every penny - "canvas" from cover to cover is the work of art I wanted to create. I also included an ebook conversion with the design agreement.

Top Tip #8 - Printing and Distribution

As noted above there are several print on demand (POD) options that print and distribute high quality print books (paperback and hardcover), and can distribute your ebook and audiobook editions. The beauty of print on demand is you won't have to manage inventory or a storefront for selling your book. I ended up going with Kindle Direct Publishing (part of Amazon.com) and IngramSpark. Between the two of them I'm able to sell ebook, paperback and hardcover editions of "canvas" online through Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble, and bookstores can purchase copies wholesale via the Ingram Content Group. You can see an example of my book listing here.

Top Tip #9 - Blurbs and Advance Readers

As a first-time author the most critical advertising tool you'll have is word-of-mouth from early readers of your book. A critical piece of advice I received early in the process is to focus on readers - not revenue - as a first-time author. When my manuscript was fully designed, still months from launch, I shared a PDF with several notable authors who agreed to read my book. Remember that established authors were first-time authors too, earlier in their careers. When I received this blurb I had the design of my book updated to incorporate the recognition:

“James Morehead’s 'canvas' opens itself to the poetry of everyday life, where stanzas are etched in sand, and poems end in sunset. Combining micro-narratives of Boston bullies cornering a young boy, with minute descriptions of time in quarantine, it draws us into moving tableaus of tenacious attention to what went down, what might come up, and where we might find ourselves. These are poems to be savored, re-read, kept handy for those times when only poetry will do.” ‒ W. J. T. MITCHELL, Senior Editor of Critical Inquiry and Gaylord Donnelley Distinguished Service Professor, English and Art History, University of Chicago

In addition to blurbs that you can use to market the book, you'll want to build an army of advance readers - people who you'll provide ARCs (advance reader copies - aka galley proofs) a couple of months before your launch so that they can read your book and be ready to post reviews on launch day (GoodReads does permit advance reviews, Amazon only allows reviews to be posted when the book is published). The time gap between finishing the book design (when the book can be pre-ordered) and the actual launch is to provide time for advance readers to read your book, and to plan the launch. I've built up a network of 45+ advance readers from friends and colleagues. Note that I didn't include family in this list - Amazon and other sites are pretty savvy at taking down reviews by family members.

Top Tip #10 - Planning Your Launch

My book "canvas" is still weeks from the June 15 launch but I'm working details to make the launch as impactful as possible. Because I'm publishing a collection of poetry I'm participating in (virtual) poetry open mics to build awareness. I'm also planning a local event and talking to local bookstores. Closer to launch day I'll make it as easy as possible for my advance readers to post their reviews. I won't, of course, see the reviews until after they are posted and have asked for fair and honest reviews; I will make it easy by providing direct links to review pages.

If you've read this far and are still interested in publishing your first book it's been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Opening the box a few weeks ago with my first printed proofs was thrilling.

James Morehead is writing about his first-time author experience on ViewlessWings.com and can be reached at admin@viewlesswingspress.com. James' Twitter handle is @dublinranch and Instagram channel is @viewlesswings. "canvas" is available for pre-order.