10 Steps to Prepare for Your Self-Publishing Journey
Start with these steps before you even consider completing your first draft
I remember the feeling I had to seeing my first book available for purchase on Amazon.
It was indeed life-changing. For the first time in a long time, I had taken something I thought I could do and turn into something I knew I could do. I started out hoping it would work. Yet, in the end, I knew I could do it again.
Writing the book changed my life. Learning how to prepare it for publishing changed my life. And then, actually seeing it for sale and having hundreds of people buy it REALLY changed my life.
But, it wasn’t a project that I did over the weekend.
It took me a month to write it. Then a month and a half to get it ready for publication. Then I waited a little bit to build a launch team. In the end, about four months later, it happened.
The Real Work Started Long Before
However, the real work of writing a book started long before I wrote a word for the book. It started with my blog, writing on other platforms, and even with social media.
The journey to writing a book started with ten other steps long before I wrote my first book. And these steps made all the difference in being able to do the work.
Today, I want to share with you the ten steps that it takes before you are ready to write a book. I do think these things are significant. They are all things anyone can do so that anyone can write and publish a book.
10 Steps to Complete Before Writing Your Book
You can do these steps in any order. Though, I think the order I present below will help make it easier. It will also help you gauge where you are on your journey to publishing a book.
Some of these steps are decisions. Others are practical actions. Most of all, they are the only things you can do. No one else can do these for you. So, you need to prepare yourself to make it happen.
So, let’s dive right in.
No.1 - Create Your Home Base
Every writer needs a home base. This will be a blog, a platform like Medium or Substack, or even something like TypeShare. It's where you will send every reader your newest and best content.
My Home Base, for example, is Substack. Every new and valuable piece of content starts there. It's the most extensive and most researched article. Then, I will share them on my social media accounts and re-share them on other platforms.
Your Home Base should be where you want all your readers to go for your content. There will be no other place you want them to go. Most of all, it is the place where you will share your best and brightest content.
No.2 - Start an Email List
This is hugely important. No matter what you do, you need to own how you connect with the readers who want more of your content. The best way to do this is to have an email list.
Now, I combine my Home Base with my email list. Using Substack helps me to reach my regular readership by email and keep everything in one place. Most of all, it is an all-in-one place that is free.
Your email list should be of utmost importance. You must leave a link to your posts to help people find them. This link is a call-to-action; if you have the right one, it will help you capture those emails. You should check out my free resource on call-to-actions.
No.3 - Focus on One Social Media
You might have multiple social media accounts, but you must focus on one for growth. This will be where you try to capture new readers to your Home Base who will hopefully join your email list.
For me, I am focusing on Twitter. It is the place where I share my content. I break down my posts into bite-sized chunks and work to help draw people into what I am writing.
Your socials need to be a place where you focus on growth. Even if you have multiple accounts like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, or TikTok, you need to focus on one to grow that following. You can share all your content with them, but learn to develop one at a time.
No.4 - Create Your Writing System
If you have an excellent writing system, you will be able to write regularly. This regular writing will help prepare you to do an author's work. Most of all, it will train you to be able to write your book.
For me, I use my Three Box System on Notion. It is a primary system that I use for all of my content. It has a box for ideas, one for drafts, and one for edits. Then a few reference folders.
This system will help you collect ideas. It will also help you keep track of your work-in-progress articles. I have created a template for Notion that I use for all my content, and you can purchase it here if you are starting.
No.5 - Create Your Writing Habit
To prepare to write a book, you must have a consistent writing habit. This habit is best when it is simple. But it needs to be consistent. I suggest writing every day.
I write every day, at the same time, in the same place. This is the foundation for all of my writing. Yes, sometimes I write more in other locations, but there is a singular place where I start, and you need to start here.
Here is what you need to do: Set a reoccurring appointment on your calendar for when you will write. Decide where you will write for this appointment. And set a straightforward goal: write for 30 minutes. Write 500 words—something like these.
No.6 - Harvest Your Ideas
You need to start creating, capturing and storing ideas. There are a lot of ways to do this. You can start writing down things you are interested in or record ideas based on your reading.
What I do is I take a general idea as my first idea. Then I write down 10 to 15 things like sub-ideas to the main idea. After that, I will write down three to five more ideas within each sub-idea. This way, I can have dozens of ideas available at any time.
When you create and find ideas, you must capture them in your idea box in your writing system. This way, you will have them readily available at any time. And, you will never run out of ideas. Most of all, you can have enough ideas to write every day.
No.7 - Write and Publish at Least 50 Posts
This is essential. Before you write a book, you need to complete some writing online. You were not simply writing on your computer. You need to share what you are writing. This will help prepare you for writing.
Before my first book, I probably wrote a few hundred articles. I had been writing online for two years. If you don't think you can publish more than once a week, 50 pieces will get you to the right place in a year.
Having a solid base of content before writing your book will help you build your email list (essential for book promotion) and give you some feedback on your writing. On top of that, you will have practiced enough to be ready to write a book.
No.8 - Get Trusted Feedback
One of the most extraordinary things to help me as a writer was getting trusted feedback. Another reason you want to start writing online and get 50 posts published is that you will connect with other writers who will help you get feedback.
It was in this feedback that I was inspired to write a book. Several writers from a group I was part of sharing that I could write a book based on my writing content. Then, as I was writing my articles, I asked for honest feedback from my group of writers.
This feedback helped me write better articles, look at content differently, and prepare me to write a book. It will help you too. Most of all, it will give you insight into how other people read your writing. It is essential.
No.9 - Analyze Your Content
After your reach 50 posts, you will need to review and see what has been done best. This will inform your following articles, but it will also help you know what you might be able to help people with as a writer with your books.
People were all over these posts when I was writing productivity articles from my own experience and research. This showed me that I could help create something that would help other people.
When you analyze your content, you clarify what works and what you build expertise in as a writer. It will help you with the rest of your writing and other writing endeavors.
No.10 - Educate Yourself on Book Writing and Publishing
This was essential for my book publishing journey. I read every book I could to help prepare me for writing a book. This education will help give you the knowledge to step into writing your book when things seem unclear or uncertain.
I read about two dozen books on the different steps of writing a book. Some were better than others. Some were more introductory than others. But all of them were super helpful.
Make sure you start reading some of these books. They will help prepare you and make it easier to ask questions when writing your book. The best thing you can do is to arm yourself with knowledge. Here are ten books that have really helped.
Conclusion
Now, I get it. Who am I to say whether you are ready to write a book or not? Well, I have been there. I remember what it was like starting. I would not have been able to write four books without putting in the pre-work.
The truth is that writing your book can change your life with the proper preparation. Without it, you might be able to write a book, but it won’t change much for you. And I think you will want to write multiple books if you want to write a book.
This list of steps will change everything. If you can complete these, put in the work and the time, and you will write a book. And not only write it but publish with success. So, are you ready?
Get to work on these steps and prepare the way for your book.
J.R. Heimbigner is a #1 Bestselling Author on Amazon who loves helping people grow in their faith and help writers become authors. You can connect with him on Medium, his website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Substack!
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There is so much right about this post. I LOVE No. 3! So many authors think they have to be everywhere and then they get overwhelmed because they realized everywhere needs content! I always tell them to start with one and expand later if they have time.
If you don't read any of the rest of them, No. 10 is my mantra!
Excellent post, J.R.!!!