There are a few things you need to do before you can publish your book.
First, you need to write your book. This may seem obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people try to publish without a finished product.
Once you have a complete manuscript, you need to edit it. This step is important for two reasons: first, it will make your book better and more likely to be successful; and second, most publishers will not even read your manuscript if it is not professionally edited.
After your book is edited, you need to design a cover. Again, this is important for two reasons: first, because people do judge a book by its cover; and second, because most publishers will not even look at your book if it does not have a professional cover.
Once you have a complete, edited, and designed book, you need to format it for publication. This means creating a digital file of your book that can be uploaded to online retailers (such as Amazon) or to a printing company (if you want to published in print).
Finally, you need to find a publisher. This step is optional, but if you want to traditional publish, you will need to find a publishing company that is willing to publish your book.
Self-publishing is also an option, and is much easier than it used to be. With self-publishing, you simply upload your book files to online retailers and they will make your book available for sale.
So, to summarize, the steps to publishing your first book are:
- Write your book
- Edit your book
- Design a cover
- Format your book for publication
- Find a publisher (optional)
- Self-publish your book (if you don’t want to find a publisher)