A Behind-the-Scenes Look at How I Self-published My Book

My book, Launch Your Author Website*, began as a blog post, but I had much more to share. It took about two years to turn it from a concept into a book in my hands. I wanted to share a behind-the-scenes look at my process.

The Writing

First, I started in Google Docs. Google Docs is easy to use. I love its portability and the ability to use it on any device. Also, I can share it to get feedback. The book changed a lot through revision; I cut or greatly reduced entire chapters. For one revision, I cut out as much jargon as I could. Later, I moved to AutoCrit. I'd used AutoCrit for my fiction work, but I wanted to use it for this book as well. What’s AutoCrit? It’s a software program that uses advanced computer algorithms to analyze your work and provide feedback. Of course, human eyes are important for any piece of work, but AutoCrit does a great job of pointing out issues. It can even help with cleanup, like identifying repetitive words. I use it alongside Grammarly.

One of the biggest things AutoCrit caught for me was a content gap. It also suggested charts I could add. I chose which AutoCrit suggestions I wanted to follow. After I addressed the major items AutoCrit flagged, I moved my book back into Google Docs to add my graphics and screenshots.

I'm a big fan of AutoCrit*, and I wanted to share why. One of my favorite tools is the Alpha Reader, and here is an example of its analysis.

It’s a great tool, and while it won't be for everyone, it's worth considering if you want extra “eyes” on your work in a convenient way.

Visuals

I have well over fifty images in my book, and it felt like a beast to conquer. I used my computer's default Snipping Tool. The screenshots are of three different platforms: Wix, Squarespace, and WordPress (Divi Builder). I didn’t want to showcase just one platform or turn my book into a “how-to build an author website” guide for Wix. I wanted my book to be platform-agnostic so it could benefit any author with a website. The screenshots simply show what a feature looks like in a particular builder. I also created original graphics in Canva.

Here is a sample screenshot and one of the graphics I made.

This image is from my client Sherri Wright's website, and I used it in the book.

This is one of the graphics I created for the book; this particular image compares fonts as part of the author branding chapters of my book:

After several rounds of edits, it was finally ready to be formatted.

Formatting

I am so glad I got Atticus! It wasn’t without some struggle, but overall I was able to create a book I’m proud of. My biggest challenges with Atticus were the images. I have so many images that getting them just the right size took a few tries. I eventually centered the images because that worked best for this particular book. Even then, I did quite a bit of fiddling with spacing. Sometimes an image was just large enough that the text below it moved to the next page, leaving more empty space than I wanted. Other times, I had multiple images that needed to stay together, but the spacing needed adjustment.

Still, setting global fonts was easy. I also appreciated how easy it was to set a trim size.

I’m a PC person, so Vellum, another popular book-formatting program, wasn’t an option. Overall, I really liked using Atticus, although I was also learning the program while I was formatting the book. I’m sure I can do things more smoothly now than I did the first time around.

Previewing the Book

One Atticus feature I really liked was being able to preview the book as I worked. I could choose the book size, work with fonts and formatting, and see how everything came together.

There’s also a larger preview that lets you virtually flip through the book. For the ebook, I could preview how it would look on different screen sizes. That was really helpful because I formatted the book for PDF, print, and Kindle, and they didn’t all behave exactly the same way.

For example, in the print version, I sometimes added a page break so one of my Action Items boxes wouldn’t split awkwardly between pages. On Kindle, I eventually decided to let some of those elements split because forcing the print layout onto the ebook didn’t look right.

Exporting the Finished Files

Once I was ready to export, Atticus gave me the file formats I needed. I exported a PDF for the print version and an EPUB for the ebook. I also installed Kindle Previewer so I could check the ebook on my computer after exporting it from Atticus.

I also set up a few other pieces along the way, including the book and publisher information. Atticus also incorporates the cover into the EPUB format.

After plenty of fiddling, I’m really happy with how the print book turned out, and I’m happy with the Kindle version too.

And, naturally, after I finished formatting the book, Atticus released an update with improvements for working with images. That’s technology for you.

Designing the Cover

If you design it yourself, you can use different tools. You can also hire a professional cover designer. I felt able to design my cover, and I had access to InDesign, so I used it.

I do have some design experience; although book covers are different, I tried my hand at it. I wouldn't necessarily recommend that every author design their own cover, but it worked for me.

I had a few design ideas earlier on, which evolved into what I have today: a laptop screen designed to look like a website. For one version, I used a stock illustration of a woman, edited it, and even created my own laptop graphic in Adobe Illustrator. I had fun putting it together, and I actually liked some aspects of the idea.

These are two early title and design ideas I had.

However, I decided my designs were too busy and not professional enough. So I simplified the design and let the title become the main focus, with large orange and teal lettering and a simpler laptop graphic.

This time, I used a charcoal background, the title text, and a stock laptop illustration. After getting feedback from family, I added a painted texture and set it to low opacity. I also added an extremely faint handwriting pattern in the background. The handwriting is subtle but impactful. I think it's most noticeable when you're holding the physical book, and I really like the effect.

That made a big difference.

This was my first time taking a book through the entire process myself, and I'd do a couple of things differently on my next book. Before I formatted in Atticus, I designed the first cover in a 7-by-10-inch format and later realized Atticus didn’t offer that size, so I had to change the cover to 6 by 9 inches. I also discovered that KDP provides a cover template based on your book's specifications.

That would have been useful to think about earlier.

Once I downloaded the template, I could bring my design into it, make the necessary adjustments, and set up the back cover, spine, and front cover properly.

One lesson I'll definitely carry into the next book is to check the final publishing specifications earlier in the design process. A little planning at the beginning could have saved me some backtracking later.

Once the cover was finished, I also used a free 3D book mockup tool from DIY Book Covers to turn it into a 3D image I could use on my website and in promotional materials.

And after all the different versions and adjustments, I was pretty happy to finally see something that looked like an actual book.

Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP)

Besides learning I should have used a template for the design, KDP was fairly simple to use. I entered the trim size and page count, and it gave me the dimensions, which I could use for the template I mentioned earlier. It also estimates the book's printing cost, so you can adjust your price accordingly. I added the price and all the info I needed.

I set the launch date.

I ordered the book proof, and when it came, I was excited. I reviewed the proof, caught small errors I had missed, and focused on the images. Many were too small, so I adjusted them, fixed an issue I saw with the spine, and reordered the proof; that time it was good.

I got to hold the book in my hand.

A+ Content

After things settled down, I added A+ Content. This is additional content you can add to an Amazon book page*.

Amazon Associates

I applied to the Amazon Associates program so that I could create affiliate links. While I plan to use this primarily for my own book, the link can point to any Amazon item. There are rules for being an affiliate, so be sure to read up on them before deciding.

What I Learned

The best tool for one stage of a book may not be the best tool for the next. I ended up feeling like I was supposed to be an expert in a dozen different tools, but I still figured it out.

On release day, I took a screenshot when my book sales changed from zero to one. It was such a small number and such a big moment for me.

There are aspects of my publishing journey that are, of course, unique to me, but every author has to make lots of decisions to get their work out there, and these are the ones I made to publish mine.

Michelle Miller Web Designer | Writer | 60 Day Writing Challenge Host

Hi, I'm MichelleThanks for reading! I love helping authors build their online presence and reach their writing goals. If you found this post helpful, feel free to share it with a fellow writer!Let’s connect: FB: facebook.com/myauthorwebsite     LI: linkedin.com/in/my-author-websiteURL: www.myauthorwebsite.com

(*) Some links are affiliate links; I may receive a small commission at no cost to you.