Self-Publishing + Writing/Editing Process & Cost/Sales/Profits After 6 Months

Self-publishing can be challenging to navigate. I unpack publishing options, including how to write and edit your book on your own and how to get published on Amazon (+Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Google Books, & personal website). I talk about how to record your audiobook (Audible & Apple Books), market your book, and provide a complete cost breakdown and sales after the first six months. I hope it encourages you to start the journey to self-publish your own book. Consider supporting me by buying my book Online Church Is Not The Answer if this video was helpful.

Overview of Self-Publishing + Writing/Editing Process & Cost/Sales/Profits After 6 Months:

1. Book proposal & publishing options - 2:03

2. Writing process - 15:02

3. Editing process - 24:35

4. Audio recording/editing - 29:40

5. Design/Title process - 35:20

6. Getting on Amazon & other platforms - 40:05

7. Getting on Audible & other platforms - 47:45

8. Launching your book & marketing - 49:56

9. Total cost/sales/profit breakdown for 1st 6 months - 55:20

10. Final Tips - 1:07:38

Book Proposal & Publishing Options

• Most will say start with a book proposal

• List out books in similar veins 

• Ideally, get an agent & contact friends who have been published for feedback/advice

• My experience with almost going with a larger publisher

• Why I decided self-publish & my 3 options:

1. Publisher options

2. Hire a small publishing group to do it all

3. Do it yourself

Writing Process

• I had a strong conviction of my idea

• Sketched out my table of content

• Start started to write on a Google Doc

• Check out “How to Read a Book by Adler/Doern”

• Used Asana for chapter goals

• Wrote almost daily every morning 

• Write again and just free flow it

• Some light editing but trying hard to get to 60,000 words

• Took 3+ years to figure out my idea

Editing Process

• Grammarly edit round 

• Gave to 6 trust friends for general thoughts

• Most speed read it and a few really read it

• Hired a general editor & a proofer reader on Reedsy.com

• Edit it again 

• I read it all through 15x’s until I hated my book

Audio Recording/Editing

• I watched a ton of YouTube tutorials

  • Yes, you can record your own audiobook. Here's how.

  • How to Record and Edit Your Own Audiobook

• I used a SHURE mic

• Bought a mic shield

• Used GarageBand to edit

• You can hire someone on acx.com to record

• This was HARD WORK!

Design/Title Process

• Hired a friend -> creativechurch.co

  • did all cover design/graphs/tables in book

• Like YouTube, people pick a book based on the title and that image. Spend more of your time working on your title/cover. What will pop in search on Amazon? 

• Think about the wording, colors, & the problem your book solves with the title, etc.

Getting on Amazon & Other Platforms

• Used for print-on-demand -> kdp.amazon.com

  • How to publish a book on Amazon

• Also, on Apple, Barnes & Noble, Google Books

• Plus, did a digital option on my website via Squarespace

Getting on Audible & Other Platforms

• Used -> acx.com for Audible/Apple books

• Plus, did a digital option on my website via Squarespace

Launching Your Book & Marketing

• Pick a launch date & promote the book for at least 30 days in advance 

• Call in every favor to promote the book

• podcasts, guest posts, asking everyone to write reviews, etc. 

• Social media is key around short-form content and creating content on YouTube/TikTok  

• I found descript.com to be helpful

• If you don't promote your book, nobody will!!!

Total Cost Breakdown

• Book proposal - $500

• Book editing - $2,411.20

• Proofing editing - $1,000

• Audio mastering - $600

• Cover design - $750

• Getting ISBN - $225

• Ads - $367

• Total Cost: $5,853.20

Total Sales Breakdown for 1st 6 Months

• Amazon - 552 books

  • 125 eBooks & 427 physical books

• Audible/Apple Books - 111 audiobooks

• B&N - 0

• Google Books - 3 ebooks

• Website (Squarespace) - 50 ebooks

• Special Orders - 360 physical books

• Total Sales: 1,076 books

• 14% ebook, 73% physical, & 13% audible

Total Profit Breakdown for 1st 6 Months

• Cost - $5,853.20

• Sales - $6,677.82

• $1,000 speaker fee

• Total Profit for 1st 6 months is $824.62

• Physical book profit per sale is $6.26 (sold at $18)

• Audible book profit per sale is $4.57 (sold at $19.95)

• eBook book profit per sale is $6.63 (sold at $9.99)

Final Tips on Self-Publishing Your Book

• Write something you'll be proud of at the end

• Start writing without an end goal. Just daily/weekly write something to get an idea of what your book is.

• Think a lot about what will make your book different from other books

• Enjoy the process. It’s the journey, not the destination:)

• Support your friends who write books by buying their book (don’t ask for a free copy) & write a review of their book. It goes a long way in supporting them. Trust me!