If you have decided that you want to publish your own book, you need to know what steps you should follow.  Many people just sit down and start writing, but this approach could end up causing headaches later. There are a few things that you must do, in a certain order, to help you find success when you are self publishing. 

The first thing that you must do is carry out some research.  It is very important for you to determine what is selling and what is not selling.  You can do this by looking at sites like Amazon.  Determine which books are the best sellers.  How long have they been on the top of the list?  This will help you see what people are interested in.  You can even see which topics have been trending online.  Find new topics that have been trending for some time.  Everyone likes to read something new. 

Next, start writing. It is always best to go with the flow.  Some people get hung up on making things perfect and this is when they give up.  Remember, you will have time to perfect your manuscript once everything is out of your head and on the paper in front of you.  You should never complete your manuscript and then publish it immediately. Doing so will only set you up for failure.  The manuscript will need to be reviewed and edited over and over again.  Yes, that is right.  The more the better.  In fact, I have even been told that it is best to put your manuscript away for several weeks without looking at it or even thinking about it.  This will allow you to gather your thoughts and you will be able to go back to it with a fresh mind.  It will also be much easier for you to see any mistakes at this time.  If you are not sure about your grammar, you might even want to consider hiring a professional to help you with this process.  Some editors may even be willing to do this for a very low cost if you include their name on the book.

Now, find some self publishing websites and start reviewing them.  Find out what they have to offer you.  You will find many companies that are willing to help you, but some of them will charge for their services.  Some of them will be free.  Many of these companies will only print your book when it is purchased and it can take you a long time to make any money.  That is why you must review all of them to see which company will be able to offer you the best services.  Never select a company based on the marketing that they claim they can do for you. This can be difficult to verify, it is expensive and you can do a lot of marketing on your own.  With free website builders, Google advertising and even social media sites you can do your own marketing. 

When you have decided on a self publishing company you will need to create an account on their site.  Read all of the formatting and word count regulations that must be met in order for you to submit your book for publishing.  Making sure that your book meets these guidelines will save you time and the entire process will move along more quickly if you have everything in order.  Before you will be able to upload your manuscript you will need to determine what type of binding you would like your book to have.  Your options will generally be paperback or hardcover.  Then you are going to be able to select the size of the book that you are looking to create as well.  Keep the length of your book in mind when you are selecting the book size that you want. 

The next step in the process will be to place a working title on the book that you want to create.  You will also need to enter your name as the author.  Most self publishing companies will give you the opportunity to keep your publication private or you can select to make your book public so that others can purchase it.  It will also be possible for you to select the type of paper that you would like your book to be made out of.  Authors should take the time to review these options closely, as the type of paper used will affect the cost of publishing the book.  Authors also need to decide if they want to have their book published in color or if they would like to keep it black and white. 

When all of these decisions have been made you will be asked to upload your manuscript.  This may take some time and, as previously mentioned, it may take even longer if it is not formatted properly.  If your manuscript is accepted you will then have an opportunity to view your book and decide whether you like it.  This is one reason why it is nice to keep your book private until you are sure that you are happy with the look of your book before you try promoting it. 

Now, there is nothing left to do but start marketing.  You can try to submit your book to online sellers like Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Nook, etc. Most authors will also create a website and marketing campaigns to promote their name and their book.  It would be wise to utilize social media sites like Facebook and Twitter as well.  You never know just how many people you can reach with these options.  If you are able to create a press release for your local newspaper then you should do that also.  Just make sure that you are continually letting people know where and how they can purchase your book.