My Book Release Checklist // self-publishing a book as an Indie Author

[@linl344]

Thanks Bethany. That was intense! You’ve done a lot of work and are kind hearted to share your knowledge. I wish you all the best and lots of success.

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

Absolutely, thanks Lin! So glad it was helpful (and gosh yes, book releases can feel sooo intense haha! Just remember this can all be done over a very long period of time and then it’s not nearly as daunting!) wishing you the best as well, thank you!

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

Ahhhh I just realized I spelled the link at 5:25 wrong * face palm * lol... in case you were curious to go check it out, here's the correct link: books2read.com/thesecretgift And here's the Preorder Campaign form, where you can sign up for my free gifts if you choose to preorder! forms.gle/KvGHxXa26J1f9G2p9

[@jordannoble1082]

This was extremely helpful, generous and-as always-shared with such a sweet smile! I appreciate you taking the time to brainstorm and graciously share these strategies! Super helpful.

[@christyt3520]

Can you show us how to set up a book on Goodreads, if you have time. I have tried for months and can not get it to recognize my book on Goodreads. Thank you so much for this, it’s such great information

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

I think that topic might be too short for a full video, but the good news is it's extremely easy, just (1) use the search bar to type in any book title, (2) on the top right side after you hit search you'll see the "manually add a book" option (3) add your book. p.s. you do need to have an author profile and have the book on preorder to actually connect that book to you personally, just FYI.

[@Avionne_Parris]

Gosh, you're so organised, Bethany! I guess that's why you're so successful and it shows. I will definitely be revisiting this video and taking notes when I'm ready to publish. Also, yes to a how-to for the Apple and Kobo video, please :-)

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

Haha thank you! This is after many, many books though, so it was developed over a long time haha. Yay I'm excited to do those videos, hopefully when I start uploading my next book to those two!

[@saritaschaffter2133]

This is a very helpful video as I also want to become a successful Indie Author. I also admire your dedication to your series which ignited my passion for writing again. After a slump.

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

So glad you enjoyed it!

[@sarahwawrzyniak]

So helpful! Thank you Bethany! It’s so daunting getting ready to publish a book for the first time so every reminder helps :)

[@MariJadeWrites]

Indeed! Are you also getting ready to publish your book? ☺️

[@sarahwawrzyniak]

@@MariJadeWrites yes! Sometime in the spring, I am currently working on my second draft.

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

Yay! So glad you both enjoyed it, thanks Sarah and Smilte!

[@MariJadeWrites]

@@sarahwawrzyniak Wonderdul 👍 best of luck to you and do your best ☺️🥰 i am also working on editing my book, hopefully it can be out early next year as well. What are you writing about, if you'd like to share?

[@sarahwawrzyniak]

@@MariJadeWrites how exciting!! I am writing a ya/na fantasy series! What about you?

[@stephanieamy3721]

One thing consistently missing from these checklist vods is cost. It all sounds like efficient advice and very well set out as to goals needed to reach before publishing. However, I have found that I just keep running out of funds and can not complete a list like this. I offered a giveaway with my novel plus a copy of my friend's latest Cd ( as they have a cameo role in the novel) asking people to follow me on Facebook and send me an email addy. One person responded. I feel as though these lists are great if you have an established reader base. However, what do the rest of us do? Keep throwing money into a bottomless pit.

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

I see what you’re saying, but (1) that’s one of the reasons I very clearly said everything on the marketing list was optional, and (2) giveaways could be a digital product or something that you give your time to instead of something with monetary value. Example: I’m offering an exclusive livestream invitation to those who preorder my newest book. That costs me nothing except time.

[@stephanieamy3721]

@@BethanyAtazadeh Thank you for your reply. So let's cut to the chase, how much did you spend overall on your last publication? I spent £2500 in total and had a return of £600, not a profit. You say it has not cost you anything to offer a live stream however, you need a good-quality camera and microphone so it has cost you something. These are factors that streamers and self-publishers do not talk about, which is a shame. Why can't people just be open and honest? If you are just wanting to self-publish a one-off book it's great however, if you are trying to build a brand I am suspecting that I will need £10,000 to make any impact on the self-publishing market. Thank you for taking the time to read this. I am just trying to find the truth.

[@WanjiruWaithaka]

Love love love this Bethany. My third novel is coming out 3rd Dec. It's my first attempt at self publishing. This is so helpful thank you!

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

Yay! Thank you so much, and good luck with your release!

[@estefaniavazquez7991]

Thanks for all of these videos!!!

[@debbiesaarloos2543]

Thank you! Yes, Apple and Kobo and any other platforms wold be great. You Rock!

[@tiaravazquez]

Just signed up to your pattern! First time I’ve ever signed up for Simone’s posting but you offer such a wealth of amazing resources. How could I not! ❤

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

Yay welcome! So glad and hope you get tons out of it!

[@pjalexander_author]

So great! Thanks Bethany for all that you do for the indie community 😊

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

Absolutely! So glad you enjoyed!

[@WriteCold]

God bless you! This is exactly what has been on my mind.

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

Yay! Perfect timing!

[@ladyangelaIII]

Bethany could you please, please, please make a video in how to format a 6 x 9 inches book by using Google Docs without using the adds-on (as it does not allow download a PDF format with it). I am very sure it is useful to most writers out there. PLEASEEE 🙂 Thank you very much for sharing such vital tips!

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

That’s not something I’ve ever done or know how to do unfortunately :( but I bet you could find another KZbinr if you search that! :)

[@jonathansuarez7464]

Wow I cant believe on you so much for all of that helpful information and tell your dogs penny I says hi and yours husband and your beautiful son and your marriages happy after!!!

[@jamesgrimm9121]

Thank you Bethany. I really enjoy your videos and keep them on a playlist to review regularly as I go through the process. I want to ask why you do not have your ebook copies in your website's store? I was actually thinking of including the price being advertised across platforms on my website, but I also offered a severely discounted ebook for physical book purchasers to give them some flexibility if they wish. Just wondering why you have not added to your store? I actually see a few others not adding, too, so wondering if there is a good reason I should not do it. Thank you!

[@ibelieveinpink]

I love this Bethany! So helpful. All the details look so overwhelming but it gave me a realistic look into what Im getting into.

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

Yay! I'm so glad you appreciated it! And it is 100% overwhelming, but if you just take it one thing at a time over a few months, it's not nearly as bad, I promise!

[@MariJadeWrites]

Oh hi again, i watched the video till the end and have a question, so i can set up a Goodreads book page for my books even though they're not out yet? I am in the process of editing it at the moment, my editor will send me the last chapters of edits any day now ☺️

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

Great question! Back when I started out you totally could set up the Goodreads page and book… now though, I believe you can set up the author page but have to wait for a preorder link (or published book link) to set up the book page. So if you do a preorder, then once it’s live, you can set up the book on Goodreads as well.

[@MariJadeWrites]

@@BethanyAtazadeh okay, thank you so much for answering my question 🥰

[@MariJadeWrites]

This is a very helpful video ☺️👍 I'll be publishing my first fiction book early next year 🥰 so exciting. I will publish on Amazon KDP and maybe try D2D too. But I'd love a video you mentioned as well 😉

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

Yay! So glad you enjoyed it, thank you! :D

[@ProfessorBurlingame]

Excellent, practical advice that is timely for me since I'm smack dab in the middle of this process. Thank you!

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

Woohoo! Perfect timing!

[@mamancooper942]

This was sooo good 😭😭😭😭❤️❤️❤️ THANK YOU!

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

So glad you enjoyed it!

[@IceCream-hp7mm]

Yes a how to Apple and Kobo video would be great.

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

Awesome! I hope to be able to do those soon, maybe with the next book as I upload that!

[@tosiebel5522]

Would the list be more condensed as a debut author? If we don’t have a base I assume it’s more of the publication side and less marketing? Just curious, thanks!

[@jacobhubbard9266]

Is there a link to a google doc version you show in the video? I would love to have that! I recently finished a book (going through the beta reader process right now) and I'm hoping for a 2024 release. That checklist would help a lot!

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

Yep! It's one of the things I give to my patrons in my resource library :) you can find my patreon page here if you're curious: www.patreon.com/bethanyatazadeh

[@derekmilligan915]

Awesome video

[@truthboundpublishing]

Thank you so much!! i am wondering if you have to pay for D2D?

[@truthboundpublishing]

And if you manage your own website? how do you do that? i am quite unfamiliar with my own website

[@shenequadupree6539]

Thank you so much!!!

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

Yay absolutely!

[@authorjoannawhite]

I just did a book release and I feel like I forget so much. I also didnt know about the proof copy so I have never done that for my print books. I always just fix the typos or whatever and resubmit the print book. But that may be helpful in the future. Do proofs cost less than or around the same as author copies?

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

Every book release there’s something I forget as well, it’s normal! With each book release things get easier though! And yes proofs cost less.

[@annpippin6388]

Captioning needed. .

[@authorjoannawhite]

@@BethanyAtazadeh thank you so much! And yeah I feel like that happens to all of us at some point.

[@neoamerican3392]

Thank you

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

You're welcome!

[@neoamerican3392]

@@BethanyAtazadeh Working on my first book. It is being edited right now. I have a website to build for my business and I plan to build a marketing strategy. My goal is to finish the editing, formatting, and the book cover design by the end of this month. I plan to market from Nov for a release in mid December. Do you think this time is long enough for marketing a non-fiction book?

[@Funkyfreak1girl]

Hi Bethany! I was wondering if you've had your book officially copyrighted? I've heard stories of people having their books copied and sold; how often do you think this occurs and do you think a copyright would be worth checking out?

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

Yep! I usually copyright all my books just as a precaution, but they still get pirated. It’s very disappointing and frustrating to deal with. Pirates don’t care if you have copyright or not. The only situation I’m aware of where paying to file could be valuable is if you needed to prove to your print on demand company that you have rights, but even if you didn’t file you could most likely provide other proof.

[@Funkyfreak1girl]

@@BethanyAtazadeh Thank you! That's super disappointing :/ why people are so heartless, we will never know >.

[@annpippin6388]

Copyright to protect book s contents. If one is supposed to have plcontents protected somehow while being printed to prevent contents from theft whatever. Company let's that happen is not for me. Thanks for heads up.

[@annpippin6388]

Captioning needed

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

Hmmm it looks like it has captioning to me?

[@gamexpress111]

that's...a lot 😅

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

Haha oh for sure, it can be overwhelming!

[@gamexpress111]

@@BethanyAtazadeh and I didn't know you could write in that box of the progress bar in Goodreads 😭

[@annpippin6388]

What is the indie. author ?

[@girlwiththepurplepen]

Independent author, someone who's self publishing (publishing without the help of a publishing company)