Three Important People of Self Publishing

[Cara Cilento]

After long deliberation you've made the decision to publish your book on your own. Welcome to the journey! As a result of the ongoing development and expansion of independent publishing, self-published authors now have a greater potential than ever before to pursue a successful career in writing. But if there's a catch! You're going to need a team of resources under your belt! You can't do it by yourself. It's just not possible. If you want to publish your own book and give it a shot at being successful, you're going to need a support group to help you along the road. But who do I need? Let's start with the editorial team.

There are 3 essential parts that make up a self-publishing editorial team. Before it can be released to the public, an independently published novel requires a significant amount of editing work, just like any other book that is produced through the regular publishing route.

When it comes to self-publishing, there are three primary categories of editing team members: beta readers, editors, and proofreaders.

1. Beta readers

For those who are not familiar with the term, a "beta reader" is a person who is asked to read an unpublished manuscript in exchange for providing input on it. 

What's a beta reader do? I like to say they give you feedback from the perspective of the general public. Plain and simple. It is important to seek an objective outsider's perspective once you have completed the first draft of your novel since it can be challenging to emotionally detach yourself from a story in which you have invested a significant amount of time.

2. Editor 

Before being released to the public, a novel must first go through the editing process at the hands of a trained professional. You are responsible for finding and hiring a freelance editor on your own. You and your editor are going to collaborate together in order to create and polish your manuscript until it is completely ready for publication. 

3. Proofreader

Your editing crew has to be completed with a proofreader as the very last member. When you hire a separate proofreader, you increase your chances of finding and addressing any faults that may still be present in your work before it is published. Your proofreader's entire attention will be on catching any and all typos, as well as any formatting errors (on which there will be more discussion below), and any remaining spelling, punctuation, and grammar errors. 

Sound like too much work? For a traditional publishing team check out: 

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