Save some time on exploring all of those publishing websites, especially if looking where to publish your short fiction. Learn about the best place where you can start your publishing journey.
Today's question is, where should a new writer seek to publish short fiction? Now, when we're first getting started, whether it's nonfiction or fiction, there are a lot of choices that need to be made. Since there are plenty of places where you could publish especially if you're going to publish your short fiction.
So it can be frustrating. Do you start with Kindle on Amazon? Do you do it yourself and publish it on a website like Fiverr or someplace like that?
Or maybe you go to IngramSpark, Lulu, or Drafts2Digital. There are many different choices and so it can be very confusing. Before I answer the question, you can check out my free Self-Publishing Secrets Checklist.
Now, a little bit about my story, I didn't start with fiction. I started with nonfiction at about 10,000 words. That was the length of the first book I started with.
Check out this related article: Which Kind Of Books Or Genres Are More Successful When Self-Published?
I'm assuming that your book is also a little short fiction. It could be even shorter than that though. It doesn't make a difference because in reality, whatever the length, it is still going to be the same starting place.
The correct place to start and I will just get straight to it, is that you are going to want to start most likely on Amazon. The thing that you are going to do is to not do everything at the same time when you are getting started with self-publishing.
Instead, you are going to break it down into the simplest steps in particular. You are going to get your short story or your piece of fiction. You are going to want to get it edited.
So the first thing that you are going to want to do is to make sure that the quality of what you are putting out there is good. In addition, you are going to need to order a cover for your book or create a cover yourself.
I would recommend ordering a cover. Make sure that is going to be incredibly important if you want to see sales. Then you are going to want to learn the simple steps of getting things published.
Not So Complicated
You can check out the checklist where I go through it, where you can look at other websites. Even just Googling it, you will find sort of the basic steps necessary to get your book on Kindle.
That is where you are going to want to start. That's the best place to go. It's where you can get your feet wet.
It is not too complicated to get this in order. So that would be, to learn how to do it out on Kindle. You can even just take a Word document and go out.
I use a program called Jutoh, but you can use Word just to get your first version out there onto Kindle. You can improve it as you go. So that is an important one.
When it is on through Amazon's ecosystem, if it's in KDP Select, then that means you also will have readers. Those who will read your book through, just paying per page.
Check out this related article: Does KDP Select Promote Your Book?
You'll get paid on that side. Also, you will be able to run ads against your book. But that comes a little bit later.
After you have got it on Kindle, you've got your description in place and your cover and everything's looking as good as you can get it. Then, the next thing you are going to do is you are going to want to get it onto Amazon Print.
That is assuming your book is 24 pages in length. So I'm assuming we're at least 3,000 words since if it is not, your book isn't going to be 24 pages which is necessary. That would be like the next step.
Take It Easy
The step after that is, we would get your book out onto an audio version. We'd find a narrator on ACX and go from there. The most important thing that you need to remember when you are focusing on getting your books out onto the market, is to do only one thing at a time.
You do not want to overload yourself by hitting this and making this whole process overly complicated. It is just simply isn't necessary.
Check out this related article: Is Page Publishing A Vanity Publisher?
So by simply breaking it down into the smaller bits, and remember when you are getting started, Kindle's perfect because you can change your mind. It doesn't cost you much of everything.
You have your cover, your description, and you've got the manuscript which is edited. We're pulling it all together and we follow the steps. You can Google, 'how do I put together a Kindle book from a Word document or another program'.
Then, from there, you are going to be able to move down the chain. That's the biggest piece of advice that I would give you.
Many people start this and they overload themselves. That is something you are not going to want to do. So, why don't you tell me a little bit about what have you found?
Where do you think that it is wise to get started and publish with your short fiction book? Maybe there is someplace that other people might suggest. Leave a comment below and check out my other blogs and videos that address similar questions to this one.