You can publish your novel in one of two ways. . .
Traditional or Self-publishing.
The fundamental process is the same: Write the novel, edit the novel, publish the novel. Very simple.
For those that want to go the traditional route, it will take anywhere from six months to a year depending on how long the book is and the amount of editing that is done.
For traditional publishing, some authors put their work through at least three drafts before taking their novel to a copy editor (someone that corrects spelling, grammar, and punctuation) and/or a developmental editor (someone who looks for plot holes and points of improvement within the writers’ work).
Then the novel can go to beta readers (people who read the digital version and give feedback) and/or alpha readers (people who read a physical version and give feedback).
After that, the writer can do their own edits as many times as they want and correspond with the developmental editor before formatting for publishing which can take a couple weeks to a couple months.
Then, the book can be formatted for publishing which can take anywhere from six months to a year depending on the length and the cost associated with the process.
That is the traditional process and, as you can see, it is a long and drawn out process focused on the quality of the book to be published.
Now, for self-publishing. . .
The first part is the same which is writing the novel. The second part is editing the novel; at this juncture, you can do all the same things as the authors of traditional publishing do or you can simply edit the book yourself if you have a desire to finish the project and move on to something else.
Alpha and beta readers are not necessary but you can still get them if you wish. However, if you are objective enough about your writing and don’t feel the need to have a second opinion until publication (some writers are like this) then you can publish right after you edit.
Then, it is time to create the cover for your book as the aesthetics of your novel do seventy-five percent of the work in attracting readers and buyers (people will buy a book solely for the aesthetic, trust me). Most people will use apps like Canva, Kindle Cover Creator, or sites like Shutterstock.com to get royalty-free images for their covers or pay an illustrator (like most traditional authors).
After that, you simply publish your book. Most people use Kindle Direct Publishing which is the fastest way to put your book out. I’m sure there are other publishing platforms but KDP is the most widely used. It also gives you more control as to when and how you want your book to be released. You can put your book out for pre-order, you can also advertise your book before or during the publishing period, you can create an author page on Amazon, or a number of other things to set your book up the way you want it.
And that’s pretty much it!
Whichever direction you choose the end result is the same (with minor differences). Self-publishing gives you more control while traditional publishing is more of a collaborative effort (self-publishing can be like that too but doesn’t have to be).
The fundamental process of write, edit, and publish is the same. Just be sure to actually publish your book because most authors get stuck in the editing stage (trying to make their books perfect) and never put out their novel which ultimately wastes time and money. Writing is also a business as well as a craft and if no one sees your work then you will never make a living doing it.
So, put out your novels and books and let the people decide if they like it or not!
Hope this helps.
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