Travel Bloggers do you want to self-publish a travel guide?

My Travel Guide Journey

I self-published my first travel guide in 2013 and I was overwhelmed and confused with where to start, the decisions I needed to make, and especially which companies and distribution partners I could trust.

The major challenge with self-publishing is there are multiple options for getting your book into your reader’s hands, and it’s up to the author to determine the best path to take. I got lost in a sea of research, and almost drowned in conflicting and often inaccurate information. But I was determined to self-publish my book and although it took me longer than anticipated I persevered through the challenges.

Now, five years later, after spending nearly three years working with the Alliance of Independent Authors as Content Marketing Manager, and co-organziaing the Indie Author Fringe online conference for self-publishing, I’m about to self-publish my ninth book and the steps involved in self-publishing have become second nature.

Self-publishing your Travel Guide

The whole purpose of Book 3 in my How to Write and Self-Publish a Travel Guide series is to help travel bloggers just like you, navigate your way from proofread draft to self-published book. It will usher you through the learning curves I’ve already navigated and solved, so you can speed up your self-publication process.

Self-publishing is a simple and straightforward, it only becomes overwhelming when you’re unfamiliar with the fragmented process and unsure of which decisions you have to make each step of the way.

This book guides you through the decision making process and presents available options for getting your book published, based on the time you have available, your skillset, and your budget.

This isn’t a book that lists every available option, or provides tables and tables of information that will overwhelm you but provide no real value. I cut to the chase and let you know the best path to take, and give your the pros and cons of each decision, so you’re in the driving seat, but I’m co-driver, with the map and compass, helping keep you on the right road.

For example, there are over 35 available trim sizes for your print on demand paperback, and that can be an overwhelming choice. Which one should your choose? Rather than just present you with a list of trim sizes for you to choose from, I researched the average trim sizes used by the traditional publishers, and based on that knowledge, I’ve recommended the three trim sizes you should consider, so that you travel guide can be placed on the shelf alongside Lonely Planet, Fodor’s, Rough Guides and other travel guide publishers. Choose an incorrect trim size, and your book could be relegated to an oversize, and low traffic shelf in the bookstore. This is just one example of how I’ve researched industry trends and norms, and used them to provide direction to help you make an informed decision.

There so many different ways to create a professional looking book it scares many travel writers away from achieving their self-publishing goals.

Don’t be one of these writers.

Self-Publish your way to author success

I’ve spoken to many authors who have a completed book ready to publish and it’s sitting in their top draw while they continue to receive rejection letter after rejection letter from traditional publishers who aren’t willing to take a risk on a new writer.

When I ask why they don’t opt for self-publishing, the standard response it they feel that if they don’t have a deal with a traditional publisher, they’re not a real author, but nothing could be further than the truth. As soon as you create a professional self-published book with your author name on the cover, you’re a published author – it’s that simple.

The key term here is professional, and this needs to be your self-publishing goal.

Creating a Professional Book

When creating a book that is professionally edited and proofread, which conforms to industry standards, has an eye-catching and professional looking cover, and is interesting and informative to read, your reader won’t care who the publisher is, they’ll just be thankful you wrote a book that helps them.

Most self-publishing steps can be completed by the author, and should probably be done at least once just to get an understanding of the process steps involved. One step in the self-publishing process you must always outsource, is proofreading. Depending on your design skills you may also have to outsource your cover design too.

Whatever you do, don’t write a brilliant book full of spelling and grammatical errors and then dress it in a shabby cover that screams self-published. This is no way to attract an audience or build an author following.

Finally the book all #travelbloggers have been waiting for. Step by step instructions for turning your travel blog into a #selfpublished book. Click To Tweet