10 things to check before you publish

Publishing a book is exciting, and it is easy to rush the last mile. These ten checks take an evening. They can save you months of fixing things after your book is already on sale.

1. Is the manuscript actually finished?

   Finished means you have read it start to end at least once without changing the story. If you are still rewriting chapters, you are not ready for editing yet, and paying for it now means paying twice.

   Ask yourself: when did I last change the ending?

2. Has anyone else read it?

   You know what you meant to say, so your eyes fill in the gaps. Give it to two or three people who will be honest, and ask them where they got bored or confused. Those are the pages to fix.

   Ask yourself: who has read all of it, and what did they say?

3. Do you know which kind of edit you need?

   A proofread catches spelling and punctuation. A copy-edit also fixes clumsy sentences and inconsistencies. A structural edit looks at the whole shape of the book. They are different jobs at different prices, so be clear which one you are buying.

   Ask yourself: is my problem typos, sentences, or the story itself?

4. Who is the book for?

   "Everyone" is not a reader. Picture one real person who would love this book: their age, what else they read, where they buy books. Your cover, your description and your price should all be chosen for that person.

   Ask yourself: can I describe my reader in one sentence?

5. Does the cover look right at the size of a stamp?

   Most people will first see your cover as a tiny picture on a phone. Shrink it down. If the title cannot be read and the image turns to mud, it needs rethinking, however good it looks full size.

   Ask yourself: can I read the title at thumbnail size?

6. Is the description doing its job?

   The description is a sales pitch, not a summary. Open with the hook, say what is at stake, and stop before you give away the ending. Then check it for typos twice: a mistake here loses readers before page one.

   Ask yourself: would the first two lines make a stranger keep reading?

7. Do you understand your ISBN?

   An ISBN identifies one edition of one book. Paperback, hardback and ebook each need their own. Who the ISBN is registered to is recorded as the publisher, so find out whose name will be on yours before you agree to anything.

   Ask yourself: whose name is on my ISBN?

8. Do you know what you are signing?

   Before you sign with anyone, be certain who owns the rights, how long the agreement lasts, what you are paying for, how you are paid, and how you can leave. If any of that is unclear, ask for it in writing.

   Ask yourself: if I wanted to walk away in a year, could I?

9. Where will the book be sold?

   Being on one website is not the same as being available everywhere. Ask which shops and countries your book will reach, in which formats, and whether libraries and bookshops will be able to order it.

   Ask yourself: could my local bookshop order a copy?

10. What happens on launch day?

    A book that nobody knows about does not sell. Before it goes live, decide who you will tell, where, and when: friends and family, social media, local press, your own website. A simple plan beats none.

    Ask yourself: who are the first twenty people I will tell?