#where’s that vid IK allie has posted it

[maiteo]

fed some ducks today<3 just like spalletti<3

[hayatheauthor]

As a teenager who has self published in the past and is doing it rn, I've learned a lot about how to write, edit, and self publish your book on a budget.

Traditional publishing is a great option but the reality is not everyone is going to get that 'yes' they're looking for. If you've decided to opt for self publishing but are scared of the financial demand, here are some free ways you can ensure you have a polished manuscript and great cover:

(kept the read more to prevent cluttering everyone's feed because this got a little long lol)

1. Cover design

First off, remember to always ask for a book jacket not a just a cover. A book jacket includes the cover, back cover, and spine. Having a pretty cover is useless if you don't have a back cover and spine to go with it.

Simple Covers

If your book is an 'easier' genre like non-fic, thriller, etc. and you're willing to pick up a few editing skills and watch a bunch of yt vids you could make your own cover on platforms like Canva or Pixlr. I made my first book's cover like that and sure it might not be the coolest but it was still pretty good.

Complex Covers

This is probably the hardest part of self publishing on a budget, but there's an easy solution for you too! Just like there are writers who post stories etc on certain sites for free, there are also graphic designers who make covers etc for free you just need to know where to look for them.

Writing Sites: Sites like Quotev and Webnovel are known for having a large community of cover designers. That's probably the easiest free way to find a good SFF cover. In fact, I made my WIP's book jacket by myself after picking u skills from Quotev.

Goodreads & Reedsy: While all of the designers on these sites aren't free, you'll likely find at least a couple designers willing to lend you a hand.

Hire Someone: Ik what you're thinking, hiring someone is exactly what you're trying not to do. But here's the thing: you can easily find a freelance graphic designer who meets your budget by looking for designers in other countries with a lower currency. If you're a UK/US author this can be REALLY easy and you'll find someone in about 20 USD

2. Editing

Editing is another big concern that you mentioned, and more specifically, getting that final polish.

You can make your editing process easier by using these resources:

AI: I know this might seem unconventional, but AI editing, with the right prompts, can actually help a ton! Now, what you need to remember is to only use the AI as an editor, not a writer. How can you prevent yourself from mixing up the two? Just make sure to add a quick line in your prompts like 'I don't want you to completely (re)write this section but only advise me on how to improve it.' Remember, only give AI a max of 1k words to review at a time.

Free Resources: Finding a good book editor for free online is actually much easier than you would think. There are a ton of websites you can use like Goodreads where you can find experienced editors willing to lend you a hand. Sure, they might not bring you the professionalism that other, pricier editors would, but they're still worth a try. Here are some other sites:

The Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) ACES: The Society for Editing BetaBooks

Most of these focus on paid services but they are honestly pretty affordable when compared to other platforms.

College Students: Second-third year uni students pursuing a degree in some form of literature look for opportunities to build their portfolio, this is where you come in. Find a college in your city/state that provides Literature-esque degrees, then go on Linkedin and look for students of that program and send them a message talking about your requirements. Be professional and mention you'll give them a letter of recommendation, certificate, and any other such perks.

Remember, someone with a Literature degree is almost as knowledgeable as a professional editor, they just lack the experience, which is what you're giving them.

Connecting With Other Writers: other self-published writers will probably be willing to lend you a hand if you ask around. The Bookstagram and Booktok communities are especially helpful in this matter.

3. Book Formatting

Once you have the perfect book jacket and manuscript, it's time to put it all together into an actual book. This might seem like a daunting task, but honestly, it's the easiest aspect of self publishing. Here are some free ways you can get it done:

DIY Formatting: You can format your book yourself using software like Microsoft Word, Google Docs, or specialized formatting tools like Vellum (which offers a one-time purchase option). Many authors find templates online or use guides provided by self-publishing platforms like Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) or IngramSpark.

Free Formatting Tools: Some online tools offer free book formatting services, although they may have limitations or offer basic formatting options. Examples include Pressbooks, Draft2Digital's free conversion tool, and Reedsy's book formatting tool.

Templates: Utilize free or affordable book formatting templates available online. These templates are designed to meet industry standards and can save you time and effort in formatting your book.

Community Resources: Join writing communities and forums where authors share tips and resources for book formatting. You may find members willing to share their formatting templates or offer guidance on DIY formatting.

Freelancers: Consider hiring freelancers for book formatting if your budget allows it. Websites like Fiverr, Upwork, and Reedsy have freelance professionals who offer book formatting services at various price points.

Final Notes

Overall, while this might seem like a scary venture, trust me when I say if you're willing to put in the effort and do a ton of research you can self publish a beautiful, polished book that people will love to read!

If you find yourself feeling lost I'm always willing to help out as a beta reader or editor.

Marketing itself is a whole other issue, but honestly, I have a ton of advice for that too so lmk if you're interested!

I think the main reason I'm conflicted on self publishing VS trad publishing is cause most self published authors [that I see at least] act like its the dumbest stupidest idea to publish w/o paying for a professional editor & cover designer.

Which like, I get why - people judge covers hard & it's easy to miss mistakes when you're editing your work.

But I can't afford either of those things & unless I magically come into a lot of money sometime soon, it'll be 5-10+ years before I will be able to afford either, let alone both.

It just stresses me out cause they act like unless you get these things its a guaranteed flop/1-star.

And I don't wanna do trad - at least RN or for this series, but that'd be the only way I'd not have to pay for an editor or cover design :/