Creating a beautiful and professional book involves more than just writing the copy, but more and more there are options for writers who want to bring their work to market themselves. When we work with new or aspiring authors, we always ask “Do you have a plan for how you want to publish?” Many writers still hold the belief that the only “valid” way forward is a traditional publishing deal with one of large the houses. The publishing world has seen a lot of changes over the past decade, and every year there are more authors publishing work that in indistinguishable in quality from books being printed by those major houses. Readers are finding and giving them with the same word of mouth support that traditional publishing has always relied on. If you have been dismissing self-publishing as a low-quality, less valid path, this week we’re looking at common misconceptions about self-publishing and the steps you would need to take to self-publish a truly excellent book.
Before we get into today’s post, we wanted to ask—do you have a plan for actually finishing your memoir? If not, we know you aren’t making the progress you hoped for. That’s why we developed The Memoir Method Checklist. This free guide (and video training!) will take you through every single step you need from idea to published marketable book. Grab it now at https://pageandpodium.com/checklist
Misconceptions about Self-Publishing
Often negative assumptions and associates can long outlive any actual truth to them. Before we get into the steps of excellent self-publishing, you may want to closely examine a few negative mindsets you may be carrying about self-publishing that may in fact be myths.
“If I can’t get a traditional deal, my book must not be good enough.”
Some authors believe that a traditional book deal is the ultimate measure of whether a manuscript is “good enough.” But traditional publishers evaluate far more than the quality of your writing. Craft matters, but it’s only a small slice of what determines whether a publisher offers a contract. Their primary concern is whether the book is saleable: whether the topic is timely, whether readers already see you as an authority, and whether they can envision a clear path to market.
For nonfiction especially, the author’s platform, visibility, and audience engagement often outweigh the beauty of the prose. That means a rejection from a traditional house says far more about their own market positions and strategies than about the inherent worth of your book. Using traditional standards as your personal barometer for “good enough” is deeply limiting. Your book’s value is not defined by a publisher’s business calculus.
“Self‑published books are low‑quality compared to traditionally published ones.”
Another common mindset that holds writers back is the assumption that self‑publishing inevitably leads to a lower‑quality finished product. Last week we asked you if you were comparing a first draft to a polished, professionally edited, fully designed published book.
In the same way, you may also be comparing the worst examples of self‑publishing (a family memoir with a Word‑document layout and a homemade cover) to the best examples of traditional publishing (a prize‑winning hardcover from a major house). It’s true that some books are obviously self-produced because there are short cuts in design or production, but does not follow that all self-published work is automatically lower quality. In fact, unless you specifically look at the imprint, you may already love some Indie books without even realizing.
The truth is that self‑publishing is only as limited as your approach to publishing itself. When you self‑publish, you’re taking on the role of the publisher, which means the final product depends on the decisions you make about editing, design, layout, and production. And the good news is that you can hire experts for every stage or even choose a hybrid publisher who handles the entire process for you. You do not need a Big Five imprint to produce an exceptional book.
Research Publishing Components
Before you dive into self-publishing world, like any project you want to take the lead on, you’ll need to do a little of research. The main components we need to be thinking about fall into three essential categories: editing, the design, and the metadata.
Editing
Editing is the foundation of a high‑quality book, and it must happen in stages. Every manuscript begins with revision — your own read‑through, your notes, and the changes you can make independently. No first draft is ready for publication, or even for copyediting, without this deeper developmental work. Once you’ve taken the manuscript as far as you can, it’s time to bring in professional support. A developmental editor or book coach can help you strengthen structure, clarity, and narrative flow before you move on to copyediting and, eventually, proofreading. These later stages typically happen months after your initial revisions, and understanding the full editing sequence is essential if you want to replicate the level of quality a traditional publisher would expect.
Editing takes more time than you think. If you’re a new author, you may be imagining a process that takes a little longer than it takes to read through it a few times. That is an underestimation because each phase of editing—developmental revisions, editing, and finally proofing—looks a different elements of the writing. In revision, you might find sections that need moving, cutting or even rewriting. Don’t rush this.
Design
Most authors start thinking about cover design early, but design goes far beyond the front of the book. Not to mention the back cover and spine, the interior layout—the typography, spacing, chapter headings, and overall reading experience—is a crucial part of producing a professional final product. Fortunately, interior design has become far more accessible thanks to modern tools and templates, many of which are affordable and user‑friendly. Still, it’s important to understand how your cover and interior work together as a cohesive package. Thoughtful design choices signal professionalism, support readability, and help your book stand confidently alongside traditionally published titles
Metadata
Metadata is the behind‑the‑scenes information that allows retailers, libraries, and search engines to categorize your book and readers find it through searches. This includes your marketing copy (back‑cover text and online descriptions), keywords, and your author bio. It also includes the administrative elements: registering your ISBNs through Bowker (one for each format), completing your copyright registration, and selecting your BISAC categories (the subject classifications that determine where your book appears on digital shelves.) While “metadata” can sound technical, most of these components are straightforward to research, and studying how other books are listed online will give you a clear sense of what strong metadata looks like. Done well, metadata ensures that the right readers can find the book you’ve worked so hard to create.
Make a plan with dates
Successful self‑publishing requires having a realistic, date‑driven plan. Many authors dramatically underestimate how long the process takes, especially when it comes to editing. Revision, developmental editing, copyediting, and proofreading each require their own timeline, and none of them happen quickly. Without anchoring these stages to actual dates, it’s almost impossible to understand the true scope of the work ahead.
Dates also matter because self‑publishing requires you to manage multiple professionals: editors, designers, formatters, and often marketing or publicity specialists. Unless you’re doing every single step yourself (which we do not recommend), you’re coordinating with creatives who often book out months in advance. At Page & Podium, we even have a dedicated logistics manager for this reason: the moving pieces are real, and they multiply fast. Without a timeline, you can’t effectively schedule or communicate with the people helping you bring your book to life.
So as you build your plan, be honest with yourself about how long each stage will take and how far in advance you need to book your team. Editing alone can stretch across several months, and many designers are scheduled six to twelve months out. A plan without dates can leave you adrift for months and then scrambling. A plan with dates gives you clarity, structure, and the ability to move your book from draft to finished product.
Consider your book’s cohesion as well as the details
Self‑publishing well means learning to think on two levels at once: the highly specific and the big‑picture. Authors often fixate on individual elements—most commonly the front cover—without considering how that single piece fits into the full presentation of the book. A cover isn’t just a front image; it’s a front, spine, and back, and even that is only one part of the overall design. Readers spend far more time with your interior than your exterior, which means the cover must be in conversation with the typography, layout, and visual rhythm inside the book.
This is the heart of cohesive publishing: every component should feel like it belongs to the same project. Thinking only at the detail level leads to a beautiful cover paired with an interior that feels disconnected. Thinking only at the big‑picture level leads to a vague, unfocused product. But when you intentionally move between the two—zooming in on the specifics while keeping the whole book in mind—you create a unified, professional package.
Make an imprint
Most readers never check who published the books they love, and even when they do, they rarely distinguish between an imprint that is under a Big Five, a small press, a hybrid publisher, or a self‑published title. That ambiguity can work in your favor. If someone does look at the publisher listed on your book, you don’t want it to read “Independently Published.” Not because self‑publishing is inferior—it isn’t—but because many readers still carry outdated assumptions that equate “self‑published” with “low quality.” Creating your own imprint is an easy way to sidestep that bias and present your book with the same professionalism readers expect from traditional publishers.
An imprint is simply the brand name of the publisher. Large houses have many imprints; smaller presses often have just one. Page & Podium is an imprint. Penguin Random House has over two-hundred imprints. And you can have one too.
Establishing an imprint signals care, professionalism, and attention to detail. It reassures readers that your book has been thoughtfully produced, and it reinforces your own confidence in the quality of your work. And as a bonus, once you publish under your imprint, you’ve effectively founded your own small publishing house. Any future books you release can live under the same brand, building recognition and cohesion across your body of work.
Publish across multiple platforms
Many self‑publishing authors default to thinking only about KDP, and while Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing is essential, it shouldn’t be your only stop. KDP handles both ebooks and print‑on‑demand paperbacks for Amazon, and you’ll almost certainly want your book available there. But limiting yourself to a single platform means limiting your reach. Publishing across multiple channels is one of the simplest ways to give your book a meaningful boost.
IngramSpark is the other major platform you should strongly consider. Ingram is the primary distributor used by bookstores, libraries, and many non‑Amazon retailers. If you want your book to be available wholesale to places like Barnes & Noble, Target, Walmart, or independent bookstores IngramSpark is the path. Wholesale buyers expect a 55% discount and free returns, which means you’ll earn less per copy through Ingram, but you gain access to markets that simply won’t order through Amazon. For many authors, the combination of KDP for Amazon visibility and IngramSpark for industry distribution is the most efficient, high‑impact strategy.
Beyond those two, additional platforms include Google Play, Apple Books, and others, depending on where your readers shop. You don’t need to publish everywhere, but you do need to publish where your audience buys books. Expanding your distribution ensures your book meets readers wherever they are.
As you move forward, remember that quality is not determined by who publishes your book. In 2026, with the tools and technology available, self‑published books can be every bit as polished, professional, and award‑worthy as traditionally published ones. Your job is to choose the publishing path that best serves you, your book, and your goals.
PS. Searching the internet for writing, publishing, and book marketing advice can be exhausting to say the least! If you’re ready for hands on, one-on-one support for your memoir, check out The Memoir Method. We’d love to welcome you into this nine-month group program specially designed for women writing their first memoirs. And don’t forget, if you’d like to chat with Amanda about the program (or any other services we offer), you can book a free consult any time!
