Publishing made easy: 7 steps to self-publishing

1. Self-publishing vs traditional publishing: Which path is right for you? 
2. E-book, print, or audiobook? An overview of publishing formats 
3. Cost factors in self-publishing 
4. Step-by-step guide: Publishing your own book 
5. Using Fiverr to publish your own book 
6. Conclusion: Is self-publishing worth it? 

The manuscript is finished. Perhaps it has been sitting on your hard drive for months, but the route to publication feels like a maze. How do you get an ISBN for your book? Do you want to publish an e-book, a printed book, or both? And who is supposed to design the cover? The more you think about it, the more questions come up. That is why many texts remain unpublished, even though they have long been ready to be read. 

And yet, it has never been easier to publish your own book. Self-publishing gives you full control over your work and significantly higher royalties than the traditional publishing route. You do not need a large amount of start-up capital or contacts in the industry. All you need is a clear plan. This article provides exactly that, with seven concrete steps from manuscript to publication. 

Self-publishing vs traditional publishing: Which path is right for you? 

Before you publish your book, you need to make a fundamental decision. Will you take the traditional route through a publisher, or publish independently? Both options have their merits, but they differ significantly in terms of effort, control, and earning potential: 

The traditional publishing route 

A publishing contract can sound appealing at first.

You receive an advance, a professional team takes care of editing, cover design, and marketing, and your book is presented to the trade. You receive an advance, a professional team handles editing, cover design, and marketing, and your book is made available in bookshops. On top of that comes the prestige of being published by an established publisher. 

The downside: Publishers typically pay authors only 5 to 10 per cent of the net sales price in royalties. It often takes one to two years before the book is published. And you give up a large part of your creative control. The publisher decides on the title, cover, price, and publication date. On top of that, most manuscripts are not accepted in the first place. 

Self-publishing 

With self-publishing (also known as independent publishing), you retain full control. You decide on the cover, price, publication date, and distribution channels. Your book can, in theory, be online within a matter of days. And you earn significantly more per copy sold. For e-books, royalties of up to 70 per cent are common. 

In return, you take on full responsibility. You handle editing, cover design, formatting, and marketing yourself. This requires time, energy, and—depending on your standards—money. Without personal initiative, your book will remain invisible. 

Which path is right for you?

Self-publishing is particularly suitable for you if you want to publish quickly, earn more, and retain creative control. The traditional publishing route can make sense if reach in brick-and-mortar bookshops is important to you and you are willing to give up control and income in return.

E-book, print, or audiobook? An overview of publishing formats 

Self-publishing does not automatically mean e-books. You can publish your book in different formats, depending on your audience, genre, and budget. Many authors combine several formats to reach different audiences. 

Advantages and disadvantages of e-books 

E-books are the easiest way to get started with self-publishing. You upload your manuscript and within a few hours it is available worldwide. Ideal for beginners. 

✅ Publication is often free, with a low barrier to entry 

✅ Highest royalties (up to 70%) 

✅ Immediately available, with changes possible at any time 

✅ No storage or printing costs 

❌ Lower perceived value than print 

❌ High price pressure: E-books priced under €5 are not uncommon 

❌ Platform dependence with exclusive programmes (e.g. Amazon) 

Advantages and disadvantages of print-on-demand 

Print-on-demand allows you to offer a physical book without upfront costs. Each copy is only printed once someone places an order. This is particularly useful for non-fiction, guidebooks, and selling at events. 

✅ Physical book with no inventory risk 

✅ Higher perceived value and greater willingness to pay 

✅ Bookshop listings possible, depending on the provider 

✅ Perfect for readings, trade fairs, and direct sales 

❌ Lower margins due to printing costs 

❌ Quality varies depending on the provider 

❌ More complex formatting (layout, trim size) 

❌ Not all providers supply brick-and-mortar bookshops

Advantages and disadvantages of audiobooks 

The audiobook market has been growing steadily for years. More and more people listen to books while commuting, exercising, or cooking. As a complement to e-books or print editions, it allows you to reach an additional audience. 

✅ Growing market with less competition 

✅ Additional revenue stream from existing content 

✅ AI voices reduce production costs 

✅ Reaches new audiences 

❌ High production costs with professional narrators 

❌ AI voices are often not yet on par with human performance 

❌ Technically demanding (audio editing, quality standards) 

❌ Smaller market than e-books 

Cost factors in self-publishing 

Self-publishing can be free. But it can also cost several thousand euros. How much you invest depends on your quality standards and on which tasks you take on yourself.

An overview of cost factors 

• Proofreading: Proofreading focuses on checking and correcting spelling, grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, and formal aspects such as consistent usage. The aim is to eliminate errors on the surface level of the language so that the text is error-free. 
• Editing: An edit reviews your text for style, clarity, structure, content consistency, and grammar. Editors refine wording, remove repetitions, and ensure a smooth reading experience. This is why editing costs more than proofreading. 
• Cover design: The cover is the first thing potential readers see. Cutting corners here often results in lower sales figures. 
• Typesetting and formatting: For e-books, you need a clean EPUB file; for print, a print-ready PDF with the correct layout and trim. The latter in particular can be time-consuming and, as a result, costly depending on the level of complexity. 
• ISBN and barcode: In Germany, a single ISBN costs around 70 euros when purchased individually. Some platforms provide free ISBNs, but these are then tied to that specific platform. 
• Printing costs: With print-on-demand, there are no upfront costs. The printing costs per copy are automatically deducted from the sales price. 
• Marketing and advertising: There is no upper limit here. Even small budgets of 50 to 100 euros for ads can deliver initial results. Organic marketing via social media mainly costs time. 
• Author website or domain: Having your own website boosts visibility and serves as a central hub. Creating and hosting a website also requires time and money. 
• Audiobook production: Professional narrators can easily cost several thousand euros, depending on the length of the book and their experience. AI-generated voices are significantly cheaper, but the quality is not always convincing yet.

Step-by-step guide: Publishing your own book 

You now have an overview of formats and costs. Now it is time to get down to business. The following seven steps will take you from a finished manuscript to a published book. 

Step 1: Finish your manuscript 

Before you think about editing or the cover, your manuscript needs to be genuinely finished. Not perfect, but as good as you can make it on your own. Read through your text several times, leave it alone for a few days, and then revise it again with a fresh perspective. 

Beta readers help you identify blind spots. These are test readers from your target audience who read your manuscript before professional editing and provide honest feedback on potential plot holes, long-winded sections, or unclear passages. 

Step 2: Editing and proofreading 

Poorly edited books receive poor reviews. And poor reviews hurt sales. 

Editing covers style, structure, and clarity. Editors refine wording, cut repetitions, and ensure a smooth, readable text. Proofreading follows afterwards and removes spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. 

Step 3: Design the book cover 

Your cover is your most important sales tool. Potential readers decide within seconds whether your book interests them or whether they scroll on. An unprofessional cover signals an unprofessional book. 

Pay attention to genre conventions: Thrillers look different from romance novels, non-fiction books from fantasy. Study successful books in your genre and take inspiration from their visual language.

Step 4: Formatting for e-books and print 

E-books and print books have different technical requirements. 

For e-books, you need an EPUB file with clean, flexible text. This means the text automatically adapts to different screen sizes. Many platforms offer simple upload tools that convert your Word document. For a professional result, however, manual fine-tuning is still worthwhile. 

Print books require a print-ready PDF with the correct layout, trim, and margins. Formatting errors are immediately visible in printed books and cannot be corrected afterwards. 

Step 5: ISBN and legal basics 

The ISBN (International Standard Book Number) is the unique identifier for your book. You need a separate ISBN for each format—one for the e-book, one for the paperback, and one for the hardback. 

Some platforms, such as Amazon KDP, provide free ISBNs. However, these are tied to the respective platform. If you want to remain flexible, you should purchase your ISBN yourself via the ISBN agency. In Germany, a single ISBN costs around 70 euros. 

Additional legal points you should be aware of: 

• Imprint requirement: Every book must include an imprint with your name and address. Pseudonyms are allowed, but a legally valid postal address must be provided. 
• Legal deposit copies: After publication, you must submit two copies to the German National Library. For e-books, this is done digitally. 
• Taxes: Books in Germany are subject to the reduced VAT rate of 7 per cent. You should also check whether the small business VAT scheme may apply based on your turnover. 

Step 6: Choose a platform and upload your book 

The choice of platform affects reach, royalties, and distribution channels. For e-books, Amazon KDP is the largest marketplace, but not the only one. Tolino Media reaches many readers in German-speaking countries. Distributors such as StreetLib or Draft2Digital distribute your book to multiple stores at once. 

Consider whether you want to publish exclusively on a single platform. With KDP Select, Amazon offers higher royalties and marketing benefits, but requires exclusivity for the e-book. Without exclusivity, you reach more stores but give up these extras. 

When uploading, metadata matters. Title, subtitle, description, keywords, and categories determine whether your book gets discovered. Take the time to optimise these elements, look at which keywords successful books in your genre use, and write a description that sparks curiosity. 

Step 7: Marketing and promotion 

Your book is online. Now it needs to be seen. This is where the right marketing measures come into play. 

Before the launch: Build an email list, for example through a simple landing page (don’t forget SEO!) or your author website. Send out review copies to book bloggers and readers who are willing to write an honest review. Reviews are crucial for both algorithms and potential buyers’ purchasing decisions. 

At launch: Price promotions can give your release a strong boost. Many authors offer their e-book at a reduced price or even for free during the first week to generate downloads and reviews. Paid ads on Amazon or Facebook can bring additional reach, but they require learning the platforms and a testing budget. 

In the long term: Your backlist is the biggest lever in self-publishing. Each additional book increases the visibility of all the others. Keep your mailing list engaged with regular newsletters, stay active on social media, and keep your author website up to date. If your book performs well, translating it into other languages can also be worthwhile.

Using Fiverr to publish your own book 

The seven steps show just how much work goes into publishing a book. Editing, cover design, formatting, marketing – all of this requires either time or specialist knowledge. You may not have either. And that is exactly where many book projects fail. Not at the writing stage, but at everything that comes afterwards. 

One solution is outsourcing. You focus on what you do best and hand the rest over to professionals. The freelance platform Fiverr offers a low-barrier way to do just that: 

fiverr on OMR Reviews

On Fiverr, you can find providers for almost every task involved in self-publishing. You search for the service you need, compare profiles, reviews, and prices, and book directly. Payment is handled through Fiverr, which provides security for both sides. 

The advantage over traditional freelancer searches: You can immediately see what other clients say about a freelancer’s work. Many providers share samples of their work, allowing you to assess quality in advance. The price range is wide, from affordable entry-level offers to premium services.

These services are available on Fiverr

How self-publishing via Fiverr works 

1. Search for a service: You browse the platform for the service you need, such as book design or editing. Fiverr shows you suitable freelancers along with prices, delivery times, and reviews. 

2. Provide a brief: Before booking, you share your requirements. Budget, timeline, and expectations for the outcome. The clearer your brief, the better the freelancer can deliver. 

3. Place the order: Once you agree, you book the service and provide all the required materials. For editing, this would be your manuscript; for cover design, your ideas about style and genre. 

4. Review and approve the result: You receive the finished work and can request changes if needed. In many cases, at least one revision round is included in the price. 

Conclusion: Is self-publishing worth it? 

Self-publishing is worthwhile for anyone who is prepared to treat their book project for what it is: a small business. With a strong product, well-thought-out marketing, and a bit of persistence, you can reach readers and build a rewarding side income. 

The price you pay is personal responsibility. You have to take care of editing, cover design, formatting, and marketing yourself. This requires time, energy, and – depending on your standards – more or less money. Anyone who underestimates these tasks or cuts corners in the wrong places risks ending up with a book that does not sell despite strong content. To prevent your book project from stalling, it is therefore worth getting support from freelancers via platforms such as Fiverr.