For many writers, the dream of publishing a book may become a reality. But the process can be fraught with decisions, challenges, and lessons learned. It doesn’t matter if you’re writing fiction, non-fiction, poetry, or memoir—the difference between a book that performs well and one that does not is often in avoiding a few common mistakes.
At BookPublishings.com, we have assisted thousands of authors through the publishing process, and we’ve seen the same common pitfalls time and again. The good news is that with the right navigational tools, you can avoid them and put your book in a position to flourish.
Here are the 10 most common mistakes new authors make—and how to avoid them.
1. Not using Professional Editing
The Mistake: New authors often think self-editing, or asking a friend to read the manuscript, will be enough.
Why It’s a Problem: Even the best writers have blind spots. Typos, grammar issues, plot holes, and the structure of awkward wording can easily be missed and put your author credibility in jeopardy. Readers see them.
How to Dodge It: Use a professional editor who can actively spot the mistakes you’ve either made or missed, and improve your manuscript regarding flow and structure. At BookPublishings.com, our editors can provide developmental editing, copy editing, and proofreading, which will allow your book to be prepared for publication.
2. Using an Amateur Book Cover
The Mistake: Designing your own cover or taking the easy way out using a generic template.
Why It’s a Problem: Your book cover is the first thing consumers see. If a book cover is poorly crafted, existing (hopefully) content can be pushed to the background; it conveys a lack of professionalism, and readers generally expect books to look professional and be constructed well.
How to Dodge It: Use a custom, professional book cover design. Our design team builds covers that reflect your genre, attract the right audience, and stand out among all the others on collective marketplaces, like Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
3. Ignoring Interior Formatting
The Mistake: Poorly formatted books – e.g., incorrect spacing, unconcerned fonts, bad margins, etc.
Why It’s a Problem: A poorly formatted book creates an aggravating reading experience and demonstrates a lack of professionalism
How to Dodge It: Use professional typesetters and interior formatters so your book looks appealing and reads clearly, and meets production specifications for print, eBook, etc
4. Rushing to Publish
The Mistake: Waiting too long from when you’ve typed “The End” to when you hit “upload”.
Why It’s a Problem: Often by publishing too soon, you skip important steps in the publishing process, including, but not limited to, editing, beta reading, design reviews, and market research (aka the ‘base’ of the publishing process)
How to Dodge It: Give your book the proper amount of time. At Book Publishings, we look to ensure you have the best chance for success heading into your book launch and to be successful in the long term. Our team walks authors through a delayed yet structured timeline of events prior to publishing, along with the author, in order to ensure quality is being checked at every step of the authorization process.
5. Not Defining the Target Audience
The Mistake: Writing without being specific about who you are writing for.
Why It’s a Problem: When you try to reach everyone, you end up not reaching anyone. Not knowing your audience means your book and your marketing will lack focus.
How to Dodge It: Determine your ideal readers early. Know their age, interests, reading habits, and what they expect from their books. We help authors connect with their target market through personalized, actionable strategies.
6. Believing Marketing Isn’t Necessary
The Mistake: Assuming that once the book is published, sales will just happen.
Why It’s a Problem: With millions of books coming out each year, visibility is just as essential as quality. You can have a great book, but without a marketing plan, your book will get lost in the crowd.
How to Dodge It: Understand that marketing is an important piece of the publishing puzzle. We will ensure authors have the tools they need to achieve actual marketing results, from author websites and social media campaigns to press releases and email newsletters.
Ready to make your book happen?
Book a session with Book Publishings today!
7. Overlooking ISBN and Copyright Essentials
The Mistake: You publish a book without obtaining an ISBN, or you skip copyright registration.
Why It’s a Problem: Without an ISBN, your book cannot be properly catalogued and made available for sale in large retail stores. Without copyright protection, your work can be copied and used by others and claimed as theirs legally.
How to Dodge It: Always obtain an ISBN and copyright before sharing your books. At BookPublishings.com, we guide authors through these processes so their books are published securely and professionally.
8. Mispricing the Book
The Mistake: Pricing without any market research, whether too high or too low.
Why It’s a Problem: If you are too high, potential readers may avoid trying a new author, but if you are too low, you may inadvertently undervalue your work and lose sales.
How to Avoid It: Look at the pricing of the other authors in your genre. We help authors set competitive prices that balance reader appeal and profitability.
9. Limiting Distribution to a Single Platform
The Mistake: Publishing only to Amazon or one retailer.
Why It’s a Problem: Restricting distribution limits your reach and sales opportunity; different readers shop on different platforms.
How to Avoid It: Distribute your book widely. We help make sure authors are listed on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple, Kobo, Google Play, and dozens of others, too, both online and in physical stores.
10. Giving Up Too Soon
The Mistake: Expecting instant bestseller status and quitting pitching when it didn’t happen immediately.
Why It’s a Problem: A typical book takes a long time to build momentum, even more if the author is distant in their pitching.
How to Avoid It: Keep marketing and pitching for your book, keep networking with the audience you want to reach, and keep writing so that eventually your author brand will be built and readers will be waiting for your next book. We provide marketing support and strategies to sustain your momentum long after your book launch.
Bonus Tip: Build Your Author Platform Early
You can start to build and grow your presence—whether it is social media, a personal blog, or an email list—even while working on your book. This way, when your book is published, you have an audience who will buy your book out of the gate.
Wrapping It Up
Publishing a book is a huge achievement, but avoiding these missteps can help guarantee that your book is successful, stands out, and allows you to cement your reputation as an author.
At BookPublishings.com, we offer full-service publishing services – from editing, cover design, marketing, and global distribution – leaving you to focus on what you do best: writing!
Are you ready to publish and avoid the mistakes?
Visit BookPublishings.com now to turn your manuscript into a book that changes the world with others reading, enjoying, and remembering it!
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