The Self-Publishing Checklist

Self-publishing is not hard so much as long. None of the individual steps is complicated, but there are a lot of them, several depend on each other, and a few need to start months before you would think. The usual mistake is not doing something wrong; it is remembering the ARC campaign three weeks before launch.

This checklist is organized into seven phases with rough timings for a book launching about six months after the draft is done. Compress it if you are publishing a shorter work or doing most of the production yourself, but keep the order. If you are still deciding how much to spend on each step, read how much it costs to self-publish a book first.

The Phases at a Glance

The right-hand column is the same plan on a calendar: Delphine Arkwright's schedule for The Moth Orchard, a gothic romance she self-published on March 3, 2027.

Phase 1 · 6+ months before launch

Finish the Manuscript

Nothing downstream goes well if the draft is still moving. Get the book to a state where you would be embarrassed to change the ending.

• Finish the draft and do at least one full revision pass yourself

  Let it sit for a few weeks first. You will see problems you could not see the day you typed the last line.

• Check your word count against your genre

  Readers and retailers have expectations. See word count by genre for target ranges.

• Get outside eyes on the story

  Beta readers, a critique group, or a structural read. Familiar's manuscript analysis scores plot, character, and pacing and maps your story beats, which is a quick way to find structural issues before an editor does.

• Decide on your title and, if it is a series, the series name

  Search the major stores for the title first. Titles are not copyrightable, but a crowded title makes you harder to find.

Phase 2 · 4 – 6 months before launch

Edit

Editing happens in layers, from big to small. Book editors early; good ones are often booked months out.

• Book your editors and put the dates on a calendar

  Work backwards from launch. A copyedit takes 2 – 6 weeks, and you need time to review the changes.

• Developmental edit (or manuscript assessment)

  Structure, plot, character, and pacing. Do this before line-level work so you do not polish scenes you later cut.

• Revise based on the developmental feedback

  Expect this to take longer than you planned.

• Copyedit

  Grammar, consistency, and style. Keep a style sheet of character names, spellings, and timeline facts.

• Schedule the proofread for after formatting

  Proofreading the final layout catches widows, bad breaks, and header errors as well as typos.

Phase 3 · 2 – 4 months before launch

Production

This is where the manuscript becomes a product. Most of these tasks can run in parallel with the copyedit.

• Get ISBNs, one per format

  Buy your own if you want your imprint listed as publisher everywhere, or use the free retailer ISBN. Costs are broken down in how much it costs to self-publish.

• Write the copyright page

  Copyright notice, ISBNs, edition, publisher or imprint name, and credits for cover and editing.

• Commission or buy the cover

  Ask for the ebook front and the full print wrap. The spine width depends on final page count, so the wrap comes after formatting.

• Format the interior: a print PDF and an EPUB

  Pick a trim size your printer supports (6" x 9" and 5.5" x 8.5" are common). Familiar's book formatting builds both files from a Word manuscript, with each trim size marked for the printers that offer it and a preflight check before you download.

• Proofread the formatted files, then order a printed proof

  Check the physical copy for margins, cover color, and spine alignment. Budget for a second proof if you change much.

• Write your metadata

  Book description, author bio, categories, and keywords. Look at bestsellers in your subgenre to see which categories they use.

• Set prices for each format

  Check what you earn per copy at each price with the author royalty calculator.

Phase 4 · 6 – 10 weeks before launch

Set Up Distribution

Decide where the book will be sold, then create the listings early so preorders and review copies have somewhere to point.

• Decide: Kindle Unlimited or wide

  KDP Select puts your ebook in Kindle Unlimited but requires ebook exclusivity to Amazon for 90-day terms. Wide distribution reaches Apple, Kobo, Google Play, and libraries. Print is never exclusive.

• Set up Amazon KDP for the ebook and paperback

  Upload files, enter metadata, and choose categories. KDP charges nothing upfront.

• Set up IngramSpark for bookstores and libraries

  Ingram reaches bookstores and libraries that do not order from Amazon. Hardcovers are also easier here.

• If going wide, add Draft2Digital or upload store by store

  Draft2Digital sends one ebook to many stores for a share of each sale. Direct accounts at Apple, Kobo, and Google Play pay slightly more per copy.

• Order proofs from each print platform

  KDP and IngramSpark print on different equipment. Paper and cover color can differ.

Phase 5 · 4 – 12 weeks before launch

Pre-Launch

Reviews and a way for readers to follow you are what give launch week its momentum. Start both well before the book is out.

• Start your ARC campaign 8 – 12 weeks before launch

  Recruit advance readers, send review copies, and follow up. The full plan is in how to run an ARC campaign, and Familiar ARC campaigns can list your book in a reader program where reviewers browse by genre.

• Set up an author page and put it in every bio

  One link with your books, buy links, and newsletter signup. Familiar Pages builds one from your catalog; the link in bio comparison covers the other options.

• Start a newsletter, even a small one

  Your mailing list is the one audience no platform can take away. Add a signup link to the back matter of the book itself.

• Open preorders

  Preorders let ARC readers and your list commit early. Upload final files well before KDP’s deadline, which falls a few days before release.

• Plan launch promotion

  Book newsletter promotions, schedule social posts, and set an ad budget with a hard cap.

Phase 6 · Release day and the week after

Launch Week

Launch week is about concentrating attention: the more sales and reviews that land close together, the more the stores notice.

• Check every store listing

  Confirm the right cover, description, price, and that the ebook and paperback are linked on Amazon.

• Email your newsletter and ARC readers

  Remind reviewers that the book is live and where to post. Reviews on the retail page matter most now.

• Run your scheduled promotions and ads

  Watch cost per click and sales daily, and pause anything that is clearly not working.

• Share the launch in the places your readers already are

  Social posts, reader groups where self-promotion is allowed, and any podcasts or blogs that agreed to feature you.

Phase 7 · Ongoing

After Launch

A book keeps selling long after launch week if you keep feeding it. This is also when the business side starts to matter.

• Track sales and royalties from every platform

  Each store reports on its own schedule and format. Keep one record so you know what each book earns and whether your spending is paying back.

• Tune or stop your ads

  Keep what earns more than it costs. Cut the rest without guilt.

• Keep collecting reviews

  Invite newsletter subscribers to become ARC readers for the next book.

• Update back matter as new books come out

  Every book should point readers to the next one.

• Start the next book

  A backlist is what makes self-publishing work financially. Every new release helps sell the earlier ones.

Where Self-Published Launches Usually Go Wrong

Frequently Asked Questions

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