Self-publishing is not hard, but it has many steps, and missing one can cost weeks. A cover that fails upload, a wrong trim size, an interior with no copyright page, a book description that does not sell: each is easy to avoid if you know it is coming. This guide is a checklist for the whole process, from a finished manuscript to a published book, in the order the work tends to happen. It links to the detailed guides for each step, and it is honest about what changes: retailers update their rules and prices often, so treat any specific number here as something to confirm on the retailer's current help pages before you rely on it. The last section shows how Quillen covers the steps it can.
The short answer
Finish and edit the manuscript; get a cover; format the interior for each format you want (ebook, paperback, audiobook); prepare your metadata (title, description, categories, keywords, price); upload and preview; publish; then plan the launch. Do the editing before anything else, since every later step depends on a stable text. Quillen can handle the editing tools, the interior export, the covers and the audiobook.
Phase 1: The book itself
- Finish the draft and put it away for a while.
- Edit in passes: story, scenes, sentences, then proofreading. See how to self-edit your novel in four passes.
- Get outside eyes: beta readers after the scene pass, and a professional editor and proofreader if your budget allows.
- Lock the text. Make no further changes once the formatting begins, except fixes.
Phase 2: Decide your formats
Most self-published books start with an ebook and a paperback. An audiobook can follow. Each format needs different files:
| Format | What you need | Guides |
|---|---|---|
| Ebook | An EPUB file and an ebook cover | Format an EPUB, create an ebook cover |
| Paperback | A print-ready interior and a full wraparound cover | Format a paperback interior, create a paperback cover |
| Audiobook | Audio files with the right specifications | Turn your book into an audiobook |
Phase 3: Front and back matter
Decide which pages the book needs: title page, copyright page, dedication, contents for nonfiction, About the Author and an Also by list. See how to add front and back matter and how to write a copyright page. Decide on ISBNs: print and ebook editions each need an identifier, and retailers can supply one for free in some cases, though that may limit where you can publish the book. Check the platform's help pages for the current rules.
Phase 4: Covers
The cover is your most powerful marketing tool. Make the ebook cover first, and test it at thumbnail size (see how to design cover text that reads as a thumbnail). For a paperback, you need the trim size, paper type and final page count before you can make the cover, because they set the spine (see how to calculate spine width). Do not finalize the paperback cover before the interior is final.
Phase 5: Metadata
The words around the book decide whether readers find it. Prepare these before you open the upload page:
| Item | What to prepare |
|---|---|
| Title and subtitle | Final wording, matching the cover |
| Series name and number | If part of a series |
| Author name | As you want it published |
| Description (blurb) | A hook, the stakes and a closing line; see how to design a back cover |
| Categories | The categories that fit your genre; check how many the retailer allows |
| Keywords | Phrases a reader would type to find a book like yours; KDP provides a set of keyword slots |
| Price | Your ebook and print prices; royalty options depend on price and territory, so check the current royalty page |
| Rights and territories | Where you can sell the book |
Phase 6: Upload and preview
Upload the interior and the cover, then use the retailer's own previewer. Check every part of the book on screen: front matter, chapter openings, images, the last page. For print, check the margins and the cover alignment. Fix problems and re-upload until the preview is clean. See how to preview your book before you publish and how to fix a KDP cover size error if you hit one.
Phase 7: Order a proof
For print, order a printed proof copy before you publish widely. Seeing the real book catches problems the screen hides: colour, margins, trim and the spine. It is worth the cost and the wait.
Phase 8: Publish and launch
Publishing makes the book available, usually after a review that can take from hours to a few days. Plan the launch: tell your list, set up a page on your website, ask early readers for honest reviews and decide whether to run any promotions. A launch does not have to be elaborate, but it should be planned, since the first weeks matter for visibility. If it is a series, link the books and make the next one easy to find.
Common mistakes
| Mistake | Problem | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Formatting before editing is done | Reformatting after every change | Lock the text first |
| Making the paperback cover too early | Spine and size wrong | Finalize the interior first |
| No copyright page or About the Author | Looks unfinished | Add the standard pages |
| A weak description | Readers do not click buy | Treat the blurb as marketing |
| Skipping the proof copy | Print problems after launch | Order a proof |
| Not checking current retailer rules | Prices, specs and categories change | Confirm on the retailer's help pages |
| No plan after publishing | A quiet launch | Plan the first weeks |
Do it in Quillen
Quillen covers the writing-side steps of the checklist in one app: editing, interior files, covers and audiobook. It does not upload to retailers for you; you do that on their sites.
| Step | Quillen tool |
|---|---|
| Edit the manuscript | Outline, Analyze Document, Read aloud, Find & Replace |
| Ebook file | Export, Print, eBook & Kindle, choose EPUB |
| Print interior | Export, Print, eBook & Kindle, choose Word or PDF (formatted to the standard; nothing to set by hand) |
| Front and back matter | Title page, copyright, dedication, contents, epigraph, map, About the Author and Other Books in the export |
| Ebook cover | Cover, eBook cover |
| Paperback cover | Cover, Paperback cover, with trim size, paper type and page count |
| Audiobook | Export, Audiobook, with single narrator or cast of voices |
| Preview | Four preview modes in the export: E-reader, Phone, Book and Standard |
The full checklist
- Manuscript finished, edited in passes and proofread.
- Formats decided: ebook, paperback, audiobook.
- Front and back matter chosen, including a copyright page.
- ISBN decisions made, and the platform's rules checked.
- Ebook cover finished and tested as a thumbnail.
- Interior formatted; page count final.
- Paperback cover built to the final page count.
- Description, categories, keywords and price prepared.
- Uploaded and previewed; errors fixed.
- Printed proof ordered and checked.
- Published, with a launch plan.
Common questions
What are the steps to self-publish a book?
Finish and edit the manuscript, decide your formats, add front and back matter, make the covers, prepare metadata, upload and preview, order a proof, publish and plan the launch.
Do I need an ISBN to self-publish?
Print and ebook editions each need an identifier. Retailers can supply one in some cases, but that may limit where you publish, so check the platform's current rules.
When should I make the paperback cover?
After the interior is final. The page count, trim size and paper type set the spine width, so a cover made too early may need redoing.
Why order a proof copy?
A printed proof shows problems a screen hides, such as colour, margins, trim and spine. It is worth the cost before you publish widely.
What can Quillen do in the self-publishing process?
Edit with Analyze Document and Find & Replace, export an EPUB or print-style Word and PDF files, design ebook and paperback covers, and create an audiobook. You upload to retailers on their own sites.