How I Learned the Hard Way: 5 Essential Tips for Aspiring Self-Published Authors.

A WCCS post by CJ AGGETT.

Let’s be real—self-publishing isn’t for the faint-hearted. I learned this the hard way when I hit "publish" too quickly on my first book. I was eager, excited, and full of passion, but I wasn’t fully prepared. The results? Grammatical errors spotted post-release, and the sting of knowing I could have done better. This continues to haunt me when I look back at the book and it stops me from promoting it.

But that’s part of the journey, right? No one nails it the first time. That’s why I’m sharing my story—so you can avoid some of the mistakes I made and find success as a self-published author. The beauty of self-publishing is that it gives you full control. But with great power comes great responsibility.

So, here’s what I’ve learned from my journey, and what I wish I had known before clicking that fateful “publish” button on Amazon KDP.

The pictures you can see above are screenshots of my book. Clearly a book readers have enjoyed and left great reviews. I should be proud of this and promote it. However, due to the errors I mentioned, it undoubtedly has left some readers, as shown below, disappointed. This is something that holds me back. Something I should take from this is that despite the errors, readers who are there for the story, love it. So, It makes me want to go back, work on this and re-release it. Which is something I will do down the line. That will be a lot of work I should not have to do.

Learn from my mistakes.

Below, you will find 5 top tips and advice that will put you in a better position to release a self published book.

1. Don’t Rush to Publish—Editing Is EVERYTHING

Like many of you, I was buzzing with excitement when I finished writing my first book. I felt unstoppable and couldn’t wait to share my creation with the world. The problem? I rushed through the editing process. Big mistake.

What I didn’t fully understand at the time was that editing is not just about fixing typos. It's about ensuring your story flows, the pacing is right, and yes, catching all those pesky grammatical errors that readers love to point out in reviews.

Take your time with the editing phase. Consider hiring a professional editor, or at the very least, give your manuscript multiple rounds of self-edits. Let it breathe before release, and always use tools like Grammarly or ProWritingAid. Trust me, you'll save yourself a lot of post-publication headaches. I can’t imagine me ever writing again without Pro Writing Aid.

2. Beta Readers Are a Writer’s Best Friend

After my first publication misstep, I discovered the power of beta readers. These are the unsung heroes of the self-publishing world—real readers who can give you invaluable feedback before your book hits the market.

Find a group of trusted beta readers who understand your genre and can give you honest, constructive criticism. They’ll spot plot holes, inconsistencies, and yes, those embarrassing typos you thought you had caught. Their feedback could be the difference between a polished, professional release and a rushed product that needs a second edition. You may know people who do this, you can reach out on social media, and you can find dedicated groups to this on Facebook groups, as an example.

3. The Cover Matters More Than You Think

You know the saying, “Don’t judge a book by its cover”? Well, in the world of self-publishing, that’s exactly what readers do. And I learned this lesson the hard way too. I went with a DIY cover for my first book series, thinking, Hey, it’s good enough! Spoiler alert: It wasn’t.

A professional, well-designed cover is the first thing potential readers will see, and it can make or break whether they click on your book. If design isn’t your strength (it certainly isn’t mine), invest in a professional cover designer. It’s worth it, trust me. Sites like Fiverr or 99Designs are great places to find affordable designers who can help bring your vision to life. Or, if you do insist on doing everything yourself, like I do, then take a lot of time, look at the best covers in your genre, create, repeat, create, repeat and often seek opinions. Get it right. Time is an asset. As you can see below, you can easily look at the best sellers’ charts on Amazon, in your category for some advice on what people choose. You can look at the most wished for, hot releases, and more. This will not only show you what covers are appealing, yet what a great, intriguing blurb looks like.

4. Build a Community Around Your Book

One of the reasons I created The Writing Community Chat Show was because of the incredible support I received from the writing community. Self-publishing can be a lonely road if you try to go it alone, but it doesn’t have to be. There’s a massive online writing community out there ready to offer feedback, share resources, and promote your work. Plus, growing your author brand can help secure more sales on release.

Before you release your book, start engaging with this community. Share your writing journey on social media, join writing groups, and participate in writing challenges. Build relationships—not just with other writers, but with potential readers too. When your book finally launches, you’ll have a group of people rooting for you and ready to support your success. One thing we have learned on this show is that the Writing Community is amazing, but trying to sell your work to other authors is not the way. Make sure you are building a following of readers for sales, and a following of authors for support. This will save you a lot of time down the line.

Speaking of community, if you haven’t already, I encourage you to check out our show. We’ve recorded over 300 episodes packed with advice from bestselling authors, indie writers, and industry experts. It’s all about helping you navigate the ups and downs of the writing and self-publishing process.

5. Marketing: Don’t Sleep on It

Publishing your book is only half the battle. I used to think that once my book was live on Amazon, readers would magically find it. I was wrong, as were so many others.

The reality is, you need to market your book. Whether it’s through social media, email newsletters, or book promotion websites, you have to put yourself out there. Don’t be afraid to promote your work—nobody else is going to do it for you. Leverage every platform you can, and don’t shy away from paid promotions if your budget allows. What to keep in mind is that social platforms change, they come and go. As we have learnt through the change of Twitter to X recently, we have lost a lot of engagement and the followers have moved to other platforms like Threads. Meaning, we have lost them. What is great about Substack is that you build an email list. Top authors swear by this, and we agree. If we had all those Twitter authors on our email list, then we could still contact them and engage with them. Now, they are gone. That is something we wish we had done at the very start of our show over 4 years ago.

Pro tip: Start building buzz before your release date. Share teasers, character sketches, or even a sneak peek of the first chapter. Build anticipation, and by the time your book is out, you’ll already have a community of eager readers ready to buy. Substack is perfect for this. You can dedicate a page to your book. Release character profiles, sections of your story and more.

My Final Piece of Advice: Be Patient and Persistent

Self-publishing is a marathon, not a sprint. You’ll make mistakes (Like I did), but that’s part of the learning process. Don’t let a bumpy start discourage you. Every misstep is an opportunity to improve, and every book you release will get better as you hone your craft.

The key is to keep learning, keep writing, and keep connecting. And that’s exactly why The Writing Community Chat Show exists—to provide the support, advice, and encouragement writers need. Whether you’re just starting out or you’ve already self-published a few books, there’s always something new to learn.

If you’re not already part of our community, I encourage you to sign up for our newsletter. It’s packed with more tips like these, as well as exclusive content from our podcast, author interviews, and the occasional writing challenge. Let’s make sure your next book launch is your best yet!

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