The Many Aspects to Self-Publishing

There is always a sense of urgency when it comes to self-publishing your first book, but patience is a virtue and could pay off in the end!

Updated July 23rd 2026

There’s no denying that there are a lot of different aspects to self-publishing. It doesn’t matter if you’re a Canadian author or not. It’s not always an easy process.

When you spend weeks, months, or even years working on a book or novel, once you’re finished, there is always this urgency to rush through the last stages. Rushing through any of the final stages of your book on your way to self-publishing is where most authors make their biggest mistakes. There is an order that we all need to follow, and it could save you some costly mistakes in the long run.

So, your book is finished, and you have been thinking about self-publishing to get it out into the reader’s hands. There is nothing wrong with self-publishing at all. It just takes a little more hard work on your end. You’ll need to handle all your own marketing and advertising, but you’ll also retain complete control of your finished product.

If you’re ready to self-publish your book and considering Amazon KDP, check out Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing for Canadian Authors, where we cover everything you need to know about setting up your Amazon KDP account, uploading print and ebooks, and managing titles through your author dashboard.

The Book is Finished, but What Happens Next?

How much you spend is ultimately up to you, but the first thing that you need to look at is getting a great editor. Your editor will read through your book and make sure that it flows, that you haven’t left any flaws in the plot or character development, and make suggestions on how they think the book could be improved. Once you have a manuscript that you and your editor are happy with, it’s time to move on to the next stage of your self-publishing journey.

A good proofreader is worth their weight in gold! You’ll want to have the entire manuscript proofread now, and once it’s done, have your editor and yourself proofread it again! The more times you have it proofread, the less likely you are to encounter any errors.

Now your book has been edited and proofread, it’s time to have some impartial eyes look at it. If you can start to build a list of proofreaders, you’ll be able to call upon them in the future with any new books you write. Remember, some will be quick. Others may take quite a lot of time. Proofreaders are looking at the flow of the novel, plot twists, and character development and may even pick up on any errors or problems that have slipped through. After you get all your proofreader’s comments back, you and your editor may have to make some changes to the book to incorporate any ideas that the proofreaders have had.

When you have a clean, edited, proofed manuscript finished, it’s time to send it off to get formatted. This is where your book will be formatted for all the different printers’ and e-book companies’ requirements. You’ll be able to choose certain designs and layouts that suit your book and your preferences. You’ll need a final page count for your cover, but now is a good time to be thinking of ideas and a general concept for your cover.

Don’t Forget Professional Paperback and Ebook Formatting

Once you have a formatted document, it is time to get started on the cover.

Don’t try to cut corners with your cover; it’s the first thing that readers will see and could very well be what sells your book. When you have a completed book and cover, you’re ready to publish. You can choose from a large variety of different self-publishing websites such as Amazon KDP, Smashwords, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, IngramSpark Publishing, and many others.

As a self-published author, where you publish is entirely up to you.

If you have been considering self-publishing your book on IngramSpark, check out the Complete Guide to IngramSpark Publishing for Canadian Authors, where we cover account setup, title uploading, royalties, pricing, and much more!