3 Things I Learned from Self-Publishing My First eBook: And what I'll do differently next time

I published my first eBook in 2015. I was thrilled to get my words out there and anxious to see how people received them. Now that my book has been out for a bit, I want to share what I learned and what I will do differently the next time I self-publish a book.

First, I decided to publish on Lulu.com. I assumed publishing directly on Amazon would be more complicated, and I was impatient to get my book out there. I also saw that Lulu had an option to push the eBook out to other sites, including Amazon, iBooks, Goodreads, and more.

On Lulu, I was able to format the document for my book and upload it to the site. I was also able to create a cover page and follow the other necessary steps. I registered with Lulu for my ISBN and had my eBook online and for sale within a few short hours. A huge benefit to Lulu is that they also publish hard copy books that you can design online. After a few people asked about ordering a hard copy, I added a paperback option.

Here's what I learned:

1. Choose a searchable title

I named my book "So, My ______ Is Clinically Depressed (Girlfriend, Boyfriend, Partner, Sister, Brother, Best Friend, Daughter, Son, Mother, Father)".

Clever? Maybe. Good for searching? Definitely NOT.

Let's put aside the fact that it's long and potentially confusing. The words "clinically depressed" are also not the best versions of the related words: clinical and depression. When you search for "clinically depressed" on Amazon, my book comes up first! But I'm guessing that much more often people search for "clinical depression" or just "depression".

Next time I will put more thought and research into choosing a title.

2. Invest in a good cover

I created my own book cover. As mentioned earlier I was impatient and ready. When it came time to publish, my goal was simply for it to look somewhat professional. I grabbed a free image and spent about an hour designing this:

Paperback

eBook

At the risk of a terrible pun, this cover is DEPRESSING. Yes, it may fit the subject, but it's not exactly alluring.

Next time I will hire a graphic designer for my book cover.

3. Publish directly on Amazon

Lulu is a fantastic site and I hate to direct people away from it, but Amazon is where it's at. My book is published as an eBook on Amazon via Lulu, but that process took a while so I first marketed it on Lulu. I imagine I lost many people simply due to unfamiliarity with the site.

Also, as I said, when people began to request paperback copies I created that on Lulu. Now I end up recommending different links for my eBook vs. the paperback copy. It's simply not clear or easy and that's what you want to give people.

Next time I will be patient and publish directly on Amazon--then figure out how to publish a paperback copy on Amazon.

These are the three biggest lessons I learned from my first experience publishing an eBook. Writers out there, add your advice! I need it.

Watch for my next book on How to Become a Freelancer! (working title ...)