November is here, and it’s NaNoWriMo month – the perfect time to kickstart your journey in self-publishing. Inspired by Pauline’s commitment to writing 50,000 words for National Novel Writing Month, I’m eager to dive into this annual challenge again.

Pauline isn’t aiming to write a novel, but NaNoWriMo still presents a fantastic opportunity to break into self-publishing. It’s been one of the best income streams I’ve found as a blogger. I want to share one of my favorite strategies for generating income through self-publishing.

How Much Can You Make Self-Publishing?

Digital Book World mentions that half of self-published authors make less than $5,000 annually. Your earnings can vary widely. I published my first book in March 2015, and I’m about to release my 8th, covering topics from investing to crowdfunding and passive income. My monthly income per book averages $200, with a total of over $15,500 by October. I anticipate earning nearly $3,000 a month from my upcoming books.

While it won’t make you instantly wealthy, the low production costs (just a few hundred dollars plus your time) make self-publishing appealing. It’s one of the most passive income sources available – after launching a book, little promotion is needed, unlike blogging which demands constant content creation.

Bloggers can easily transition to self-publishing. You’re already generating content and building expertise on topics – why not compile it into a book? The following strategy simplifies the process for bloggers.

The Process of Writing and Publishing Your Book

Here’s a streamlined process for writing and publishing:

1. Start Writing: Don’t overthink every sentence. Choose a topic, create a chapter outline, and begin writing. The strategy I’ll discuss later simplifies this for bloggers.

2. Creating Content: Focus on writing, but don’t hesitate to hire freelancers for eBook formatting or graphic design if needed.

3. Editing: Two types of editing are essential:
– Developmental Edit: Ensures the content is logical and engaging, best performed by someone unfamiliar with the material.
– Proof Editing: Fixes grammar and sentence structure. Use different editors, as each focuses differently.

Initially, friends and family might help with editing, but you might eventually need to hire a professional.

4. Launch Success: A strong launch can significantly boost your book’s visibility on Amazon. Get reviews and sales in the first weeks to trigger Amazon’s promotion algorithms. Connect with friends and family beforehand, asking them to buy and review your book.

5. Amazon Description: Write a compelling, detailed description to improve search visibility. Treat it like a blog post with clear sections.

A Self-Publishing Strategy that Makes It Easy

To simplify book creation and use your blog as a marketing tool, follow these steps:

1. Brainstorm Ideas: Reflect on your blog’s popular and enjoyable posts.
2. Create Chapter Ideas: List 10-20 possible chapters for your book.
3. Research: Check similar books on Amazon, noting common chapters and any you might have missed.
4. Finalize Chapters: Refine your list to around 10 chapters, covering basics and unique aspects not found in other books.
5. Write Blog Posts: Develop each chapter into detailed blog posts (around 3,000 words each).
6. Compile the Book: Combine all the posts into a single document, making sure to revise and format it properly, adding an ‘About this Book’, table of contents, and a summary chapter.

This approach divides book writing into manageable sections and utilizes your blog to market the book. Each blog post can attract traffic and promote the book, steadily drawing in readers.

Self-publishing stands out among work-from-home strategies for its ease and passive income potential. It complements blogging and can provide a stable income stream with just a handful of books.