If you think writing the book was hard, wait til you take on publishing.  Here are points to consider carefully whether you are writing fiction or nonfiction, poetry or prose:

1.  Editing.  In my opinion, hiring an editor is absolutely required before publication.  Even if you are publishing yourself, you should hire an editor to go through your manuscript with you and make suggestions.  It will be worth it.

Choose your editor wisely.  There are different kinds of editors out there, from basic checking of spelling and grammar to  editing for flow, or for direction and impact of your writing.  As diverse as they are in skill and depth, they are in price as well.  Preset your budget and determine what you need in advance or you will be slogging through this decision.  Ask area writers for their recommendations, too.

2.  Book cover.   Remember what your mother said about first impressions?  She also said that books shouldn’t be judged by their cover.  But a book cover is such a creative opportunity for you to express a piece or theme of your book in a visual way to create a response.  Take your time and make this meaningful.  Or fun.  Or whatever fits for your book to reach your audience.  You’ll need a cover whether you are publishing hardcopies of your book or if your book is solely digital.

3.  Marketing:  The fact of the matter is there is no quick way to build your social media presence.  It takes time, meaningful content, and honest engagement with your audience.  Different platforms appeal to different users and for the best results, choose how and why you post and where.  Marketing your book via social media and in person will be featured in several upcoming blog posts, so stay tuned.