In November of 2021 I officially launched my first book “Personal Branding: A Manifesto on Fame and Influence” — as I’m working on writing a second edition version which is coming out next November, now would be a good time to share what I learned and wish I knew when I started.

Your main focus will be on producing your manuscript. You’ll obsess to fine-tune each and every detail, ensure grammar is right, and your book is cohesive and formatted properly. I’d recommend using tools like Grammarly and ChatGPT to review for mistakes.

Speaking of ChatGPT, use AI to help you plan, review, and research information but don’t let it write FOR you. The only time I let AI do the heavy lifting like that is for press releases and formatting articles that I feed the info about.

Are you planning on self-publishing or going through a publisher? If you go through a publisher you’ll often have higher revenue splits and if you’re a first time author may struggle to land a partnership. The barrier to self-publishing is lower than ever before.

Where do you want your book to be featured and distributed? The answer should be EVERYWHERE. Each platform can help generate exposure, and sales, and lead to opportunities to network with the team and get your book spotlighted or social posts made.

To get your book distributed you'll need to go through a business like Amazon KDP, Draft2Digital, Bookbaby, and Ingramspark. This is for the paperback. Each platform has its own terms, pricing, and requirements for publishing through their platform.

For my first edition’s paperback, I used Amazon KDP and used their expanded distribution feature. It was fine to start with but retailers like Walmart, Target, and Barnes & Noble won’t carry your book because Amazon is a direct competitor.

Your book needs an ISBN or International Standard Book Number for each format and version of your book. This means you’ll need one for your paperback and hardcover. Ebooks don’t require one. Many times a distributor will offer a free one, but I’d recommend using…

Bowker to purchase your own ISBN and barcode. It will be up to you to place them on your book's cover. For the sake of convenience, I won’t go into the details of formatting your book but know you’ll have flexibility on how large your book is. My Manifesto is 5.25 x 8 inches.

In the next part, I’ll get into marketing, but the planning stage is just as important because you don’t want to have a lackluster final product. You’ll have to consider cover types (matte or gloss), page texture, and print size. It’s a lot of freedom and that’s great!