You've written a book? Want to self-publish it? Here's how to do it

Rasana Atreya wanted complete control over "the final product; everything, from pricing to cover design to marketing", so she turned down an offer from a reputed publisher, who did not want to part with the e-book rights, and chose to self-publish her novel.

How did she do it? Here's an excerpt from the article she wrote in the Hindu's "Literary Review" section last Sunday:

I commissioned the book cover and had my manuscript edited professionally, paying a one-time fee for both, instead of a cut in the royalties. This is the sensible approach because both were one-time services (traditional publishers take cuts in royalties because of additional costs like distribution, warehousing etc). If you cannot afford an editor, at least join an online critique group. I’ve been on one for seven years now, and it’s been invaluable.

[When] everything was in place, I formatted the manuscript as an e-book, settled on a selling price, took a deep breath and uploaded it to Amazon.com. Twelve hours later, my book was published.

Was her decision a good one? Did she make any money? Find out here: "My self-publishing journey".

• Also read: A Huffington Post article recommended by Rasana Atreya — "6 Ways To Make Your Short Story Collection Stand Out".