Mark Mathes: Book Pre-publication Checklist

Typewriter used by publisher Bob Mathes and later his son Mark at their newsroom.

Compiled by Mark Mathes

Here is a handy detailed checklist to make your book professional. It’s from the Independent Book Publishers Association. Here.

And here is an 8-step book launch marketing plan. Launch plans.

Here are my quick items to complete:

Title and subtitle. Mark can do a list of comparable books on Publisher Rocket.

Cover photo

Cover overlines.

Cover blurbs: one for the front. 3-4 for the back cover. (These go inside the ebook edition, which has no back cover.)

Barcode for back cover. Include ISBN.

Headshot and condensed author bio for back cover.

Book summary for back cover

Copyright page

Dedication

Author’s note

BISAC categories: three. The first is most important.

ISBN

An author imprint? Name your publishing company? Don’t use home address.

Contacts for the author.

Keywords

Index

Make sure chapter titles match the titles on each chapter opening. Check style.

Interior photos and captions/cutlines. Grouped vs. placed in related chapters.

Do you have permission? I have a form. Credit all photos.

Caption style

A Boston fire scene in Roxbury on Sept.1, 1999. From left: Jack Sullivan, John Doe. Boston Globe photo by Lenny Jones. Used with permission.

Pricing

Publishing platforms and Distribution.

I suggest:

Amazon first 90 days exclusive

Then, IngramSpark and Draft2Digital

Create a one-sheet with your critical publishing info

As we prepare to publish, it’s helpful to have a single document with all or most of the info you’ll need for Amazon and other online storefronts. Here are some of what you’ll need.

It’s a cut and paste process, so it’s helpful to have this in one file.

Mark 110223

Amazon account: Have you set up?

Ingram Spark set up (usually publish there after the 90 day Amazon KDP exclusivity ends)

Title and subtitle

Description/premise/treatment

Release date

Formats: paperback and ebook, hardcover

Book size

ISBN for each pb and ebook, hardcover

Price for each pb and ebook, hardcover

Categories

Keywords

Age range for audience: usually adult.

Series: If yes. Name of series?

Copyright owner

Author bio

Front matter

Back matter

Cover

Geographic markets: Go beyond US only. Must price for each country/region.

Digital rights management

Use Publisher Rocket to find categories and keywords looking at comps

Many helpful YouTube videos on independent/self-publishing your book.

Including this one:

@Mandilynnwrites  on YouTube. KDP uploading process here.

mark mathes

mmathes1@gmail.com

985-415-6367

PO Box 1053

Sarasota, FL 34230

My publishing career of 5 decades. LinkedIn. Connect  there?

Many of my 80 published books since 2015. Many as editor at regional independent Pelican Publishing in my hometown New Orleans. 

My website: writing, editing, publishing website with tips, trends, Florida author news.

President of Sarasota Fiction Writers. I'll send you my most recent newsletter.

Member: Florida Writers Association, Florida Authors and Publishers Association.