Self-Publishing 101: How I Write, Edit, and Format my Books

Writing is both a joy and a journey. Every story starts as a spark of imagination—but getting that spark into readers’ hands takes planning, patience, and persistence. Here’s how I take a story from first draft to finished book—step by step.

There are several ways to approach this, and each author gradually discovers what works best over time. With each book, we learn what works, what doesn’t, and how to speed up and streamline the process. I am a self-published author, one hundred percent. Here are the first steps I take in preparing my manuscripts.

Writing

I am a prolific writer, driven by a steady flow of ideas and the time to create. Having time to write is a benefit of being retired. I get up early — around 6 am — and write most mornings. I take a break at 10 am and stop for lunch. Some writers need goals, so they set several words they like to achieve per day or per session, say 1,000 words a day. I don’t, because I write regularly and am lucky to be able to do so; I don’t need that framework. But it’s a great way to stay on track and keep the distractions at bay.

Since I write both fiction and non-fiction, the variety of projects requires different approaches for each. For example, the time spent researching is greater for the non-fiction pieces. It also depends on the project's length and scope. I am both a “pantser,” someone who “writes by the seat of their pants,” and a “plotter,” someone who creates a detailed outline. The route I take is based on the plot's complexity and the number of characters in the story. The mysteries and suspense novels require a strong outline to avoid losing the details and flow. The shorter, fun romances I can do as a “pantser.”

I have character bios for my main characters, especially those in a series. I need to refer to them to remember physical details. I aim to stay consistent. Technology has become helpful for that purpose. I use Google NotebookLM. Using AI for reference recall—not writing—saves me time and helps me stay consistent across series. For example, a copy of my Elizabeth Grant series is stored there. I can go back and ask, “How old was Peter when he started to work for Elizabeth?” In seconds, I get the answer. This helps keep details accurate and saves time.

I write in Word, store it on OneDrive and keep a backup copy on an external storage device. I’d hate to lose a file.  Because I use special software to format — more about that later — I don’t format my work to any specific style.

Two people review my writing as I go. I sent them several chapters to evaluate. I seek feedback mainly on conceptual clarity rather than proofreading. My goal is to see if any parts are confusing or lack enough detail. What seems clear to me while writing might be unclear to a reader. They keep me honest by pointing out details. Both are avid readers; one was a teacher, and they enjoy seeing the preview. After I receive their feedback, I revise and move forward. Some writers are scared to let others see their words; I understand that. Criticism is never easy, but I believe it’s better to get feedback early rather than wait until the book is published.

Editing

This part of the successful writing process varies for each author. Some enjoy editing, others not so much. Some edit for years, while others rarely look at it. One thing is sure: you need someone else to review your work. Self-editing can only take you so far.

Here is my self-edition checklist (further details on each to follow)

-          Grammarly and Word Editor pass

-          “Read Aloud” playback

-          Search for overused words

-          Beta reader feedback

-          Professional editor review

As I mentioned, I have two people (known as Beta readers) read my work as I go: that’s one step. Of course, the spellcheck is always ongoing. My main spellchecker is Grammarly. I used ProWritingAid for a while as my primary tool, but now it’s just a secondary one. Some writers swear by it, but I found discrepancies and inaccurate suggestions. Grammarly has worked better for me. I started with the free version and later upgraded to the paid version. Editing and spellchecking happen continuously as I write. Some prefer to get everything down on the page first, then edit, but I like to make changes as I go. Once the feedback is all in, Grammarly has been run on every chapter, and I run the Word editor for another pass. I also use the Word feature “Read Aloud” that lets you listen to your writing. This has been precious in finding words that have been misused. In some instances, the spellcheck will not pick up a word that is spelled right but used in the wrong context. It also helps me find words that are used repeatedly.

I keep a list of words I tend to overuse, mostly adjectives like really, suddenly, slightly, and similar. For those, I do a “find” search to see how often they appear. Then I can adjust by using a synonym or deleting them if not necessary.  And that is most of it for the self-editing portion. Don’t skip fresh eyes. Even the best writers miss things in their own work. A second reader can catch inconsistencies you’ve gone blind to.

The next step is sending the manuscript to my editor. He is a friend, a retired lawyer with experience editing various materials. He checks for accuracy, so he performs developmental editing and proofreading. Once I get the manuscript back, I make the necessary changes. The manuscript is then ready for formatting.

Formatting

When I first started, I used Word to format my manuscript. Since I publish on Amazon KDP, I followed their guidelines and recommendations; it’s all there, even in video format, for learning. I set my margins, fonts, and page size based on the final look I aimed for. Figuring out how to do headers and footers properly was challenging, but I managed. There are specific, established ways of presenting material that must be respected if you want to produce a professional-looking book. I examined the books on my shelf and those available in bookstores to understand the prevailing conventions. It was time-consuming and, at times, frustrating. Then I learned about formatting software. Good formatting isn’t just cosmetic —it affects readability, professionalism, and even reviews.

The two most popular are Velum, for Mac, and Atticus for other platforms. There are different ways, but Atticus turned out to be the best for me. One factor in its favour was the one-time cost, with no monthly subscription. I bought it outright and get updates as they come. Atticus has been a time saver for me. As I mentioned, I write in Word and don’t bother to format anything specifically. I don’t worry about margins, headers, footers, or page size, not even font choices.

When I set up a new book in Atticus, I upload the Word file, choose a template, edit it for my needs, and that’s all! Once I confirm my settings, such as the final book size (5.5 x 8.5 or 6 x 9) and the font (Garamond in 12 point), everything else is automatically handled. By now, I have templates customized for the genre I am writing in. The software offers many additional features.

The good thing about that software is that I can edit the file directly and see how it will look on the page, whether for a tablet or a print copy. I work in a single file that I can then download as a PDF and an EPUB. These files are essential for an eBook or a paperback. Making changes to the master file ensures that both the PDF and EPUB are updated simultaneously. I no longer have to struggle with headers and footers. It recognizes that the start of a chapter doesn't need a header. It also stores master pages for the author bio, copyright information, and the “also by this author” feature.

Once all this is done, I set up my book on Amazon KDP and order a proof copy of the paperback. The book is not available to purchase just yet. Once I get the proof copy, it goes to another proofreader to see if anything has been missed —possibly a few remaining typos. We generally find a few, even after the book has already gone through so many reviews. Once I get the proof back, I make the changes, and I am now ready to publish!

Every book teaches you something new about the craft and yourself. Keep learning, keep publishing, and don’t be afraid to ask questions —each project brings you closer to mastery.

This article is a brief overview of the process. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me. Other articles will come along and go into more depth on some specifics.