The order of the work

Finish the draft first. A manuscript that is still moving cannot be edited, costed, cast or scheduled, and every service you buy before it settles will be bought twice.

Then editing — developmental first if the story's bones need setting, then line and copy editing, then proofreading. Then the cover, then interior formatting for print and reflowable text for e-readers.

Only then registration and retail: your rights record, an identifier for each edition, metadata, categories, price, and the storefront listings themselves.

Where the audio and film editions belong

Most authors treat audio as an afterthought and lose a year of earnings for it. The moment your manuscript is final, its word count is fixed — and a fixed word count is a fixed price here: 7.000000000000001% of word count for an audio book, 12% for a film book.

Building the audio and the film edition alongside the launch means all editions arrive while the book is new and reviewers are still looking at it.

What it is honest to expect

Self-publishing gives you the rights, the royalty rate and the timing. It also gives you the whole burden of quality control and of being found at all.

Budget for the things readers judge instantly: the cover, the first page, and the sound of the work when it is read aloud.

The order of the work

1. 01Finish the manuscriptBring the draft to a state you will not reopen. Lock the word count.
2. 02Have it editedDevelopmental, then line and copy, then a proofread by fresh eyes.
3. 03Commission the coverTest it small — most readers will first see it the size of a thumbnail.
4. 04Format the editionsPrint interior, reflowable e-book, and the read-aloud pass for audio.
5. 05Register and priceRecord your rights, assign identifiers per edition, set metadata and price.
6. 06Publish and carry itList on the storefronts, then work reviews, newsletters and social reach for months, not days.

Asked and answered

In what order should I spend money?

Editing, cover, then audio or film production. Marketing last — it multiplies whatever the book already is, in either direction.

Do I need a publisher to make an audiobook?

No. If you hold the rights you may commission an audio or film edition directly and keep them.