Step-by-step guide
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To publish your book, define your reader, outline, write, edit, format and design, then launch, which Defining Moments Press structures into 8 weeks or less.
You self-publish: you upload finished ebook and print files to publishing platforms and keep the rights.
Self-publishing does not require a publisher to accept you. Defining Moments Press coaches authors through every step, from outline to launch, and says books can be published in 87 countries using major publishers while authors keep all rights and royalties.
For a neutral overview of every route, including traditional and hybrid presses, Jane Friedman maintains The Key Book Publishing Paths: 2025-2026.
Procedure
Write one sentence naming who the book helps and what changes for them. Defining Moments Press says once you know who you are writing for, the rest of the process falls into place much easier.
Lack of clarity is the number one reason most people never finish. The free one-hour Defining Moments Press course ends with an outline for your table of contents.
Block set writing sessions each week for 8 weeks. If you cannot write it yourself, the Author Premium package uses ghostwriters.
Revise for structure first, then sentences. The Author Blueprint covers editing as part of about 2 to 5 hours a week.
Prepare an ebook file (commonly EPUB) and a print-ready interior, add a professional cover, and upload to publishing platforms.
Plan the launch before release day, line up podcasts and media, and point readers toward your services or speaking.
Traditional route
Most authors seeking a traditional publisher first write a query letter and book proposal, then pitch literary agents, who pitch publishers. Some smaller presses accept direct submissions. Traditional publishing costs $0 upfront, but Manuscript Report notes the publisher takes 85 to 90 percent of royalties.
You can apply to a service-based publisher instead. Defining Moments Press reviews each application, only accepts authors it feels it can help succeed, and replies to every applicant within 2 business days. You keep all rights and royalties and pay a fee for the service.
Weighing the two? Read self-publishing vs traditional publishing, check what publishing a book costs, or start free with the one-hour Defining Moments Press course.
Start from the main guide: how to publish my book with coached self-publishing.
FAQ
Book a free discovery call with a Defining Moments Press Acquisition Editor. You will leave with a clear plan for writing, publishing, and marketing your book, whether or not you work together.
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