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How To Self-Publish a Book in Ireland
How To Self-Publish a Book
in Ireland
Top Tips for Authors
Are you looking to self-publish a book?
Learn how with our top tips below - and see how buythebook.ie is helping self-published authors sell direct to their readers.
Why Self-Publish Your Book?
When you self-publish your book, you will retain:
Full control over the publishing process
Your intellectual rights and copyright
Your book royalties
You will also decide how and where your book is sold
By comparison, traditional publishing can take time, often up to two years and royalty payments are as low as 10%.
For more information on why you should sell direct to your readers, read our article here.
How to Self-Publish Your Book?
We recommend that self-published authors engage with an editor in the early stage of writing a book. Editors can help provide you with early advice and guidance on the structure and layout of your book.
As the book nears completion, an editor can also provide proofreading services and pick up any grammatical or spelling mistakes. Getting your book properly edited is a key part to making your book read as professional as possible.
Once your book is edited, you can engage with a professional service for book formatting and layout including professional cover design and book description.
There are many companies that offer these services but always check a company’s reviews, and if possible, get a direct referral. We are happy to recommend professional editorial and publishing companies that can help you with your book once you sign up for membership at buythebook.ie
ISBNs and Sales Tracking
You will also need to purchase an ISBN with Nielsen Book Scan if you plan on selling your book to bookstores, libraries or for inclusion in the Nielsen Book Scan database. You can purchase this ISBN directly with Nielsen, and after purchase, register your details with them.
We can provide more information on this process and getting your sales data registered once you become a member of Buy the Book.
How to Print Your Book
When it comes to getting your book printed as a self-published author, there are two options; either work directly with a printing company or use a print on demand service. There are benefits to using both, so it depends on your budget and timeline.
If you use a printing company either in Ireland or abroad, it is advisable to order 200–500 copies upfront to keep the unit cost down, however if you use a print on demand service, you can order as many copies as you like for the same cost per unit.
The quality is typically better if you use a printing company and we would recommend you request a proof copy in both cases before you put in your final order.
We are happy to provide you with printing company recommendations as soon as you are a member of Buy the Book.
View our membership plans here.
Top Tips for Self-Publishing
As a self-published author, it can be difficult to assess how many copies to get printed upfront so we would recommend that you consider doing a pre-sale or pre-order for your book. This means selling your book ahead of a scheduled release date, usually over a period of 6–12 weeks.
This allows you to get organised for your release date and get a feel for the demand for your book. You can do a pre-sale of your book on our website and get paid for sales directly which can also help you fund your printing costs.
Another recommendation when selling your book directly to your reader can be including the option of a signed copy or a personal note along with your book.
This option is often valued by many customers and can really add the personal touch when selling your book. Our platform offers both these options for your reader at the time of purchase.
Our final tip for self-publishing is to consider hosting a book launch to coincide with your release date. A book launch is a great opportunity to invite your family and friends to your event and celebrate the publication. For more information on how to host a book launch, read our article here.
Buy the Book can provide more guidance with you on hosting your launch once you become a member and we can also provide a book launch service to help you capture sales at the event.
For more information on how to market your book, read our article here.
Postage and Shipping Considerations
Before printing and publishing your book, you should consider the weight of your book. If your book is over 500g in weight the postage costs get very high in Ireland and Internationally.
We would recommend, if possible, to keep the weight of the book below 500g and a printer should be able to advise you of this in advance. When you sell your book on buythebook.ie, you can set different shipping fees for each region of the world.
Customers at times can be reluctant to pay high shipping fees so another consideration is to absorb some of the cost of posting your book into the RRP for your book.
There can be an expectation to pay low shipping costs, and many will not proceed with purchasing if the cost is over €6, even if this is the actual cost.
When you are posting your book overseas to the UK and US, you will be required to fill out individual customs forms for each item at the post office, which can be time-consuming.
How to Price Your Book
When setting the RRP for your book, keep in mind that many bookstores typically request a 50% commission. This means that if your book is priced at €15, they will expect you to supply it for €7.50 on a sale-or-return basis.
Packaging and Fulfilment Tips
When posting your book, be sure to use padded envelopes, as books can get damaged during transit. If you’re sending more than one book, we recommend including tracking.
Become a Member of Buythebook.ie
Click here to start selling your book at buythebook.ie or email [email protected] for more information.
Read More Articles
Read our Author Guides for more information on selling your book.
FAQ - How To Self-Publish a Book in Ireland
Do I need to hire a professional editor to self-publish?
It’s recommended to hire an editor when self-publishing. An editor can help improve your book’s structure and clarity, and will catch grammar or spelling mistakes — making your book read professionally.
Where can I get an ISBN in Ireland?
You can purchase an ISBN directly from Nielsen BookScan. It’s recommended if you want to sell your book in libraries or bookstores, or have your sales data included in the Nielsen database.
Where can I print my book?
You can print through a traditional print company (based in Ireland or abroad), or use a print-on-demand service. Both have pros and cons — we recommend ordering a proof copy first. Buythebook.ie can recommend Irish printing companies when you become a member.
How do I decide how many copies to print when self-publishing?
Consider doing a pre-sale or pre-order through buythebook.ie. This lets you test demand, fund your print run, and avoid overprinting.
Should I host a book launch?
A book launch is a great way for self-published authors to drive early sales and celebrate the release of a book. Buythebook.ie offers an in-person service where we will attend your book launch and handle sales on your behalf.
How do I join buythebook.ie?
Find out about our membership plans here or email [email protected] for more information.
About Buy the Book
Buy the Book is an Irish owned and Independent online book marketplace established in 2021 for authors to sell their books directly to their readers.
Buy the Book actively promotes Irish authors and is a growing author community and support network.
When you Buy a Book from us, you are supporting our Irish authors directly.
Ní neart go cur le chéile.
Buy the Book actively promotes Irish authors and is a growing author community and support network.
When you Buy a Book from us, you are supporting our Irish authors directly.
Ní neart go cur le chéile.
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