Every #bookdone story is unique, but Paris' story is ideal: it was only about a year from the time she started writing her manuscript to the time when she released her book. Paris knows how to get stuff done! Read on to learn about her self-publishing experience with Amazon KDP and IngramSpark. She released her first book The Black Girl's Guide to Financial Freedom just about one year ago. I was privileged to work with Paris on interior design and layout (typesetting) for this non-fiction financial book.
Paris Woods helps women of color make, manage and multiply their money. She is on a mission to help women of color build wealth while living a life they love. In The Black Girl's Guide to Financial Freedom, Paris Woods takes the guesswork out of wealth-building and presents a plan that anyone can follow. Through real-life stories coupled with clear and actionable advice, Paris' readers learn to:
Build generational wealth.
Avoid common financial traps.
Earn their degree debt-free.
Achieve financial independence and retire early.
Design a dream life that they can start living today.
Paris' Book Done Timeline
✍️ Writing started: Late 2020 / early 2021
🎨 Files ready for editing, design and layout: July 2021
✔️ Book done (released): October 2021
Paris' Book Done Take-Aways
Here are my questions for Paris about self publishing and reaching book done.
When did you first have the idea for your book?
In 2020, I participated in a program for early stage Black philanthropists in education, and one of the assignments was to create a 20-year vision. While working through that process, I envisioned expanding my personal interest in financial independence to impact a much broader set of people. I envisioned having written a high-impact book as part of my strategy to help positively impact the world. After finishing the visioning process, I knew I had to get started on bringing this book to fruition.
What was the biggest surprise during your book project?
It was interesting to learn about the role of different professionals during the process. For example, Julie's articles page was really helpful in teaching me about the process of interior layout design. I also got to learn about the role of copyediting; sequencing of cover design, interior design and proofreading, etc. There's definitely a step-by-step process you have to follow to engage the right professionals at the right time to keep things moving smoothly.
Which part of your book project took longer than you expected, and why?
Working with multiple professionals and sequencing the various turnaround times definitely was more time-consuming than I anticipated. I was eager to get this book and its contents into people's hands as soon as possible, but I really had to trust the process and the time it takes to produce a quality product. I even had some people advise me to wait to release it until specific times during the year, but I honestly couldn't wait to put it out into the world once it was done.
Which part of your book project was the most fun or rewarding? Which was the most challenging?
I really enjoyed working with designers and visualizing what the final product would look like. Getting the writing done and the final drafts perfect were probably the hardest—because I'm such a perfectionist! So having it done, and just getting to enjoy the rest of the process was pretty awesome.
“When a book comes to me with the cover already designed, I always try to tie the design of the interior to the already-established cover design. For this book, it meant using some of the same fonts in the interior. I also used dollar signs as bullets throughout the book, since a dollar sign was used on the cover as the woman’s eye. ”
I know you self-published and printed on demand. Which POD printer did you use, and why?
I chose to list my book through Amazon and through IngramSpark, which distributes to a range of retailers, including bookstore and libraries. While Amazon is likely the easiest way to reach the most people as a self-published author, I also wanted independent bookstores and/or libraries to be able to access the book if desired.
When you write another book, what will you do the same way? What will you do differently?
I think in the future it would be interesting to go the traditional publisher route, so that I can experience what that process is like. I would also consider writing a book that is simply for specialized informational purposes—as opposed to hoping to reach bestseller status and wider reach—which would simplify some of the steps I went through in launching this version.
What service providers or partners did you have in creating and producing your book?
Key service providers I used included a copyeditor, cover designer, interior layout designer, and proofreader.
What is your best advice for marketing a book? And how did you get so many Amazon reviews?
My marketing was mostly word of mouth (via my launch team) and I also ran ads (Amazon ads are a must)! As far as the reviews, I asked my launch team to write reviews when the book was launched. I also included a page at the end of the book encouraging readers to leave a review.
Is there anything else you want to tell me about your book project?
I have dreamed of becoming an author for many years. Once I finally got clear on the subject matter, and took the time to do the research, I learned that the process is much more doable than I would have thought! Now, I encourage anyone who dreams of writing a book to do it. It's completely possible and there are so many resources to help you do it well.
Check out Paris' YouTube channel for a great example of how you can create videos related to your book content and find your audience. —Julie
Paris' Book Done Technical Details:
Your printer needs these kinds of details to give you a quote for printing a similar book.
Page count: 197
Dimensions (page size): 5.5 x 8.5 inches
Binding: Paperback
Interior details
Ink colors: Black ink only
Interior paper: White (55 lb / 90 gsm)
Bleed: No
Cover details
Ink colors: Full color
Laminate: Glossy
Connect with Paris through her website or on Instagram.
Could this be your #bookdone year?
Two years ago, Paris was perhaps where you are, with an idea bouncing around in her head or a manuscript draft, and within a year, her book was published. I hope Paris' encouragement to not give up your dream of being a published author resonates with you. The only way to reach #bookdone is to get started. Make sure to check out this article: How to Use the Final Page of Your Book for Marketing (Paris did this successfully!) and sign up for my newsletter to get more case studies like this one in your inbox!