Publishing a book – how it works, step by step

You've written a book, or you're well on your way. Now you want it to be read. But how do you actually publish a book? Should you send the manuscript to a publisher and hope for a yes, pay a hybrid publisher, or publish the book yourself?

In this guide, we go through the entire journey from a finished manuscript to a book that can be bought, borrowed, and listened to. You'll learn what options exist, what each step involves, how long it takes, what it costs, and which mistakes you can avoid. The guide applies no matter how you choose to publish, and we also show how it works with GoRead.

Three paths to a published book

There are essentially three ways to publish a book in Sweden.

Traditional publisher

You submit the manuscript, and the publisher decides whether to accept the book. If you're accepted, the publisher handles editing, design, printing, distribution, and marketing, and you receive royalties on sales. In return, you give up a large part of the control and the rights. Most manuscripts submitted are rejected, and the road from an accepted manuscript to a bookstore is often long.

Hybrid publisher

A hybrid publisher, sometimes called a book publishing company, publishes the book for a fee. You buy a package with, for example, editing, design, and printing. You don't need to be accepted in the same way, but the cost can be high, and the terms for rights and print runs vary greatly between companies. Read the contract carefully.

Self-publishing

Self-publishing, also known as self-publication, is book publishing without a publisher. You are the publisher yourself, you decide on the content, cover, price, and timing, and you keep the full copyright. In return, you are responsible for the content and the editorial work yourself.

In the past, self-publishing meant you had to print a run, store the books, and sell them yourself. Today, services like GoRead handle the technical side: formatting, cover, e-book, print on demand, audiobook, and distribution to bookstores and streaming services.

Which path suits you?

Choose a traditional publisher if you want someone else to take care of everything and you're prepared to wait, be rejected, and give up control.
Choose a hybrid publisher if you want personal help with editing and design and have the budget for it.
Choose self-publishing if you want the book out quickly, want to keep the rights and the revenue, and want to decide for yourself.

The paths don't exclude each other. Many start by publishing themselves and see how the book is received. With GoRead, you can unpublish the book at any time and take your files with you if you later receive an offer from a publisher.

Before you publish: finish the manuscript

The most important work happens before publishing. A book that has been released cannot be taken back from the readers who already have it.

Let the manuscript rest. Put the text aside for a few weeks and then read it with fresh eyes.
Edit. Editing is about the whole: structure, through-line, pacing, and what can be cut. It's a different task than correcting spelling mistakes.
Get help from beta readers. Ask a few people to read and answer specific questions. Where did they lose interest? What did they miss? Preferably choose at least one reader who isn't close to you.
Proofread last. When the content is finished, you correct spelling, grammar, and dangling references. Preferably read the text aloud.

A traditional publisher does this for you. As a self-publisher, you're responsible for it yourself, or you hire an editor or proofreader.

Choose a format: printed book, e-book, or audiobook?

Readers have different habits, and each format reaches its audience.

Printed book. Still the format many associate with a real book. It's needed if you want to sell at signings, lectures, and markets, and it's sold in online bookstores.
E-book. Cheap to produce and easy to distribute. It's sold in online bookstores and read in streaming services.
Audiobook. The format through which many people take in books today. In streaming services, it's often the audiobook that reaches the most people.

You don't have to choose just one. If you have a finished manuscript, it costs a little extra to publish in all three formats, and each format increases the chance of the book finding its reader.

How to publish a book – step by step

No matter which service you use, publishing consists of the same steps.

1. Format the manuscript

The manuscript needs a clear structure with chapter headings, paragraphs, and any blank lines at scene changes. In addition to the text itself, the book may contain a dedication, foreword, prologue, epilogue, and acknowledgments.

2. Decide on a title and write the back cover text

The title and back cover text are what make a reader pause. The back cover text should spark curiosity without revealing too much. Make sure the combination of title and author name can't easily be confused with a book that already exists.

3. Create a cover

The cover is the book's most important salesperson. In an online bookstore, it's shown as a small image in a long list, so the title must be readable and the genre recognizable even in a small format. A printed book also needs a spine and back cover, and an audiobook needs a square cover.

4. Get an ISBN

The ISBN is the book's unique number and is needed for the book to be sold through bookstores and streaming services. Each format gets its own ISBN. For a book that will only be used privately, no ISBN is needed.

5. Create the interior and the e-book

The interior is the printed book's inside as a print-ready PDF, with the right margins, page numbers, and copyright page. The e-book is created as an EPUB file, where the text adapts to the reader's screen.

6. Produce the audiobook

An audiobook can be recorded in a studio by a narrator or produced with an AI voice. Studio narration takes weeks and costs a lot. An AI-narrated audiobook is ready in a few hours at a fraction of the cost. Read more in our guide on producing an AI audiobook.

7. Set a price

For the printed book, you decide what the bookstore pays. The bookstore then adds its margin. Compare with similar books in your genre, and factor in the printing cost.

8. Distribute

For bookstores to be able to order a printed book, it needs to be registered in Bokinfo, the book industry's shared system. One copy, the so-called legal deposit copy, must be sent to the National Library of Sweden. E-books and audiobooks are distributed to online bookstores and streaming services.

9. Spread the word that the book exists

A published book doesn't sell itself. More on that further down.

How it works with GoRead

GoRead is a self-publishing service where the steps above are done for you, and you approve each step yourself. GoRead is not a publisher, and you keep all rights.

Log in and upload. You log in with BankID and upload the manuscript as a Word file (.docx). You set chapter headings in Heading 2.
Spelling and content are checked. You get a free spell check and content review that you can choose to take part in.
Details. You enter the title, author, and language. We suggest subject categories, keywords, and a back cover text that you can edit.
Cover. You upload your own cover or choose from three AI-generated suggestions. Based on the front cover, a complete print cover with spine and back cover is created.
E-book and interior are created. The text is formatted into EPUB and print-ready PDF, free of charge. You see the book in preview and can order a proof copy.
Audiobook. You listen to AI voices reading from your own book, choose a voice, and order the production if you want.
Publish. Under Streaming, you publish the e-book and audiobook to Storytel, BookBeat, and Nextory, and the audiobook also to Audible. Under Bookstore, you make the e-book and the printed book available to online bookstores. You get the ISBN from us.

The printed book is printed on demand, so you don't need a print run or any inventory. Read more in our guide on publishing a book with print on demand.

How long does it take to publish a book?

It depends entirely on which path you choose.

Traditional publisher: often a year or more from an accepted manuscript to the bookstore, and before that, waiting for a decision.
Hybrid publisher: often a few months.
Self-publishing with GoRead: the e-book and audiobook can be out on streaming services the same day. The e-book is available in online bookstores usually within a day, and the printed book is often registered within a few business days.

The writing and editing itself take, of course, the time they take. It's the publishing that goes quickly.

What does it cost to publish a book?

At a traditional publisher, you pay nothing, but you get a smaller share of the revenue. At a hybrid publisher, you pay for a package. As a self-publisher, you only pay for what you choose.

At GoRead, it's free to create an account, format the book, create the cover and interior, and to produce and distribute an e-book. You pay for three things, if you want them:

AI-narrated audiobook: SEK 249 start fee plus SEK 300 per hour of finished audiobook.
Printed book in bookstores: SEK 999 as a one-time fee.
Your own printed copies: at cost price, for example about SEK 66 for a 200-page paperback, excluding VAT and shipping.

This means you can publish an e-book at no cost, and that a novel in all three formats comes to a few thousand kronor.

Rights and responsibility

Copyright arises automatically when you create a work. You don't need to apply for it. As the author, you decide who may print, copy, and distribute the book.

With a publisher, you grant rights through the contract. Read carefully what applies to different formats, languages, and how long the contract runs.
As a self-publisher, you keep everything. With GoRead, no copyright is transferred, and you also own the produced audio file.

With the rights comes responsibility. As a self-publisher, you are the responsible publisher and answer for the content. GoRead does an AI-based content review that flags phrasing that may be defamatory or offensive, so you can change it before publishing, and reserves the right to decline books that may break the law.

You can publish under a pseudonym. If you've used AI to write the book, that must be stated.

What do you earn from publishing a book?

At a traditional publisher, you get royalties, which are a smaller share of what the publisher brings in. As a self-publisher, you get a larger share, but you bear the costs yourself.

At GoRead, you get 70% of the sales revenue from streaming services and online bookstores. Payment is made monthly within 60 days after the end of each month, and the statistics are updated every Monday. Printed books that you buy at cost price and sell yourself, you keep the entire difference on.

We don't make any tax deductions. You declare the income yourself, and we submit a statement of earnings to the Swedish Tax Agency.

When the book is out: how it finds its readers

Marketing is not included in GoRead's service, and even authors at large publishers are today expected to do a lot themselves. A few things that make a difference:

Start with those you know. Family, friends, colleagues, clubs, and old classmates are your first readers and best ambassadors.
Share direct links. Link to the book in each bookstore and streaming service, so the reader ends up in the right place with one click.
Organize a book launch. Big or small. It gives you a date to invite people to and something to talk about.
Contact local media. The local newspaper and local radio are happy to write about an author from the area.
Always carry the book with you. Order copies and sell or give them away when you meet people.
Ask for ratings and reviews. The first reviews affect whether the next reader dares to take a chance.
Write the next book. Readers who like a book look for the next one by the same author.

Common mistakes – and how to avoid them

Publishing too early. A manuscript that hasn't been edited and proofread doesn't get better by being printed.
Signing a contract without reading it. Check what applies to rights, costs, and termination.
Printing a large run. Many people have boxes of unsold books in storage. With print on demand, you avoid the risk.
Only publishing in one format. Many people don't read printed books at all, but listen instead.
Underestimating the cover. It determines whether someone clicks on the book.
Stopping once the book is released. That's when the work of reaching readers begins.

Frequently asked questions about publishing a book

What is it called when you publish a book yourself?

It's called self-publishing or self-publication. It means you publish the book without a publisher and are the publisher yourself.

Do you need a publisher to publish a book?

No. As a self-publisher, you can publish a printed book, e-book, and audiobook and have them distributed to bookstores and streaming services without a publisher.

How long does it take to publish a book?

At a traditional publisher, often a year or more. As a self-publisher, the e-book and audiobook can be out the same day you upload a finished manuscript.

Do I need an ISBN?

Yes, if the book is to be sold through bookstores and streaming services. At GoRead, you get an ISBN at no cost, one for each format. If you have your own ISBNs, you can use them.

Can I publish books in all genres?

Yes, provided the manuscript passes the content review. Manuscripts with images, lists, and tables work too.

How long can the book be?

For e-books and audiobooks, there's no limit. A printed book must be at least 28 and at most 600 pages.

Can I publish under a pseudonym?

Yes. The combination of author name and title must not easily be confused with an already published work.

Can I publish the book with a publisher later?

Yes. You own the rights and can download your files and unpublish the book at GoRead.

Can I change the book after it's published?

Published books currently cannot be changed in a simple way. If you find an error, you can unpublish the book and publish a new, corrected version.

Do you help with marketing?

No, that's not included in the service. We distribute the book to streaming services and online bookstores.

Publish your book today

Upload your manuscript to GoRead and watch your book take shape. It costs nothing to create an e-book, interior, and cover, and you decide yourself what you want to publish. You'll find more answers in our frequently asked questions.