Edit your manuscript. Have someone proofread your book first. Then consider hiring a professional copy editor to review your manuscript for grammatical errors, inconsistencies, etc. before finalizing the document.
Set a publication date. The publication date must be set way in advance and should be coordinated with your book manufacturer so that you receive advance printed copies of your book at least 2 months prior to publication date. This strategy will enable you to send out advance copies to the trades for reviews, announce your book, and optimize sales.
It is crucial you establish a good relationship with your book printer and make sure your contract of sale specifies your publication date and shipping date of your books. Select a book distributor ASAP, and arrange to have your books shipped directly to your distributor and advance copies delivered to your home/office. For a listing of top book distributors, visit these sites: bookmarket.com/distributors.html; literarymarketplace.com; bookweb.org.
Copyright and Cataloguing. Contact the Library of Congress in order to find out the requirements for copyright your manuscript and obtaining a card catalogue number. The card catalogue number is needed in order to sell your book to the library market. Don't under estimate the importance of this market. Additionally, the copyright itself provides legal protection during your lifetime plus fifty years.
