How to Self-Publish a Book in Nigeria: Step-by-Step Guide for First-Time Authors

If you have finished a book in Nigeria and want to publish it yourself, you do not necessarily need to wait for a traditional publisher to accept your manuscript. You can take responsibility for the publishing process yourself, obtain an ISBN, arrange professional production, print copies, sell them directly in Nigeria, and make the book available to readers internationally through digital platforms.

That does not mean self-publishing is simply a matter of printing a book.

You have to make decisions about who owns the publishing process, how the book will be identified, how many copies to produce, how much to spend, where to sell it, how readers will pay, and how you will actually get the book into their hands.

I learned this practically.

When I was trying to publish my own book in 2017, Nigeria’s publishing environment presented a problem I did not know how to solve at first. I had a completed manuscript, but finding a traditional publisher willing to take on a relatively unknown author was difficult. Many of the publishers I encountered were more interested in established authors or books that already had a market.

I eventually reached a simple decision: I could continue waiting for somebody to publish my book, or I could learn how to publish it myself.

I chose the second option.

That decision forced me to learn the Nigerian publishing process from the ground up. I had to find people who could help with production, understand ISBN, deal with printers, think about distribution and eventually learn how to put my books on international digital platforms.

The process has changed since 2017, particularly with the growth of online publishing platforms and the National Library of Nigeria’s digital ISBN system. But the basic lesson remains useful:

You do not have to wait for a traditional publisher before you can become a published Nigerian author.

This guide focuses specifically on how to publish a book in Nigeria. It does not repeat the writing, editing or interior-formatting lessons covered in our broader complete guide to self-publishing a book in 2026. Instead, it concentrates on what happens when the manuscript is ready and you are now trying to turn it into a properly published book in the Nigerian market.

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What Does Self-Publishing Mean in Nigeria?

Self-publishing means that you, rather than a traditional publishing house, take responsibility for getting your book from finished manuscript to published product.

You may still hire professionals.

You can pay a designer to create the cover. You can pay a printer to produce physical copies. You can use a professional to help with ISBN administration. You can use distribution platforms to make your ebook available internationally.

The difference is that you are controlling the publishing decisions.

You decide:

• who designs the cover;
• who prints the book;
• how many copies you produce;
• what price you charge;
• what publishing name appears on the book;
• where the book is sold;
• whether you sell directly or through distributors;
• whether you publish digitally;
• which countries you make the book available in.

This is particularly useful for Nigerian authors who may not have an established publishing history.

You do not have to convince a traditional publisher that your name is already commercially valuable before you can begin.

If you are still deciding between traditional publishing and doing everything yourself, our guide to self-publishing versus traditional publishing explains the differences in greater detail.

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The Nigerian Self-Publishing Process at a Glance

Once your manuscript is ready, the Nigerian publishing process can be thought of as a sequence of decisions:

Book ready → publishing identity → cover → ISBN → copyright considerations → printing → proof copy → pricing → physical sales → digital distribution → marketing → fulfilment

The order does not have to be rigid in every case.

For example, you may begin planning your ISBN while your cover is being completed. You may also prepare your digital edition while your physical copies are being printed.

What matters is understanding what each part of the process actually does.

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1. Decide Who Is Publishing the Book

One of the first decisions is surprisingly simple:

Who will appear as the publisher?

If you are publishing the book yourself, you can publish as an independent author or under a publishing/imprint name.

For example, a book might show:

Author: Your Name
Publisher: Your Publishing Name

The publishing name does not have to mean that you have built a large publishing company with offices and staff.

An author can build a small publishing identity around his or her books.

That can become particularly useful if you intend to publish several books rather than just one.

The decision should be made early because publishing information eventually appears across your book’s metadata, ISBN records, online book listings and printed pages.

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2. Get the Cover Right

This is an area where my own first publishing experience changed the way I approach books.

When I was preparing my first book for publication, I initially gave the cover design to an agency.

The result did not communicate what I had in mind.

The problem was not simply that the design was unattractive. It was that the final cover did not represent the book I had written.

I eventually decided to learn graphic design myself.

Since then, I have designed my own book covers.

That experience taught me something important about self-publishing: you need to know when to do something yourself and when to pay someone who is better at it.

If you cannot design professionally, hire a professional book-cover designer.

Do not allow the relatively low cost of an amateur design to undermine the presentation of the entire book.

Your cover is usually the first thing a potential reader sees.

Before somebody reads your description, samples your writing or discovers what is inside the book, they often see:

the title + author name + cover.

The cover therefore has a job.

It should communicate the subject, genre, tone and promise of the book quickly.

This is not merely an aesthetic issue. A cover may be seen as a large physical object in a bookstore and as a tiny thumbnail on an online platform.

Your design needs to work in both situations.

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3. Obtain an ISBN in Nigeria

An ISBN (International Standard Book Number) is the unique identifier assigned to a book or qualifying publication.

In Nigeria, ISBNs are issued through the National Library of Nigeria (NLN). The National Library provides an online ISBN application portal, allowing authors and publishers to apply directly.

Before paying an intermediary, check the current official requirements and fees yourself.

Apply directly through the National Library of Nigeria’s ISBN portal.

This distinction matters because you will find people and publishing agencies offering to “get an ISBN for you.”

They may be providing an administrative service, but they are not the Nigerian ISBN authority.

How much does ISBN cost in Nigeria?

Fees can change, so the National Library’s current information should always take priority.

At the time of writing, my current information is that a direct application through the National Library can be around ₦3,500 for one ISBN, while some agencies may charge ₦8,000 or more to handle the process for you.

The practical point is not simply the difference in price.

It is that an author should know that using an agency is not necessarily the same thing as buying the ISBN itself from the agency.

If you are comfortable completing the process yourself, you may not need to pay an intermediary simply to submit an application on your behalf.

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4. Do Not Confuse ISBN With Copyright

An ISBN identifies a publication.

Copyright concerns your rights in the creative work.

They are different.

The Nigerian Copyright Commission states that copyright protection does not depend on registration; copyright arises automatically when an eligible original work is created. The Commission nevertheless operates a voluntary registration system that provides a record of the work and ownership information.

You can learn more about the distinction in our guide to ISBN and copyright for Nigerian authors if available on the site, but the basic rule is straightforward:

ISBN ≠ copyright registration.

Do not assume that obtaining an ISBN means you have registered your copyright.

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5. Understand ISBNs Across Different Formats

Suppose you publish the same title as:

• paperback;
• hardcover;
• ebook.

Do not automatically assume that one ISBN covers every format.

ISBN allocation is connected to specific editions and formats. If you intend to publish substantially different formats, check the applicable ISBN requirements before applying.

This becomes important when you are planning both Nigerian print distribution and international digital publishing.

It is much easier to think about this before the book is already in production.

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6. Find a Printer Instead of Assuming You Need a Publisher

One of the most important things I discovered during my own publishing journey was that a printer and a publisher are not the same thing.

You can find a printer yourself.

That is exactly what I did.

Rather than waiting for a publishing company to take responsibility for producing my book, I searched for printers who were willing to print the book for me.

This changed the economics of the project.

The printer did not have to own my book.

The printer’s job was to produce the physical copies according to the specifications I provided.

That distinction gives an independent author considerably more control.

What should you ask a Nigerian printer?

Before paying for a large print run, ask about:

• number of copies;
• book size;
• paper type;
• paper thickness;
• black-and-white or colour interior;
• colour cover;
• cover lamination;
• binding method;
• production time;
• proof copy;
• delivery;
• reprinting;
• minimum quantity.

Do not compare printers only by the total quotation.

A ₦200,000 quotation from one printer and a ₦240,000 quotation from another may not represent the same product.

Ask what is included.

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7. Print a Proof Before Producing a Large Quantity

If a printer offers you the opportunity to inspect a proof copy, use it.

A digital PDF can look perfect on your computer and still produce a physical book that does not look the way you expected.

Check:

• cover colour;
• text sharpness;
• page order;
• binding;
• paper feel;
• cover alignment;
• spine;
• barcode;
• ISBN information;
• image quality.

Hold the book in your hand.

Open it.

Flip through the pages.

Look at the cover from a distance.

The physical book is the final product. You should inspect the actual object before committing to a large quantity.

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8. Decide How Many Copies to Print

This is one of the biggest financial decisions for a Nigerian self-published author.

Printing 1,000 copies may reduce the unit cost compared with printing 100 copies.

But a lower unit cost does not automatically mean a better financial decision.

If you print 1,000 copies and sell only 100, you have converted a large amount of cash into unsold inventory.

That money is now sitting in boxes.

For a first-time author without an established readership, that can be a serious problem.

A practical approach may be:

Print → sell → learn → reorder.

Instead of:

Print a huge quantity → hope people buy → discover the market afterward.

The right quantity depends on your audience, subject, existing platform, expected demand and printer pricing.

Our Nigeria self-publishing cost calculator can help you model different print quantities and other publishing expenses in naira before you commit your money.

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9. Calculate the Real Cost of Each Printed Book

Do not look only at the printer’s invoice.

Your actual publishing cost may include:

• ISBN;
• cover design;
• printing;
• proof copies;
• transportation;
• packaging;
• delivery;
• marketing;
• payment charges;
• storage.

Since writing, editing and formatting are covered elsewhere, the Nigerian-specific calculation here is about what happens after those services have been accounted for.

Suppose you spend:

Expense	Example
ISBN and related administrative costs	₦3,500
Cover design	₦50,000
Printing	₦250,000
Proof/transport/miscellaneous	₦30,000
Total	₦333,500

If you eventually produce 100 copies, your simple average investment per copy would be:

₦333,500 ÷ 100 = ₦3,335 per copy

But this is not automatically your “printing cost.”

Some expenses are fixed.

The ISBN and cover design, for example, do not necessarily increase every time you print another batch.

That means the economics improve as you sell more copies, provided additional copies can be produced without excessive new costs.

For a more detailed naira-based breakdown, see our guide to the cost of self-publishing a book in Nigeria.

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10. Set Your Nigerian Selling Price Carefully

Your selling price has to make sense to both you and your readers.

Suppose your production economics suggest that each copy costs you approximately ₦3,000 to produce.

Selling it for ₦3,200 might leave very little room for:

• transportation;
• discounts;
• damaged copies;
• reseller margins;
• payment costs;
• marketing;
• future reprints.

At the same time, simply adding a very large markup may make the book difficult for your intended Nigerian audience to afford.

Think about the reader as well as the production cost.

A book aimed at university students will have a different pricing reality from a professional handbook purchased by businesses.

A devotional sold through a church audience may have a different sales model from an academic textbook.

Pricing is therefore partly an economic decision and partly a market-positioning decision.

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11. Decide How You Will Sell the Physical Book in Nigeria

Publishing the book and selling the book are two separate problems.

This is especially important in Nigeria.

You may have a professionally produced book and still struggle to sell it because you have not decided how readers will buy it.

Your options may include:

Direct sales

You sell the book yourself.

A reader contacts you, pays, and receives the book.

This can work particularly well if you already have:

• a church audience;
• professional contacts;
• students;
• social-media followers;
• an email list;
• a website;
• WhatsApp contacts;
• an existing community.

Website sales

You can sell directly from your own website.

This gives you greater control over the customer relationship.

You can collect:

• customer information;
• order details;
• payment;
• delivery information.

Social media

A Nigerian author can also use social platforms as discovery channels.

For example:

Facebook → WhatsApp → payment → delivery

or:

Instagram → website → payment → delivery

The important point is that social media itself is not the publishing system. It is the place where people discover the book.

For a deeper look at the economics of selling directly to readers, see our guide on how to sell books directly to readers.

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12. Do Not Ignore WhatsApp

For a Nigerian author, WhatsApp can be much more than a messaging application.

It can become part of the sales process.

A reader may see your book on Facebook or Instagram, ask for details on WhatsApp, make a transfer and provide a delivery address.

That means your publishing system needs to accommodate the way Nigerian customers actually purchase products.

Make it easy for someone to answer:

• What is the book about?
• How much is it?
• How do I pay?
• Where can I collect it?
• How much is delivery?
• Can you send it to my state?
• Is there an ebook?
• Can I get a signed copy?

If a potential reader has to ask five different questions before understanding how to buy the book, some sales will disappear.

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13. Plan Delivery Before You Start Selling

This is one of the less glamorous parts of publishing, but it matters.

If you sell physical books directly, you need a fulfilment plan.

Think about:

Order → payment → packaging → dispatch → tracking → delivery

A reader in Lagos may have a very different delivery experience from a reader in Abuja, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Kano or another state.

Decide whether:

• the buyer pays delivery separately;
• delivery is included in the book price;
• you offer pickup;
• you use courier services;
• you dispatch in batches;
• you offer nationwide delivery.

If you sell through WhatsApp, do not wait until after receiving payment to discover that you have no practical way to deliver the book.

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14. Consider Bookstores and Resellers Carefully

Getting a book into a bookstore can increase visibility, but it also changes the economics.

A bookstore needs room to make money.

A reseller needs a margin.

If your direct selling price barely leaves you any profit, giving another party a percentage may make the arrangement unattractive.

Before supplying a bookstore or reseller, establish:

• wholesale price;
• recommended retail price;
• minimum quantity;
• payment terms;
• unsold-copy arrangements;
• delivery responsibility;
• damaged-copy responsibility.

Do not assume that “more distribution” automatically means “more profit.”

Distribution is useful when the economics make sense.

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15. Publish Digitally From Nigeria

Physical Nigerian distribution does not have to be the only market for your book.

This was another important part of my own publishing journey.

I made my books available on international digital platforms including:

• Apple Books;
• Google Books;
• Amazon.

The fact that you are physically based in Nigeria does not mean your book has to remain available only to Nigerian readers.

Amazon

Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing platform allows authors to publish ebooks and print books for international readers.

Nigerian authors should pay close attention to the payment method available for Nigerian bank accounts, because payment arrangements differ by bank location and marketplace.

Amazon’s current KDP payment documentation lists Nigeria as eligible for wire-transfer payments in NGN for the listed marketplaces. It also explains that wire payments have marketplace-specific minimum thresholds; for Amazon.com, for example, the threshold is US$100.

You can read our KDP royalty calculator guide if you want to understand how royalties and publishing costs interact before deciding your Amazon pricing.

Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing

One important point about the US$100 threshold: it should not be described as a universal KDP rule for every payment method and marketplace.

Amazon explains that direct deposit generally has no minimum payment threshold, while wire and check payments have marketplace-specific thresholds.

Therefore, check the payment method attached to your Nigerian bank location and the marketplace involved rather than assuming every KDP payment works exactly the same way.

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16. Apple Books Is Another Option for Nigerian Authors

Apple Books provides a publishing portal through which independent authors can submit their books.

Apple’s publishing system allows authors to submit their book, cover, sample and metadata and configure territories and pricing.

Apple Books for Authors

The important point for a Nigerian author is that you do not necessarily need a traditional Nigerian publisher to make a professionally prepared ebook available through an international platform.

Apple also allows authors to manage countries and regions in which their books are available.

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17. Google Books and Google Play Books Can Extend Your Reach

Google’s publishing ecosystem provides another route for independent publishers.

Through Google Play Books Partner Center, publishers can submit books, manage bibliographic information, upload files, set prices and configure sales territories.

Google Play Books Partner Center

This is worth considering because your publishing strategy does not have to be:

Nigeria only.

It can be:

Nigeria for physical books + international platforms for digital readers.

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18. Think of International Publishing as an Extension of Nigerian Publishing

A Nigerian author can have two publishing markets at the same time.

Local market

You can sell:

• printed copies;
• signed copies;
• church/event copies;
• school copies;
• organizational purchases;
• direct website orders;
• WhatsApp orders;
• bookstore/reseller copies.

International market

You can make digital editions available through platforms such as:

• Amazon;
• Apple Books;
• Google Play Books.

The two systems do not have to compete.

Someone in Lagos may want a physical copy.

Someone in London may prefer an ebook.

Someone in the United States may discover the book through Amazon.

Someone elsewhere may find it through Google Books.

Your job as the publisher is to make reasonable routes available.

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19. Keep Your Publishing Information Consistent

Once your book starts appearing in different places, consistency becomes important.

Try to keep the following information aligned:

• title;
• subtitle;
• author name;
• publisher/imprint;
• publication date;
• description;
• categories;
• ISBN;
• edition;
• cover;
• author biography.

An author may accidentally upload one version with a slightly different subtitle, another with a different author name and another with a different publication date.

That can create unnecessary confusion.

Keep a master record of your book information.

A simple spreadsheet can contain:

Field	Information
Title	Your final title
Subtitle	Final subtitle
Author	Exact author name
Publisher	Publishing/imprint name
ISBN	Assigned number
Publication date	Final date
Print format	Paperback, etc.
Ebook format	EPUB, etc.
Nigerian price	₦X
International price	$X
Description	Final approved copy
Cover file	Final version

This becomes particularly useful when you have several books.

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20. Keep Copies of Your Publishing Documents

Do not allow important publishing information to remain scattered across WhatsApp conversations and email threads.

Create a folder for each book.

Keep:

• ISBN records;
• copyright records if registered;
• payment receipts;
• printer invoices;
• cover files;
• final book files;
• publication information;
• contracts;
• distribution information;
• sales records.

If the book becomes successful later, you will be glad that you documented the process.

If there is a disagreement about ownership, payment or publication information, documentation becomes even more important.

If you want a broader checklist covering the complete publishing process, our first-time author publishing checklist can be used alongside this Nigerian-specific guide.

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21. Consider Legal Deposit and National Library Requirements

ISBN is not the only interaction an author or publisher may have with the National Library.

Nigeria has legal-deposit requirements concerning publications. The National Library has also been moving parts of its legal-deposit process into digital systems.

If you are publishing independently, do not assume that getting an ISBN completes every responsibility associated with publishing.

Check the National Library’s current instructions for legal deposit and other requirements applicable to your publication.

The procedures can change, so official instructions should take priority over an old blog post or advice from another author.

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22. Decide Whether You Actually Need a Traditional Publisher

My own experience in 2017 started partly because I struggled to find a traditional publisher willing to take on my book.

That experience taught me something that is still relevant:

Not finding a traditional publisher does not necessarily mean you cannot publish the book.

It may mean that you need a different publishing model.

Self-publishing can be appropriate when an author wants:

• control;
• speed;
• ownership of publishing decisions;
• direct contact with readers;
• flexibility over pricing;
• control over print quantity;
• the ability to test a market.

Traditional publishing can offer other advantages, particularly around established distribution structures, editorial teams and publisher resources.

The question is not simply:

“Which one sounds more prestigious?”

A more useful question is:

Which publishing arrangement fits what I am trying to accomplish with this particular book?

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23. What I Would Do If I Were Publishing My First Book in Nigeria Today

If I were starting with a completed manuscript today, I would not begin by ordering hundreds of copies.

I would work through the publishing side in this order:

1. Finalize the publishing identity

Decide exactly what author and publisher information will appear on the book.

2. Get the cover professionally handled

If I could not create a professional cover myself, I would pay someone who specializes in book covers.

3. Apply for the ISBN directly

I would check the current National Library portal rather than automatically paying an intermediary.

4. Research printers

I would obtain quotations from several printers and compare what each quotation actually includes.

5. Order a proof

I would inspect the physical book before committing to a large quantity.

6. Calculate the economics

I would know the approximate cost per copy and the minimum price at which the book makes sense.

7. Start with a manageable print quantity

I would avoid tying up money in thousands of copies before establishing demand.

8. Build direct sales

I would prepare a simple system through my website, WhatsApp and existing audience.

9. Add international digital distribution

I would consider Amazon, Apple Books and Google Play Books where the book and account are eligible.

10. Keep records

I would maintain one publishing folder containing all the book’s important information.

This approach separates publishing the book from trying to make the book famous.

The first problem is production and distribution.

The second is marketing.

They should not be confused.

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How Much Does It Cost to Self-Publish a Book in Nigeria?

There is no single Nigerian self-publishing price.

The cost depends on the book.

A short black-and-white paperback printed in a reasonable quantity may have a very different production cost from a full-colour children’s book, a large textbook or a premium hardcover.

Your budget can include:

Publishing expense	What determines the cost?
ISBN	Number of ISBNs and current NLN fee
Cover	DIY or professional design
Printing	Quantity, size, paper, colour and binding
Proof copy	Printer and production specification
Transport	Location and delivery method
Packaging	Material and quantity
Distribution	Direct, reseller, bookstore or platform
Marketing	Organic or paid promotion

For a more detailed breakdown, including Nigerian naira estimates and different print quantities, use the Nigeria Self-Publishing Cost Calculator.

The biggest mistake is to ask:

“How much does it cost to publish a book?”

without first specifying what kind of book you mean.

A better question is:

“How much will it cost me to produce and distribute this particular book at the quantity and quality I want?”

That question gives you something you can actually calculate.

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Should You Print 100, 500 or 1,000 Copies?

There is no universal correct number.

Think about your expected demand.

100 copies

Useful when:

• you are testing the market;
• your audience is small;
• you are unsure about demand;
• you want to minimize initial cash exposure.

500 copies

May make sense when:

• you already have an audience;
• the unit cost improves substantially;
• you have identified several sales channels.

1,000+ copies

May make sense when:

• you already know there is demand;
• you have institutional buyers;
• you have distributors;
• the book is being used by schools, churches or organizations;
• you have a realistic sales plan.

The number should come from your market rather than your excitement.

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Avoid This Mistake

1. Waiting indefinitely for a traditional publisher

If traditional publishing is your preferred route, pursue it.

But do not assume that rejection means the book cannot exist.

There are other publishing models.

2. Choosing a cheap cover simply because it is cheap

Your cover is part of your marketing.

If you cannot design professionally, pay a competent designer.

3. Printing too many copies

Large print runs can reduce unit costs while simultaneously increasing financial risk.

4. Setting the price without calculating your costs

Know what you have invested before choosing the selling price.

5. Assuming an ISBN protects copyright

It does not.

ISBN and copyright perform different functions.

6. Paying an intermediary without checking the official route

For government-related publishing processes, check whether you can apply directly before paying somebody else to do it.

7. Treating the printer as the publisher

A printer produces the physical book.

The publishing decisions remain yours unless you have entered into a different contractual arrangement.

8. Publishing the physical book and forgetting digital readers

Your Nigerian print market and your international ebook market can coexist.

9. Having no delivery plan

Selling the book is only half the transaction.

The customer still needs to receive it.

10. Spending everything on production

Do not use your entire publishing budget to produce books and then discover that you have nothing left to introduce those books to readers.

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Can a Nigerian Author Self-Publish Without a Publishing Company?

Yes.

You do not have to establish a large publishing company before publishing your own book.

An independent author can publish as an individual and work with separate service providers for the parts of the process they cannot handle themselves.

For example:

You: publisher/rights holder
Designer: cover
Printer: physical production
National Library: ISBN authority
Digital platform: online distribution
Courier: physical fulfilment

That is still self-publishing.

The important thing is to understand who is responsible for what.

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Can You Publish a Nigerian Book for International Readers?

Yes.

Being a Nigerian author does not restrict the geographical ambition of your book.

You can publish physical copies for Nigerian readers while making an ebook available internationally.

Amazon, Apple Books and Google Play Books each have systems for publishers/authors to submit and manage books, although eligibility, payment arrangements, tax requirements and available territories vary by platform.

This creates an interesting model for Nigerian independent authors:

Print locally.
Sell locally.
Distribute digitally internationally.

You do not necessarily have to ship a physical Nigerian-printed book to every reader around the world.

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My Experience: Why I Chose to Learn Publishing Myself

Looking back at my first experience in 2017, the biggest change was not that I suddenly became an expert in publishing.

I simply stopped waiting for someone else to solve the problem.

I had a manuscript.

I wanted it published.

The traditional route was difficult for an emerging author, so I started learning what I needed to know.

The cover was one of the first practical lessons. I initially outsourced the design, but the result did not match what I wanted. Instead of abandoning the project, I learned graphic design well enough to take responsibility for my covers. I have continued designing my own covers since then.

I also learned to work directly with printers rather than assuming that I needed a traditional publisher to handle the physical production of my book.

Then came the wider publishing ecosystem: ISBN, physical distribution and digital platforms.

I eventually put my books on platforms including Amazon, Apple Books and Google Books.

That experience changed how I think about publishing.

The word “publisher” can sound like it describes a large company somewhere with an office, staff and printing equipment.

It does not have to.

At its most practical level, publishing is the process of taking responsibility for bringing a book into the marketplace.

Sometimes you will do parts of that work yourself.

Sometimes you will pay someone else.

The skill is knowing the difference.

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Your Self-Publishing Checklist

Before you announce your book, make sure you have considered:

• Final author and publisher information
• Professional cover
• ISBN
• Copyright considerations
• Printer selected
• Physical proof checked
• Print quantity decided
• Total production cost calculated
• Selling price determined
• Delivery method arranged
• Direct sales channel prepared
• Bookstore/reseller strategy considered
• Digital publishing strategy considered
• Amazon account/payment information checked
• Apple Books eligibility/account information checked
• Google Play Books account/payment information checked
• Publishing records backed up
• Marketing plan prepared
• Reprint strategy considered

If you want to work through the entire publishing process rather than just the Nigerian-specific steps covered here, keep the First-Time Author Publishing Checklist beside you as you prepare the book.

The Nigerian publishing journey does not have to begin with a publishing house.

Sometimes it begins with an author who has a finished book, discovers that the traditional route is not working, and decides to learn what comes next.

That is how my own journey into self-publishing began in 2017.

By Olayinka Joseph
Last updated: September 2026