1. Not assessing the marketplace before you write the book. Who are your potential readers? Who are your competitors? What are the prices of competing books? Will your book be better, more important, less expensive, have better distribution? Does anyone need your book? Will anyone want your book?
2. Not having professional editing and design
3. Not doing enough research before selecting a self-publishing company
4. Refusing to believe abundant negative comments about a self-publishing company
5. Not negotiating for a better deal -- you can probably get the "October Special" in January, or get more books and fewer bookmarks
6. Paying too much for a self-publishing package (If you pay $5,000 or $50,000 it will be nearly impossible to earn back your cost of publishing.)
7. Paying too little for a self-publishing package (If you pay under $400, you will probably get terrible books.)
8. Not budgeting money and time for promoting your book
9. (For self-pubbers) Allowing a big “discount” for bricks-and-mortar booksellers which probably won’t stock your book anyway, and giving up the additional profit you could get from online sales
10. Assuming that your publisher or printer will do a good job of promoting your books
11. Assuming that your book will be reviewed without trying to get it reviewed
12. Not having a website and blog (novelists and poets don't need blogs.)
13. Rushing.
14. Not reading the book often enough and closely enough to catch as many errors as possible.
15. Assuming that your work is finished when your book is finished
16. Assuming that your publishing company’s website will sell lots of books for you.
17. Pricing your book too high
18. Pricing your book too low
19. Producing your book in only one format: you should probably have one or two print formats, plus multiple ebook formats (unless you decide that an exclusive deal like KDP Select is best for you)
20. Waiting until the book is published to start marketing
21. Not having an understandable title
22. Not having a distinctive title
23. Not having a distinctive 'author name.'
24. Not having a subtitle that can help sell the book
25. Not having cover text that can be read in small "thumbnail" size online.
More help in my 1001 Powerful Pieces of Author Advice.
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