If an individual wanted to publish a book, they could contact a publishing house or publish it themselves. If you wanted to publish it yourself, you needed to prepare a complete work, including the outline of the novel, the introduction of the characters, the content of the chapters, and so on. Then, you needed to type, edit, and proofread it before finally determining the publication date. When you contact a publishing house, you can check their publishing plans to understand their tastes and preferences, as well as the type and style of books they want to publish. You can also ask them if they can provide editing and proofreading services and if they need other support from the author. If you want an electronic version of your work, you need to apply for copyright first. The specific steps included: 1. Prepare a complete work, including the outline of the novel, character introduction, chapter content, etc. 2. You can register the copyright of your work on the website of the National copyright bureau or use other legal copyright registration agencies. 3. Submit the copyright registration application for review. 4. After the copyright registration is successful, you can use the copyright certificate to protect the rights and interests of the work, including the electronic version and the paper version. If the electronic version of one's work is violated by the publishing house or other institutions, one can try to apply for rights protection. The specific steps included: 1. Confirm the act of copyright violation. Collect relevant evidence, including the information of the copyright violation, the time and place of the copyright violation, the contact information of the copyright violator, etc. 2. Filing a lawsuit to the court for compensation for damages and rights protection fees. 3. If the court decides that the offender shall compensate for the losses and rights protection fees, it can be enforced. If an individual wanted to publish a book or an electronic version of his own work, he needed to carefully consider and plan how to apply for copyright and rights protection. He also needed to prepare a complete work and relevant information.