In today’s technological age, writers who hope to one day become a published author can do so. This is in part due to Amazon and Barnes and Noble. They’ve created platforms that allow anyone to publish and market their book.
For many would-be authors, this leads them to question which option is the best for them. Should they self-publish or go the traditional route of seeking a publisher? It’s not an easy answer and is solely dependent on the writer’s needs. Hopefully, this article can provide some insight on the process.
Here are 8 reasons why you should consider self-publishing your book:
Table of Contents
1) You Follow Your Timeline
Really, traditional publishing is really for people who have a lot of patience. First you have to find a literary agent to take you on, then they seek out publishers. Each step can take up to 6 months or more, the process lasting as many as three years. After all these years of waiting for someone to get back to you, you’re likely to receive numerous rejection letters.
Can you imagine waiting several years only to get a rejection back from all of them? Then the process begins again. With self-publishing, you can put your work up immediately and it’s ready to sell. You get to decide the release date.
2) You Keep Your Rights
By going the traditional route, you’re essentially selling your book to the publisher. They will decide what to do with it, where it goes, and the price. You have no rights to your book. You will even face a moment where an editor will change something they don’t like. By self-publishing, you make the calls and keep the rights to your book.
3) Better Royalties
Part of selling your book to a publisher means they get the bulk of the money made from selling. They’re paying for the shelf space, the publishing, and the marketing. Because of that, they’ll take most of the profits. You’ll get an advance and a small royalty, often as much as 85% of all the profits.
4) Traditional Publishing is Outdated
Going the traditional route is difficult and time consuming. They’re only it in for their own profit and won’t accept anything unless they feel it will sell. It can stifle your creativity. Right now, you have ample opportunity to become a bestseller through self-publishing. Print-on-Demand is huge right now and costs much less than traditional publishing.
5) Marketing is on Your Terms
This might seem like a con to self-publishing. Having the control to market yourself means you don’t have the funds and backing of a legitimate publisher behind you. The reality is, you don’t need to start the process raking in millions of buys. Just start with a few good reviews. Facebook, Twitter, and other types of social media marketing can do the trick.
6) Book Cover Designs Aren’t Expensive
Sadly, it’s true that people do judge a book by its cover. You might think it will be difficult to sell your book without a decent cover. While that’s true, you don’t have to have amazing design skills to make it yourself. There are a lot of affordable covers out there. Many websites sell pre-made covers, and most of them look really nice.
7) You Set the Price
Another aspect of the publishing world you’re not in control of is how much your book will sell for. If you self-publish, you get to set the price. A lot of traditional publishers will sell your book for as much as $35. When you’re self-publishing, you can put in whatever price you want. Setting a lower price for your first book can help get it in front of reader’s eyes.
8) Self-Published Books Do Get Noticed
You might be of the impression that the only books that do well have been traditionally published. That’s faulty thinking. Several of the most popular indie-published works include the “Fifty Shades of Grey” franchise and “The Martian”. Both of these works have gone on to sell millions of copies and have movies made from them.
Never give up your dream! If you want to be in full control of your book, profits, and the publishing process, self-publishing is the way to go.
