It’s not a secret that traditional publishing is incredibly difficult right now, so it’s no wonder that many aspiring authors are turning to self-publishing. But, despite its popularity, it’s not something you should rush into without consideration. In this blog, I will lay out what self-publishing is, the process, and the advantages and disadvantages of self-publishing.
What Is Self-Publishing?
In self-publishing, you, the author, publish your work yourself. You write the novel and then you source other professionals to help you get the book to market. Once your book is in the market, you retain all the rights and royalties for that book.
The Process
You write the book. Once you have your first draft, you self-edit and make your manuscript the best it can be. You can reach out to book coaches if you feel you need more help or invest in a writing course.
Then you should send your manuscript off to editors and proofreaders. It’s a good idea to get a developmental edit, copy edit and proofread done (although the proofread should be done after you’ve had the manuscript formatted).
You’ll need to pay a designer to create a cover for you and someone to format the text on the pages. You’ll need to create the blurb and author bio too.
If you want to sell physical copies, you should source a printing company. You could choose to bulk buy or print-on-demand.
You will have to handle the legal aspects of publishing, although you can reach out to lawyers if necessary. Each format (paperback, hardback, eBook) needs its own ISBN. You might also want to consider formally copyrighting your work and setting up an LLC to publish under.
Then you have to take care of marketing and publicity. Ideally, you want to get your books into bookshops because you’ll reach a wider audience. You also want to build relationships with the media and a social media following.
The Advantages of Self-Publishing
The above may have scared you, but there are many advantages to self-publishing:
· You have control of what you do with your book.
· You will earn more in royalties (Reedsy says self-published authors keep 50%–70% of royalties, as opposed to the 5%–20% traditional publishers offer).
· You decide when you release your book.
· You keep all the rights to your book.
The Disadvantages of Publishing
However, there are some downsides to self-published:
· You are in control and have to do all the work.
· You have to pay all the costs upfront for editing, publishing, production and marketing.
· There is a steep learning curve when you take on self-publishing.
· You will have to invest a lot of time.
· You might struggle to get your book into bookstores and libraries.
· Self-publishing is considered to be less prestigious.
· You may not be eligible for some literary prizes and reviews.
Is Self-Publishing Right for Me?
The publishing route you choose to take will come down to preference. Self-publishing gives you more creative control, and, usually, you will earn more from royalties than you would if you traditionally publish. But you are responsible for every part of the process, which is very time-consuming. Self-publishing a book is like setting up a business, so it’s not for everyone.
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