Do you aspire to be a writer and want to chart your own path? If yes, then you should opt for self-publishing and go beyond the traditional publishing terrain. If you are interested in traditional publishing, then you need to scout behind publishers with your manuscript in the hope that somebody would publish what you have written. This process is time-consuming. It may take longer than a year.
Publishing houses with their resources, knowledge and contacts will rigorously promote your book. They also take care of designing, editing, printing, advertising and other necessary measures. On the other hand, if you opt for self-publishing, the onus lies on you. You will have to shell out money to get your book published. But you know exactly where your money is going to. Self-publishing has its own advantages. Given below are a few of them:
1. Be your own boss
With self-publishing comes independence. What does this mean? This means you are your own boss. You hold the rein over advertising, promoting, editing, designing, etc. You pay for everything and keep a track of where your hard-earned money goes. You are self-employed. You don’t have to report to anybody or wonder where your money has been channelized. You have rein over your money and you promote yourself.
2. You might make a lot of money
Self-publishing can pave the way for profits. How? Well, you do not have to wait for your 5 to 15 percent royalty from your publishers. You are the maker of your finances. If you have sustained persistence, creativity and some self-marketing skills, then you are on your way to make money. If you are doing your own promotion, isn’t it better to self-publish and earn a 40 to 400 percent margin? The other plus point is if your book becomes popular, publishers may approach you. This means you get to have an upper hand in negotiations.
3. You have control of your work
In self-publishing, you chart your own territory. This means you decide the font, the title, the design, the advertisements, the cover page, etc. Decisions are taken solely by you, and your decision is final. You possess full control of your own book. You can choose the technology you need the most and the services and the resources you may require. In short, you are solely responsible for all aspects of the process, ranging from publishing to marketing.
4. You learn the rules of the game
Another advantage of self-publishing is you get to learn the rules of the game all by yourself. You learn the process, including the other aspects of publishing like designing the cover page and interior, the format, the pricing, marketing, etc. Authors can either do these themselves or can outsource a part of the process. Self-publishing is a good learning experience.
5. Control of foreign rights
As a self-published author, you get to decide who should buy foreign rights for your book and for how much. In this way you get to make more money as you will not be sharing foreign rights revenue with traditional publishers.
Self-publishing is becoming more popular these days as this is the age of tablets and iPhones; connectivity is increasing day-by-day. Print-on-Demand services and free e-book distribution are ubiquitous.
Editor’s Note: This article was first published on e-Books India (the former name of Writing Tips Oasis) in January 2015.
I’m Smitha Abraham. I love traveling in my flights of imagination and use these flights to craft short stories and poetry. I am a budding writer from India. My passions are reading, creative writing, listening to music, learning new languages, meeting new people, getting acquainted with different cultures and traveling. Authors like Isabel Allende, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Carlos Ruiz Zafón, genres like magic realism, historical romance, and writing styles that are imaginative and flow effortlessly fascinate me. I love to unwind with a book curled up on a sofa or by gazing at the stars by the sea shore. I am a nature lover and spending time admiring the sunset and sunrise is relaxing for me.