So you’ve written a book! You’ve just accomplished a feat many folks only aspire to—and now it’s time to get your masterpiece on the shelves. Different publishing approaches have their own pros and cons, and other writers you interact with may have their own opinions on each of them. Let’s look at the pros for a second: what are the positives of self-publishing?
Creative Control
When you send your book off to a traditional publisher, you give up some control over it. With self-publishing, you get to hire your own editor and graphic designer. You understand your vision better than anyone! Self-publishing allows you to execute that vision with complete control. Nobody will change your title, alter the text, or choose a cover without your input.
Quick Publishing
With full control of your publishing process, you can get the ball rolling more quickly than a big publishing house would. Once your manuscript is ready for printing, you can send it off to the printer and receive copies within days. This speed is especially helpful for books in niche genres that traditional publishers may hesitate to pick up.
More Royalties
An author who uses traditional publishing has to give a cut of their profits to their agent and others working on the book. Royalty rates for traditionally published authors hover around 25 percent at most. Self-published authors see closer to 70 percent of those profits. If your book is a smash hit, you can rake in way more cash than a traditionally published author.
Establishing a Reputation
Putting extra work into your book now could pay off in your career later on. Just because you self-publish your first book (or books!) doesn’t exclude you from traditional publishing opportunities later on. Your book serves as a portfolio of sorts: if you do seek out a big publishing house later, you can point them toward your earlier works for perusal.
Traditional publishing and self-publishing both have their perks; don’t let other writers discourage you from one or the other. With a strong manuscript and some marketing savvy, your self-published book can be just as successful as one from a big publishing house. Learn the positives of self-publishing and make the decision that will serve your book best.
Author: syahrir; Image description: “Self Publish! on sticky notes isolated on white background.”