The
question comes up often, especially from writers who:
·
Have
not been published.
·
Can’t
find a literary agent.
·
Are
in a rush to get a book out.
·
Want
to retain editorial control.
·
Want
to collect the lion’s share of revenue and not a royalty.
·
Need
something to showcase to publishers.
Self-publishing
makes sense for any number of reasons.
It seems to be utilized by people at all levels, from first-time authors
looking to make a name for themselves when no one else will give them a shot,
to well-established authors who find a publisher doesn’t really offer them
much, especially if they have an established brand and pipeline for sales.
Technology
made self-publishing feasible and affordable.
Book publishing, as an industry, pushed many authors to self-publish
when they rejected them, or worse, published them but did little to support their
books.
The
question is not: Should you
self-publish? But rather, when should
you self-publish? The answers could be
“yes” and “often.”
Traditional
publishing benefits people in many ways:
·
The
publisher takes care of the details regarding printing, shipping, etc.
·
The
publisher’s name helps get better distribution.
·
The
media is more open to publisher-produced books.
·
They
can help sell foreign rights, movie rights, audio, etc.
·
They
are professionals at editing, cover-design, and title development
·
They
understand the book market, from libraries and bookstores to special sales and
events.
·
They
may offer some PR support.
I
think self-publishing makes sense when authors use their book as a calling card
for a business. If you are a consultant,
speaker, or a professional with clients, self-publishing gives you a product to
sell and the book can become a lead generator.
Some might want the perceived credibility that comes with having a brand
label on their book from a traditional publisher, and that could be of value
too.
I
also think self-publishing for a first-time novelist makes sense. He or she needs to prove their work has a
market. By self-publishing and promoting
your book, you can show publishers you’d be a worthy investment. On the other hand, if you really break
through, you may not see a need to hand over the profits to a publisher unless
it promises to deliver something you feel couldn’t happen otherwise.
If
you self-publish, consider going beyond the POD model of CreateSpace or Ingram
Spark. I think you should print up
copies, get a distributor, and hire a publicist and a professional editor and
cover designer. Do it right and make the
investment to position not just this book but your whole writing career for
success.
I
guess I should also note that self-publishing is great if writing is not a
serious commercial venture for you. If
you want to write as a hobby or to publish your legacy memoir for your family
or you want to portfolio publish, essays poems, art, photos, etc,, be my guest.
Self-publishing
could be for you or anyone, depending on the circumstances. I would neither rule it out automatically nor
default to it with absolute certainty.
Like most things in life, it depends on when to utilize this option.
There
are many, many people who successfully self-published, producing books that
lead to book and movie deals, job offers, and tons of media coverage. But they represent less than 1% of all self
-published books. Be willing to
experiment or take the plunge, but do so knowing that it’s not right or wrong
for anyone.
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