How Free Is Book Publishing?

The word free has several meanings. There is free as in free will to do something. There is freedom, the right to do as you please, There is free, as in no cost. It seems the world of publishing experiences all three.   

We have freedom of expression. One can write, publish, and push their book all that they want. Authors can self-publish or they can seek to be published by others.  

Authors can promote, at no cost to themselves, or others, by doing free speaking engagements, free webinars, and posting free content on free social media platforms. Authors, if they so choose, can even give their books away for free.  

Writers express their free will over whether to write, when to write, what to write about, and how to express themselves. 

However, all of this free, free will, and freedom has a price and is often paid by the writer. Today’s writer does not make a lot of money and often could struggle just to break even on their adventures in self-publishing and hybrid publishing. Further, because times have changed and there is a book-banning, censoring, cancel culture force out there, one’s ability to just write what they want and expect to see it in print is fading.  

Many writers enjoy the act of writing and feel they offer something of value. Unfortunately, society, as much as it enjoys books, doesn’t value them too highly when it comes to its wallet. Too many readers are downloading free books from authors or the library, or may part with a buck to buy a used book or digital daily deal at a place like Book Bub. 

For writers to survive, society needs to give back and help them afford to be our creative souls. There are several leading crowdsource sites that authors could and should use to raise funds for their book projects. They can help supplement an author’s income and make a difference in whether a book gets published. 

Is book publishing free? You decide.

 

Need Book Marketing Help?

Brian Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com  He is available to help authors promote their story, sell their book, and grow their brand. He has over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your advocate, teacher, and motivator!

 

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About Brian Feinblum

Brian Feinblum should be followed on Twitter @theprexpert. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2023. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent.  This award-winning blog has generated over 3.3 million pageviews. With 4,400+ posts over the past dozen years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” For the past three decades, including 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and two jobs at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler. He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America, and has spoken at ASJA, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. He has been featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald. For more information, please consult: www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum.