Thinking about self-publishing??? WEIGH. YOUR. OPTIONS!
When you make the decision to self-publish a book, you have complete control over the whole process. In fact, that is one of the many plus sides to self-publishing, as many authors like having complete control over their works of art. However, as for the responsibility goes, an author must write the book, edit it, find a company to print the printed book, and finally, sell it. Although the process is relatively easy for most, things can get a tad bit complicated rather quickly if you don’t have a plan in place.
As was previously stated, a self-publisher is responsible for the sale of their book. Selling the first 100 copies to your friends and family is easy. But what about the other millions of people on the planet you’ve never had the pleasure of meeting?
Many self-publishers set up websites where they list their books available for sale. Even then, however, that website must be marketed so that visitors will find it. Self-publishers also have the option of approaching retailers, including bookstores, for a chance to get their books available for sale locally.
Yes, this process can be difficult, but many other self-published authors have seen success. When you put the proper amount of time, research, and energy into selling a self-published book, you stand the most chance of making the biggest profit.
Self-publishing costs. If you want a polished product, you will have to invest in quality services, such as editing, proofreading, marketing, book cover design, and formatting. While authors are able to retain all of their profits, many don’t even break even, primarily because they don’t consider all of what needs to be paid for before they publish their books. You may want to spend time pricing services before you move forward with self-publishing. Of course, you have the option of doing it on your own, but if this is not your skillset, you may want to hire professionals to help you reach your goal.
One great thing that I love, however, about self-publishing is that unknown authors are given the opportunity to shine. Many best-selling books today are written by authors who already have an established history or name. In fact, unless you have an absolutely amazing book or a well-known name, there is a good chance that many publishing companies will not want to take a chance on you. This does not mean that your book is a poorly written one or that you have a bad storyline. It just means that the publishing market is a tough one.
If you believe that you have a book that will sell but have been receiving multiple rejection letters from well-known publishing houses, self-publishing may be for you. Self-publishing is also an ideal approach for authors who write books that only have a limited, targeted market. For example, if you are interested in writing a book on your city or town, your targeted market may be quite small, and publishers may not want to take a chance with that.
Since there are a number of pros and cons to self-publishing, you should take the time to decide if self-publishing is right for you. Additional research will help you determine if it is truly your best option. If you need help figuring it out, click the link below and book a consultation. We’ll work through it together.
See you next week!
Adrienne Michelle Horn is the owner of I A.M. Editing, Ink. Although she has a full-time professional career in healthcare, she is also a South Florida-based editor, poet, author, entrepreneur, and mother of her beautiful daughter, Paris.
For more information about Adrienne and her company, follow I A.M. Editing, Ink on social media or visit: https://linktr.ee/iamediting