7 Reasons to Take the Self-Publishing Route
If you want to publish a book of your very own, you should try out the self-publishing route. Although traditional publishing is the most well-known and established publishing method, it could be difficult to get a publishing deal, and you could wind up waiting for a long time before you could get a publishing deal.
Whereas with self-publishing you will have a good number of advantages to draw from.
Here are 7 reasons to self-publish your book.
- You could get started right away
One of the main drawbacks of traditional publishing is the fact that you will have to wait for some time before you could get a publishing deal. Remember that a multitude of other writers are also vying for a publishing deal.
So the competition will be expectedly tough. There is also the fact that a majority of traditional publishing houses are very picky about their clientele.
So there is a chance that you will have to wait for a long time before you could get a publishing deal.
Luckily, the self-publishing route is always available to you. By self-publishing your book, you won’t have to wait for a publishing deal. You could get started right away.
- You have full control of the process
Aside from the very high standards, yet another downside of traditional publishing is that the publishing house usually takes over the entire operation. Although you are the author, and you are given the chance to voice your opinions, the final decision will always be that of the publishing house.
They did invest money and time into the project, so they expect a great deal of control over the publishing process.
If you opt to self-publish your work, you won’t have to concede creative control to the publishing house. You could retain overall control of the publishing process, and publish your book the way you want to.
- You could work at your own pace
One of the most annoying things about working with a traditional publishing house is that you will have to answer to an editor. If you’re lucky you will end up with an editor that really understands your artistic vision.
However, most editors are all about speed and control. If they don’t like a part in your book, they usually won’t hesitate to make you change this part.
They will also want you to speed up the process.
By self-publishing your book, you won’t have to answer to a pushy editor, nor will you have to change your artistic vision or speed up the process. You could publish your book the way you want to.
- You could be as creative as possible with your book marketing
When it comes to publishing a book, the book marketing process is by far the most important. Remember that you will have a lot of competition, and if your publishing house does not understand your artistic vision, they might mess up your book marketing.
If you choose to self-publish your book, you are given full freedom in marketing your book. You get to choose what media form and marketing platforms you use. You also get to decide when and where to market your work.
- You have full rights to your book
When you sign up with a traditional publishing house, you are expected to give up a majority of your book rights. This is why they are paying you a decent amount upfront. This is why they are going to publish your book for you.
This is the main reason why they are taking a risk with you. It may seem like a very good setup for you when you are just starting out as a writer.
However, if your book does very well and becomes a bestseller, you would want to keep all the rights to your book. This is where self-publishing comes in very handy.
By self-publishing your book, you get to keep all the rights to your book. You don’t need to give up a majority of the book rights. You also get to decide on every aspect of your book.
For example, a movie studio wants to make a movie adaptation of your book. If you are working with a traditional publishing house, they get to decide whether or not the studio could use your work.
They also get to decide the terms and get a cut off all the profits as well. On the other hand, if you self-publish, then the final decision is all up to you.
- You get to keep a majority of your profits
If you work with a traditional publishing house, it is already expected that you will have to have to share your royalties and any other profits that you gain from the sale of your books. However, if you choose the self-publishing route, you will get to keep a majority of your profits.
- Your destiny is in your own hands
There are many advantages to self-publishing, however, the biggest advantage you could have is that you have complete control of your publishing destiny. Decades ago, if you wanted to have your book published, you needed to reach out to established publishing houses.
You needed to go with their policies and take whatever you can. However, with the rise of print-on-demand services and self-publishing companies authors were given a new option to publish their work.
By taking the self-publishing route, you will no longer have to leave your publishing journey in the hands of other people. You could now publish your book, your way.
It could be a bit difficult at first, however, if you have the right strategy and mentality throughout the whole process, you can truly succeed.
The self-publishing route may not be the most well-known publishing method, however, it is just as good as its traditional counterpart. With these reasons to self-publish your book, you will be able to embrace the process and start on your self-publishing journey the right way.
Become a Self-Published Author in 3 Simple Steps
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