Social media, SEO, marketing and writingThe Benefits of Self-Publishing
Wednesday, December 3rd, 2008
The idea of self-publishing is that just about anyone with a strong book idea can publish their own manuscript, provided there is money available to do so.
The number of small author-publisher companies has increased, and many of these one-person operations are thriving. If their books take off in the marketplace, these self publishers keep the lion share of the profits. Not having to split the profits is a big plus, but the other side of the coin is that self-publishers must bear all the expenses of producing, printing, and promoting the book.
In a standard contract with a recognized publisher the author is low man or woman on the totem pole. The publisher makes the most with the author getting a royalty percentage. But the recognized publisher pays for publishing the book, so self-publishing, despite these benefits, is a mixed bag.
For some authors, self-publishing may be easier than dealing with a known publisher. Some authors want, and seem to enjoy, doing it all––writing, producing, printing, selling, and promoting the book.
There are also numerous online resources for writers such as Lulu.com, where anyone with the time, effort and a little cash can establish their own print-on-demand publishing shop.
Here are a few more benefits of self-publishing:
- Authors have greater control over their work
- Higher possible return on investment than publishing with a third party
- It increases personal satisfaction and can be an ego booster
- Success is limited only by an author’s tenacity and hard work
The truth about self-publishing is that it can go either way for an author. Some authors have lost most or all of their money on such projects. Others have regained their investments and a profit. Still others have done incredibly well with their self-published books usually after considerable effort, promotion, and personal selling.
