Selecting which route you want to take when publishing your book can be a difficult decision. And before investing the time, money, and energy into publishing independently, you need to consider all of the factors in play. That’s what we’re here to help with:
Pros for Indie Publishing
Self-publishing has a lot to offer first-time authors and serial publishers alike. Here are some things for you to consider when contemplating independent publishing:
Total Creative Control
When you are publishing yourself, zero changes will be made unbeknownst to you and there is zero chance of your story not making it to final publication. You can choose to review every comma or find a team you trust to help you.
Higher Return on Investment
In a traditional publishing atmosphere, royalties average out to approximately 25 percent of sales. With a self-publishing deal, it’s more likely that percentage will hover around 70%. That’s more than twice as much per book!
Shorter Turnaround
Once you get a bid by a publisher, you’re looking at a minimum of one year before your book is in readers’ hands. It’s not a great prospect for time-sensitive materials. And that’s after the time it takes you to write, beta read, edit yourself, find an agent, and get the deal.
But if you put together the right team of support, you can take your written book to the people in as little as three months. From there, the only limit of how long it takes to publish depends upon your availability to work on it.
Build Your Own Team
A few authors I’ve worked with backed out of their book deals when they realized they weren’t getting the right support from their editor, cover artist, or marketing team. By self-publishing, you can select a team of experts that you one by one after interviewing and negotiating with them. With this model, they are beholden to you. Not the other way around.
More Opportunities
When you’re the gatekeeper to your author career, you’re not boxed in by your agent or publisher’s needs. Feel like writing for a new genre? Go for it. Want to change mediums entirely? It’s encouraged! Self-publishing your novel is similar to choosing to become an entrepreneur. There is no boss. There is only you and your will to keep expanding your readership.
Takes Advantage of Other Skills
Do you have a keen eye for design? An affinity for blogging? An algorithmic understanding of social media? The hobby of building websites you’ll never use? (Guilty.) You can take advantage of these skills and more when you self-publish your book. It’s a great way to keep your day job but still use that humanities, art, or communications degree you paid so much money for.
Less Rejection
You are your own gatekeeper at every level when it comes to self-publishing. There are no queries, long wait times, or consistent, debilitating rejection that slowly eats away at your confidence. You have a good story idea! And you have the ability to get it out there.
Cons for Indie Publishing
It wouldn’t feel right if we told you that self-publishing was a dream. It’s not. It’s a business decision with things you should consider before taking the plunge. Here’s what we suggest you look out for:
More Complicated
Though it’s no fun querying and considering who best to reach out to and managing submission guidelines, it’s a lot more complicated to set your own editorial schedule, coordinate with vendors, publish, and manage a marketing campaign. The good news is that you have the opportunity to build a team that empowers you to take on what you’re already skilled at and help lighten the load on things you’re not prepared to handle.
Higher Initial Costs
This is the primary reason book publishers still exist today. A lot of authors simply aren’t able to fund their own dreams. Working with an independent editor, cover artist, publicist, and even just getting an ISBN and barcode all cost money. But publishing independently doesn’t have to break the bank. Check out our tips to cut costs to learn more.
Less Sparkle
If you’re looking for a fairytale or a grind that ends in what feels like a lottery win, then independent publishing isn’t for you. Like we said before, publishing yourself is a business decision that should be met face to face, and every stage of the indie publishing process has decisions that must be made rationally.
No matter what publishing journey you choose, though, we are certain that seeing your book in the hands of readers will feel like a dream come true. You just have to decide which road is right for your life and your book. Good luck!
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