Self-publishing your book could not have come at a better time. There are thousands of authors uploading their books to Amazon KDP every day. You could be one of them. If you have ever promised yourself you were going to write that novel one day, there has never been a better time to self-publish your book. There are four reasons you should self-publish now.
Self-Publishing Your Book is Quicker
There was a time not so long ago where aspiring authors had to rely on traditional publishers to publish their books. Those companies were very selective and still are. Most of them, even today, do not accept manuscripts from individuals. You have to have a literary agent to present your manuscript. Waiting weeks and sometimes months to hear from editors in traditional publishing houses only to be rejected can be very stressful.
While many writers will still go the traditional publishing route, it is no longer the only option available to. Self-published authors decide when their books will be published since they determine their own schedule. The full responsibility of writing, editing, designing, and marketing the book falls on the self-published writer. Even if you outsource some of the publication work to others, you still have to monitor their work and determine the pace of the work. If you enjoy taking charge and are highly organized, self-publishing is an option for you.
Self-Publishing Gives You Control
When a writer contracts with a publishing house, the editors and staff do all the behind-the-scenes work. They decide on everything from the book cover design to the interior formatting with little to no input from you—the author. You agree to that arrangement in return for their representation and the use of their brand. Some writers do not feel confident about handling the specifics of the publishing process, so they rely on their publishers to do the heavy work.
But when you self-publish your book, you are in control of everything concerning your book. You get to decide what the layout and cover design will be for your book. You determine the price readers will pay for the book and how it will be marketed. It is important that you have some knowledge about the publishing process. You will not only gain insight into the different aspects of publishing a book, but you will make competent, confident decisions that benefit you.
Self-Publishing Increases Profits
With traditional publishing contracts, authors receive between 10-15% in royalties. They may or may not get an advance. If an author gets an advance, the amount varies, depending on the contract. As a self-published author, you will get higher royalties. You can expect to earn anywhere from 30 to 70% in royalties depending on the type of book you publish and publishing platform you use.
Who doesn’t want more money? One reason many people become writers is to make money. The amount of money you earn depends on many factors. Self-publishing is certainly not a get rich scheme. Like everything else, hard work and consistency make all the difference in your success.
Self-Publishing Lowers Costs
Publishing a book involves expenses, whether one goes through a traditional publishing house or you self-publish. Once the manuscript is written, it has to be edited. While you can self-edit, it is advisable to hire a qualified professional. Other expenses include the layout and cover design. These costs are lower for self-published authors because you can outsource those services to freelancers at much lower rates than you would pay with a traditional publisher.
It used to be that once you published with a traditional publisher, you had to pay upfront costs for books to market and promote your work. That could end up costing you a large sum of money, and if you didn’t do the work to sell those books, they often ended up in your garage or a spare room. No writer can afford or wants that outcome, and you don’t have to worry about that expense today.
If you self-publish your book with print on demand, you don’t have to keep inventory on hand. With many self-publishing platforms offering worldwide distribution, your customers, family, and friends can easily purchase your book online. You don’t have to handle packaging and shipping of books if you don’t want to manage that. Of course, this technology allows self-published authors to cut costs and keep more money in their pockets.
These are four of the best reasons to self-publish your book today. We encourage you to do your own research and determine if self-publishing is for you. It certainly won’t hurt you to step out on faith and try it. Maybe you can take your next book or an unpublished manuscript you have and self-publish it as a test. You might end up asking yourself why you didn’t do it sooner.
If you need help or someone to coach you through the process, reach out to us. We love helping self-published authors!