5 Benefits of Self-Publishing
In last week’s post we discussed the basics of self-publishing. Today I’ll dive into the reasons why many authors choose to self (or indie) publish, rather than going the traditional route with queries, proposals, agents, contracts, and big-time publishers. Here are the top 5 benefits of self-publishing your memoir:
1. More creative control
As a self-published author, you have complete creative control over your book. There is no editor telling you that you HAVE to change this or that about your manuscript in order to published. No one is going to make you change your title or force you into a cover design you hate. And while I do recommend that self-published authors consult with editors and design professionals, it’s comforting to know that, in the end, it’s your call as the author as to how your book sounds AND looks.
2. Faster publishing timeline
The timeline for traditional publishing can be extensive, often a year or more even after a book has been accepted for publication, which in itself is a very long process (AFTER you’ve spent months writing the manuscript!). Many authors choose to self-publish simply because they want to get their book out into the world sooner. Writing a book still takes a long time, but once it’s polished and ready, a self-published author can have their book out to readers in weeks, not months or years.
3. Keep more profits
With their extensive marketing network and ability to stock in brick-and-mortar bookstores, traditional publishers do generally get books in front of a larger audience than self-published authors can on their own. However, that comes at a cost. The business of publishers is to make money, not to make your dreams come true. So they take a significant cut from your profits, as will your literary agent. Many authors can make more money by self-publishing and keeping all profits after printing costs have been paid (pretty minimal, especially for paperbacks).
4. Less competitive
As has been alluded to, the world of traditional publishing is extremely competitive, and only recommended for very serious and experienced writers. The truth is that the chances of landing a book deal with a major publishing house is very slim. HOWEVER, that doesn’t mean that your story doesn’t deserve to be out in the world, or that you are not a legitimate author. Many talented writers CHOOSE to self-publish (for the reasons above, among others) and still experience great success. If you are set on traditional publishing, you have to accept the reality that there is a chance your book may never see the light of day. But with self-publishing, you can give your story what it deserves—a chance to be read by those who need it.
5. Choose your audience
One more perk to self-publishing is that you can be specific in choosing the audience for your book, and make it directly available to them. If your memoir is extremely personal or sensitive and intended only for close family and friends, they can order it from a private link via a print-on-demand site like Blurb. Or, for heirloom books, you can order as many copies as you need from a boutique press like Edition One. Again, and this ties back into #1, as a self-published author, YOU have complete control over how your book sounds and looks, AND who gets to read it.
I hope you found this article helpful! Stay tuned for more tips for writing and publishing memoir!
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