Why you should self publish

Why you should self publish

You’ve got a story to tell, and are torn between looking for a publisher or self publishing. Here are 6 reasons for why self publishing could be the right way for you to go:

Publishers are now more celebrity driven

If an author already has a following, it makes it a lot easier to sell their book. So, unknown authors have a harder job convincing a publisher that a book by an untested author is worth investment for editing and designing, printing, publicity and eventually, selling the book.

Complete control

If your book is accepted by a publisher, it means they are free to change everything about the book, all in a bid to make it saleable. As a self-publisher, you hold that control. You decide what form your manuscript will take, what it will look like and how you choose to make money from it.

You make money

If you are accepted by a publisher, the publisher makes more money. By signing a contract, you agree to a share of the profits since the publisher puts up the money for everything else. Unless your book is a huge bestseller, the money you make as royalty might not be enough to actually make a living.

<Eliminate rejection from publishers

Sometimes the reasons why your book gets rejected has very little to do with your book. There are so many factors that determine why a book could be rejected, from an editor’s personal judgment, wrong time, wrong trend, etc. When you self publish, you eliminate that rejection, sometimes years of waiting for a publisher to accept your book or multiple attempts trying to get published.

You’re responsible for selling your book either way
Just because a publisher accepts your book doesn’t mean that you don’t need to do anything else. If you want a successful book, you’re still responsible for getting publicity for your book. You’re your book’s greatest cheerleader. If you’re still going to have to do the work when it’s published by someone else, why not do it for yourself?

Put more money in your pocket

Self-publishing will certainly allow you to drastically reduce the time between finishing the final version of your book and bringing it into bookstores. This also means that you may make more profits as an author being paid royalty. Instead of having to be satisfied with the ten or fifteen percent of the income generated from sales, you can pocket the entire income made by selling your book.

Be aware of the risks

If you decide to self publish, you have to do so with the mindset that you will do whatever it takes to make your book succeed. Think of getting your book as as a business, not as a hobby. So, make the investment at the start to ensure your book is the best it can be. Get professional help to make sure your book is comparable and even better than any other published book out there. As a self-publisher, you start making a profit only after you have made enough to cover the costs of designing, typesetting, printing and marketing. So, ensure the book you are presenting for sale is the best it can be.

Those for whom self-publishing works best are:

  • Experts who give speeches
  • Educator and trainers who host workshops or seminars
  • Business owners educating clients about their products and services
  • People who want to create their memoirs for a small or
    local audience
  • Writers who strongly believe that their story needs to be told.

It is best to get professional help to get your book produced. Publishing is not an easy process, especially since there are so many aspects involved: from finding the right title, getting the right design, making sure the cover will attract buyers, or even getting customers to come see the book in the first place. Contact GoodBooks to get started on creating a professional book that you can be proud of.

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