Should I Self-Publish My Book? 3 Factors to Consider Before Choosing
“To be a successful… writer you have to write well, write a lot … and let ’em know you’ve written it! Then rinse and repeat.” — Gerard de Marigny, The Watchman of Ephraim
There is a shift happening in the world of books. Specifically, in the world of publishing. More and more authors are choosing to self-publish their books, and what was once seen as taboo and lower quality is becoming more accepted.
I’ll tell you a secret — as a reader, I generally don’t know which is traditionally published vs self-published. And if the story is good and the writer has taken time to produce quality work, I don’t really care.
As a self-published author, I can also tell you that I enjoy this process much more than I thought I was going to. I feel a sense of pride knowing that I have done the best I can for my book from A to Z, and have learned A LOT along the way.
I also have several friends who have gone the traditional publishing route. They are happy with their choice and I am happy for them. However, I am not one who would go that route. The path is different for everyone.
The most important thing is to make sure you have all the information you need to make the best decision for YOU.
So what is the big difference between self-publishing and traditional publishing?
Payment
Believe it or not, the key to reinventing yourself is reinventing how you get paid. — Richie Norton
Traditional publishing can seem really enticing based on the upfront payment that they provide to new authors. This covers initial book sales up to a certain amount the publisher thinks they will be able to sell. After that point, the author earns royalties for each book sold.
Self-publishing payment is specifically based on royalties. And your payment comes specifically from how much effort you are putting into your books to make sure they sell, rather than relying on a publisher to do the work, tell you where to go and what to do.
As a head’s up, self-published royalties are much higher than traditional publishing, for obvious reasons. Either way, you get paid by how much effort you are putting into your book after it’s completion.
Details
Traditional publishing takes care of all the details for you. Which is incredibly convenient and helps with the success of the book.
When I published my first book, there were details that I didn’t know about and caused problems with the distribution (and sales) of my book. Having a traditional publisher would have saved me the trouble, but it was also a lesson learned that improved my ability to self-publish.
Self-publishing can be a long, hard road. Especially with the first book. There will be a lot of mistakes and failures along the way. I think I hit every bump in the road there was to have with my first (and a little into my second and third books as well) that have taught me the ins and outs of these details.
However, this knowledge has given me the ability to make a shift in my business. I have added skills that I can coach others through and provide additional income. I couldn’t have that option if I let someone else take over the details for me.
Know that it is not a bad thing to do it either way. To do the self-publishing route while taking care of the details can be time-consuming. For someone who already juggles a lot of different projects, this isn’t going to be the best option for you. I have an author friend who is the mother of young children. To be honest, I’m proud of her and so impressed she gets anything written at all. I do not judge her for wanting to use that time with her family rather than taking the time to self-publish.
Timing
Traditional publishing houses will do things on their timeline, which you will follow. That works for some people. Because the publishers are taking care of everything for you, you will have deadlines that you will need to meet. Then they will edit, format, and publish as they see fit. It’s kind of a hurry-up-and-wait-type situation.
If I’m going to hurry up and meet deadlines, I don’t want to spend another year waiting for it to come out to the public. Then again, I’m not a patient person. I have learned there is an aspect of patience that is beneficial, even when self-publishing. However, it helps me to know exactly what I’m waiting on and what is going on behind the scenes.
One more, as a bonus for you:
Motivation
You will need to know how you work best. Do you get stuff done with a looming deadline hanging over your head that someone else has placed there?
Maybe you are the type that is more self-directed and does something when you say you are going to do it.
Self-publishing does require you to be highly self-motivated, or the book will hang out in the writing process, or the editing process, or a million other places rather than being published and sitting on a bookshelf of readers all over.
Get It Done
No matter which route you choose to go, just get it published. You have this nudge happening saying you need to do it. Write the book. Get it published. Those nudges happen because someone, somewhere, needs your book.
It doesn’t matter the genre.
Consider the above factors and determine if you should self-publish or seek out a publisher. Once your choice is made, move forward!
You can always change your mind and go a different route with your second book. There is nowhere that says you have to make a choice and that is the end of your ability to choose.
The most important thing is to get it written and out in the world.
Now What?
If you choose the self-publishing route but don’t know where to start, you are welcome to schedule a free 15-minute call with me to go over what your next steps should be.
Your message is important and I want to help you in any way I can.
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