Is Self-Publishing For You? (Ask the Author Post 2)

I can’t tell you whether self-publishing is right for YOU- but I can tell you why I chose it for my books. The world of publishing is changing.  Years ago, self-publishing was less accessible and many (like myself) assumed that the only legitimate way to get books into the hands of readers was to use a traditional publishing company.

But today, self-publishing is becoming much more mainstream which puts the power of publishing into YOUR hands.

To be honest, I initially wanted to try to submit both of my books to a publisher.  I believed that anything less than a book contract with a publisher would meant that I had failed and wasn’t a valid writer.  There are certainly advantages to using a traditional publisher, but here are the pros that led me to self-publish:

1. You have more control over your writing process/book price.  I think I have a teensy little problem with my desire for control.  But when it comes to writing, there are some benefits to having control over your work.  When you sign a book contract with a traditional publisher, you effectively lose some of your say in how the book turns out.  This isn’t all bad, as the plus side to your decreased control is an editor and extra eyes on your work to make it better.  However, everything from your book title to the book price is no longer in your hands.  With self-publishing, you have the final say in design and content. (For better or worse!)

Being able to set an accessible price was important to me.  With self-publishing, you essentially set your own price.  Createspace (which is merging now with Amazon KDP) tells you what it will cost to print your book (for me its $2.36 for How to Be a Moon.) Createspace also takes a cut of the profit when I sell on Amazon.  When I set my book online for $10, I make $3.36/book (10 minus production cost and amazon’s cut.) This might not sound like much, but when you publish traditionally, the publisher and often an agent gets a cut of the profit as well.

With my first two books, I decided I’d rather offer my book at a rate that I’m comfortable with, and have the convenience of a major online distributor. (Amazon)

2. Your Book Is Always Available (And Prints On Demand!): When you publish with a traditional publisher, your book is in their hands.  If the publishing company closes, or if they eventually stop printing your book (or it gets backlisted), you may have a hard time getting copies for yourself to sell at events, etc.  When you self-publish, you still run the risk of your publishing platform changing.  (This is currently happening to me since I used Createspace and they are merging with Amazon KDP.  But thankfully, I’ll be able to switch fairly seamlessly.)  With self-publishing, my book availability is mostly up to me.

The other thing I LOVE about self-publishing through Amazon is that they literally print my books on demand. This means that when you order a copy of my book on Amazon, they print your single copy and ship it to you.  Translation: I don’t have to pay up front costs for thousands of books and try to find space to store them until people buy them.

Yes I do make more money selling my books offline.  If I DO want to order my own books to sell at speaker events, fairs, etc., I will always only pay production cost ($2.36) plus shipping.  I can keep only what I need on hand.  (A definite win for this Mom who is sick and tired of all the clutter in the house!!)

3. You can print your book when YOU are ready. Let me take a step back here and explain part of the publishing process.  These days, most traditional publishers aren’t looking for authors to submit a book manuscript directly to their company.  Instead, you have to first find an agent.  In order to find an agent, usually you submit a BOOK PROPOSAL, which the agent will accept or decline.  The book might be declined because it isn’t a fit for the agency, they have a problem with the writing itself, or often because the author doesn’t have a “marketable platform.”  (I am in that category, as I don’t have a massive online following or a lead a large organization or have some kind of celebrity status that would help my books sell.)  So finding an agent can be a process.

Once you find an agent that accepts your manuscript, the agent still has to submit your work to various publishers to get an actual contract.  Once you have a contract, the book still won’t be published for many months.

What am I saying?  I decided with both of my books that, given my small platform and relatively new attempt at publishing, I would be able to get my book published on my preferred timeline and without the lengthy hoops by self-publishing.  I didn’t feel that I was compromising because all of my self-publishing experience is valuable, and may one day allow me to grow my following, practice self-marketing, and possibly submit writing for publication in the future. IF nothing else, it will help me get even better at self-publishing for next time!

Note: Don’t allow fear of rejection to keep you from submitting your work to an agent or publisher!! People without previous experience and with little platform are certainly being published.  But at the same time, don’t be afraid that self-publishing is “second best” if it’s what you really want to do!!

4. Cost of Self-Publishing: You might be surprised to know that I only spent $100 on each of my books to publish.  That is the price I paid for a universal ISBN number that would allow me the most flexibility to sell my book across multiple platforms.  With each book, I was able to earn back more than I paid for the book, and for a new author I think it’s safe to call that a personal achievement.  There are many “self-publishing” companies who will charge you $1000 or more to help format, set up, and possibly market your book.  I don’t recommend using those companies unless 1) You are aware and comfortable with the idea that you may never see a return on that money.  2) You fully understand what they are offering and whether you could create something comparable on your own.

The truth is, you can spend a lot more than I did trying to purchase a cover design, professional editing, and more.  I was fortunate that my husband created the art for my first book and for my second book my cousin and his wife allowed me to use a photo from their art gallery (Waters Art Studio) for free.  My husband helped me format the cover on photoshop and…TA DA!!…I didn’t have to pay for expensive help.

However, even if you don’t have artistic cousins or spouses in your back pocket, you can create a low-cost cover using such websites as Fiverr .  And instead of using professional editors, I asked about 7 or so friends (two with degrees in English, a couple who gave great overall advice about the book and grammar, and another one or two to help me know if I was engaging my target audience.)  I’ll talk more about marketing in a future post, but that’s also something you can create a team of friends/relatives/writer connections/etc to help you with at no or low cost!

Unfortunately, since I haven’t used a traditional publisher, I can’t speak to the pros of traditional publishing from first hand experience.  But minimally, the best parts of traditional publishing are that you have a built in team (editor, agent, etc) to help in the structure and promotion of the book.  You have built in accountability and deadlines to keep you on task, and you have a wider market typically because the publisher will be promoting you in their circles and website as well.  (HOWEVER, even with traditional publishing, you are still expected to pull your share of marketing, often setting up your own book events and marketing to your email list, social media, etc.)  ALSO, with traditional publishing you sometimes get an advance, or a payment up front before the books are sold, though this would vary with your contract.

There are certainly pros and cons to both.  My best advice to you is to think through exactly what you want, and then prepare fully for that option…but also be flexible.  Either option will require a LOT of work and dedication.  Don’t be fooled into thinking that one way will be problem free!  IF you DO choose to self-publish, I still recommend creating a “book proposal” JUST FOR YOURSELF as it will help you clarify your audience, your message, and your promotion plan.

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