The Benefits of Self-Publishing

The Benefits Of Self-Publishing Your Book

By Charles Bailey

Do you want to publish your very own book?

You have spent hours creating your plot and have all your character profiles.  

You have spent days looking at background information and months or years writing your novel.  

And you’ve spent a lifetime dreaming of the day you could pick up a bound copy of your own creative dream.

But with the ability to secure a book deal through traditional means becoming harder and harder, and hybrid-publishinghasn’t worked, what’s next for your dream?The answer is simple - self-publishing.  

This might cause you to wonder what the benefits of self-publishing your manuscript are.  

So we’ve gone and figured it all out for you. If you’re dreaming of becoming a published author but struggling to find a way forward via traditional publishing, here’s why self-publishing is right for you.

#1 - The Creative Control

The first and potentially the most important benefit of self-publishing is the control. Throughout this process, you will retain all of the creative control. 

There are 4 stages that generally make up the publishing process and they are writing, editing, design, and printing. 

When you self-publish, you can choose if you want to hire a professional to help you with these stages. Regardless of what you decide, you will be working for yourself and will not have to answer to anyone else. 

This is an important consideration for those with highly creative book goals. Cake-maker Pearl, from Pearl's Creations, reinforces this and says“as a cake maker I have a creative vision for a cookbook that has been in the back of my mind for a long time. However, I would not feel comfortable compromising on this vision just to say I was published. Instead, I’ve researched the self-publishing route as a way to write the cookbook of my dreams, without giving up control.”

#2 - The Financial Rewards

You have done all the hard work, so why should someone else be paid for it? 

With self-publishing, every cent that the book makes will go directly to you which is not the case with traditional publishing. You can then use this hard-earned money to get more advertising and make sure your book is out there for everyone to see. 

It’s a myth that marketing has to be expensive, with the marketing experts from Search It Localexplaining “marketing has become extremely accessible for entrepreneurs with many options available for those looking to publish. Consider starting a free website on Wix or similar, boost Facebook Ads for a minor fee, or even try your hand at guerilla marketing to drum up interest in your self-published book prior to launch. There are endless free or cheap options for marketing your new book.”

#3 - Pricing Control

With self-publishing, you get to decide how much your book will cost. Of course, if you are selling your book for a dollar, it will generally take forever to break even on the original costs. However, you will make more friends this way and the lower costs will increase the potential readership. 

On the other hand, if you charge $100 for a 100-page novella, there are few people who are going to purchase the book. You need to choose a sensible price for the book. This is possible because you have complete financial control and you could even give discounts. 

#4 - The Networking Opportunities

You will go through several stages in the production of your book. Along the way, you will be discussing the book with other people, researching your marketing channels and considering the press release for the book. Whatever happens in your publishing journey, they are all opportunities for you to network with people in the same situation or who can help you. 

#5 - The Self-Publishing Guarantee

When you work with a larger publishing house, they are going to be selective. They only choose to publish books they are sure will make them a lot of money. Generally, they will be looking for successful authors who are guaranteed to sell.  

Self-publishing your book will offer you a different type of guarantee. If you want to publish your work, you can. There will be no editors or publishers who say that you cannot or will not want to take on a new author.  

#6 - Publishing Later Works

There are very few retailers who are willing to stock a single book self-published author. If you are able to afford self-publishing a few books, you can use them to strengthen your reputation as an author. 

This will open avenues in the future with some of the traditional publishing houses being more willing to take on your next book. As the previous books you have are self-published, you can edit them and re-release them with the publishing house. 

At The End of the Day - This Is Your Book

Self-publishing allows you to do all the work for your book. You have gone from the first exciting idea for the plot to getthe first copy of your book delivered to you. According life coach Eiran Trethowan,this feeling of satisfaction can inspire you to go on and repeat the success with another book. She explains “in self publishing, youhave put in the effort and the book is completely your creation. You need to be proud of this and treasure your masterpiece while getting it out for everyone to read. Psychologically this can trigger a desire to recapture the same feeling, and actually help motivate you to achieve even more.”

There are a lot of successful self-published authors who continue to grow.  

Whether you want the fame and fortune of being an author or just want to share your work with the world, self-publishing is a provenoption.  

Don’t let your hard work end up in the recycling bin or gathering dust, take your destiny in your own hands, and become a self-published author.

AUTHOR BIO:

Charles Bailey is a freelance writer and university student based in Sydney. Majoring in Computer Science and Technology, Charles is also fond of fishing. When not at his desk creating content, he is outdoors soaking up the sunlight or going fishing with friends. 

MORE ABOUT THE BLOGGER

 Howard-Johnson is the multi award-wining author of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. She is also a marketing consultant, editor, and author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers including the award-winning second editions of The Frugal Book Promoter and The Frugal Editor. Her latest is in the series is How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically. Learn more on her Amazon profile page, http://bit.ly/CarolynsAmznProfile. Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers is one of her booklets--perfect for inexpensive gift giving--and, another booklet, The Great First Impression Book Proposal helps writers who want to be traditionally published. She has three FRUGAL books for retailers including one she encourages authors to read because it will help them convince retailers to host their workshops, presentations, and signings. It is A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques (http://bit.ly/RetailersGuide). In addition to this blog, she helps writers extend the exposure of their favorite reviews at TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com. She also blogs at all things editing--grammar, formatting and more--at The Frugal, Smart, and Tuned-In Editor (http://TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com)