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Nothing is more empowering and liberating than having the chance to publish your book and watch it become a bestseller. Whether you want to cover an industrial niche, give your imagination a platform to grow, or get the opportunity to share your story with the world, you should look into self-publishing. In this age of digitization, posting your book online and gaining a steady audience has become more accessible. Gone are the days when you would need to hunt down an agent and convince them to give your literacy piece a chance.
Now, you’re one type away from becoming the next trending author in town. But before you can gear up and launch your book online, you should learn what’s in store for you. This will help you prepare better and contact the right avenue to promote your book. Ready to know more about self-publishing? Here’s what you need to know:
Why Should You Self-Publish?
As the world develops and new concepts enter the horizon, the general population needs information to keep up with these rapid changes. The only way they can do this is by reading. There is no limit to what you can post online. You can delve into the business world, discuss entrepreneurs or even write self-help books for those trying to find some semblance of stability. The global digital publishing market is on the rise. Since 2021, there has been a marked increase of 14.4% in its growth, making it a $41.53 billion industry in 2022.
Moreover, Statista predicts there will be more than 1 billion e-readers by 2023, making this venture fruitful. Given these facts, you should have no trouble locating the best book printing facility and get your work out for the world to enjoy. But if you still feel hesitant in choosing self-publishing over traditional methods, choose to pay attention to these factors:
- The Process Is Fast. Self-publishing is a book that takes about a few weeks or, at most, some months before it hits the market. You can immediately hear back from your agent on the status of your book.
- Greater Control. When you choose to self-publish, you become your literary piece’s jury, judge, and executioner. You ultimately control the layout, format, design, and cover page. Self-publishing is also a great way to save money. Platforms like social media have made it easier to market your book for a minimal cost and connect you to a broader audience rapidly. You can also secure royalties ranging from 30% to 70% since you’re handling the publishing aspect of your work.
- Minimal Cost. Self-publishing doesn’t have to be a financially crippling journey. Depending on how much you invest in your book, you can spend anywhere from $500 to $2000 selling your work. You can save high costs if you handle every aspect of your book and only send it for proofreading. You’re also at liberty to freelance the artwork and get a good cover design that doesn’t cost you more than you can afford. Companies like Apple, Amazon, and kindle also make it possible to copy and share your book for no cost. You no longer print on demand and can link your book to anyone.
- Greater Freedom To Test Your Skills. If you’re a new writer on the block, it’s natural to feel hesitant about your skills. You may be worried your book may need to be better to generate enough readers or your piece needs further polishing to stand out from the crowd. This is what makes self-publishing a unique experience. You’re at complete liberty to test the waters and get a clear-cut idea of your book’s popularity and where it needs improving. If new information enters the picture, you can easily add it to your text without the need to rewrite the entire manuscript. Self-publishing removes the element of failure from your equation. You get more freedom to experiment, retry and publish until you’re happy with the final piece.
- Streamlined Promotion. Part of launching a book is to promote it. You need to excite the product enough to get people talking about it. Digitization has also made this step much more straightforward. You can create a website for your book, set up a public profile, and use techniques like posting excerpts of it on tik tok, hashtagging it on Instagram, or using catchy images to advertise it publicly. Sponsored ads and algorithms also catalyze the process of promotion. You end up connecting with relevant readers and appearing on their timelines anytime they go online, saving you the trouble of purchasing extra ads.
The Downside Of Traditional Publishing
For the longest time, most writers depended on traditional publishing to become authors. This is because before digitization became the norm, publishing through agents and renowned companies was the only way for an author to earn a name. But this came at a high cost. Traditional publishing is a complex process to stomach. As an author, you know that writing a book takes time, with some literary work consuming more than half of your life. Once you’re done with your book, you must start the agonizing stage of contacting different publishing houses and agents, only to be met with a fancy rejection letter. More than 90% of authors face rejection on their first try.
There are many reasons why this happens. Perhaps the chief editor didn’t like your format, wasn’t happy with the story, or didn’t think your work was relevant to the current era. Even if your book has something noteworthy, getting a chief editor to look at your hard work approvingly is no easy feat. Unlike self-publishing, there is immense mental gymnastics involved in traditional publishing. Some companies require you to email them, while others ask you to mail the entire manuscript. After which, you have to wait to hear back from the relevant agencies, which can take up to several years. But suppose your book does get approved. That doesn’t mean it’s sent to publishing. You will need to edit, change and shape your content according to the editor’s wishes.
In some cases, it may change the entire purpose of your book. There are also considerable costs behind the scenes in preparing a book for its big reveal. While most companies don’t charge you for printing, you may need to pay hidden costs involved in giving your book structure. It’s also hard to make a profit from the first book that is traditionally published. You get minimal say on what your book should be priced, what your publisher will charge, and what benchmark you need to achieve, to continue getting represented.
As a result, you may need help selling a hundred copies and may earn as low as 15% royalties. So, why would you put yourself through that torture if you are willing to put up with the pain, stress, and financial losses involved with traditional publishing?
What Are The Steps Involved In Self Publishing?
In a nutshell, self-publishing is a steady process that requires a few hours. The only time you may need to sit for an extended period is writing the actual book, after which you’re one click away from going online. In general, this is what’s involved in self-publishing a book:
- Pick The Right Title For Your Book
- Hire A Good Book Editor
- Finalize The Manuscript
- Design The Cover
- Decide How You Want To Self Publish
- Format According To The Platform
- Plan A Marketing Campaign
- Price Your Book
- Celebrate
While this is a condensed version of what it takes to get your book out there (you might, for example, still want to seek feedback from online writing groups like the community at Scribophile before you go ahead and publish), it is still much smoother than traditional publishing, with minimal roadblocks and hurdles.
Final Thoughts
Who doesn’t want a chance to share their thoughts and views with the world in a highly sophisticated environment? If you’ve always dreamed of being a writer and want to inspire your audience or reply with your industrial knowledge, you will have a swell time authoring a piece. Digitization has made publishing a faster process. Instead of depending on outdated methods like traditional publishing, you can post your book online with minimal qualms. This saves you money, allows you the freedom to express your creativity, and doesn’t ask you to compromise on the purpose of your book. So, if you’re eager to get your name out there and soon shape yourself into a best-selling author, start self-publishing today!
