The main
challenge for today's writer is getting their book noticed by a publisher.
There are several good writers in the field looking for book deals. I was
one of those writers trying to get my book published and like so many
others after receiving rejection letters, I decided to learn about the
world of self-publishing.
Self-publishing can be rewarding in order to become a self-published
author you have to have motivation and the will to succeed. How do you
decide if you should self-publish your book or not? Ask yourself the
following questions:
1) Can you be a businessperson as well as a writer? Writing is a
quiet occupation, while business demands proficient communication skills.
2) Are you motivated enough? You will need to see your book through
from beginning to end, and this can be a lengthy process.
3) Are you willing to take a risk? You can't be afraid to take the
plunge, you have to believe in yourself!
Tracy Lyn Moland, the self-published author of
Mom Management
Managing
Mom Before Everybody else, states that when she started to write her book,
she didn't realize self-publishing was even an option. Tracy Lyn
discovered that a well-defined business and marketing plan had to be put
into place. There were also different considerations to be made such as
learning what market to target your book to, who to hire to design your
book cover, layout and editing and how to get the book into bookstores and
online. Tracy's favorite part of self-publishing has been the control she
was able to maintain over her book.
As a self-publisher you need to be aware of your personal marketing
abilities, in order to get your book sold, you have to get out there and
sell it. The advantages of publishing your own book can be plentiful.
By choosing to self-publish, you only have yourself to convince. You have
the enthusiasm for a book that you have written, and you know that there
is a market available for it. You don't have to give anyone else the final
say of what you put in your book, how it is to be marketed or any thing
else. You have complete and total control when you self-publish. Once you
have successfully self-published your book you can always negotiate with a
large publisher to produce your book since you have experience in the
market.
Your book can be printed in just a few weeks instead of waiting for a
large publisher, which usually takes over a year to print and get into
bookstores. By that time you could be on your second printing. You can
also get distribution for your book through
and Barnes & Noble.com
just as easily as any
larger publisher can.
You have complete control over your project, right down to the design,
without having to deal with a third party. As the sole owner of your
material your have complete rights and can set your own price with all
profits coming to you. If a large publishing house publishes your book you
may only see 5%-15% of your book profits.
Large publishing houses take months to publish material while you can have
the process completed in a significantly shorter amount of time. Also,
there is not always an interest from large publishing houses in special
interest projects you may have written about, such as local history, how
to books, or books that appeal to the general public.
Some of the disadvantages in publishing your own book are that you may not
see results right away. You are an unknown author and you have to market
and sell yourself and your product. Even if you have written an excellent
book you need to find ways to get noticed.
Also, there are costs involved. Initially, you will need money to have
your books printed from an independent printer. This can cost anywhere
from $1-10 per book depending on how many books you have printed, the
number of pages, etc. You also need to learn how you would like your book
set up. Is it going to be soft cover or hardcover, there are different
bindings and other options that will be asked by a printer when you decide
to publish a book. There are also costs involved in shipping your books to
bookstores and marketing your book.
You will also learn that everyone has an opinion and not all will like
what you write no matter if you have self-published your book or a large
publisher has decided to add you as one of their writers.
Ellen Parlapiano one of the authors of
Momprenuers Online
(published by a larger publishing company) states there are advantages and
disadvantages of working with a publisher. "Our books have opened many
doors for us...and we always say that although you don't get a lot of
money writing books, you do boost your income in other ways. We have done
corporate consulting, professional speaking, and spokesperson work for
companies--all based on the buzz we have built for our books and
ourselves. Simply writing and publishing the book is not enough--you must
establish yourself as an expert in your field!"
There is a lot to learn when deciding to self-publish a book. Find out all
you can about publishing your own book before deciding to take the plunge.
While self-publishing can be rewarding it also is very challenging and you
may need more time to market and sell your books which in turn leaves less
time for writing. In the long run self-publishing has been very rewarding
and profitable for my books. From the beginning point of writing the book
to designing the cover, it's well-worth it in the end when you see the
final result.
