Self-publishing is the process of publishing your own book using your own skills and resources. With advancements in technology and public accessibility to printers, designers, and editors, self-publishing has grown in popularity over the years. As a matter of fact, I’d go as far as to say it’s bigger now than ever before. But before you commit to DIY-ing your first book, there are some things you should know. In this blog, you’ll discover the pros and cons of self-publishing so you can make the best decision for you and your story.
Pros and Cons of Self-Publishing
The Pros of Self-Publishing
If you’re considering writing your own book, but you first want to look into all the pros and cons of self-publishing, here’s what you can look forward to.
You maintain all creative control. One of the hesitations writers have when they think of approaching a traditional publisher is the thought that, once they sell the story to the publisher, the publishing company could make changes the writer doesn’t like.
But with self-publishing, you maintain all creative control. No change is finalised without your seal of approval.
You keep 100% of the rights. Many writers don’t realise that some traditional publishers require authors to sell the rights to their stories. In other words, the publisher may own your story.
This might not seem like a big deal, but it can have some inconvenient consequences. For example, if you want to share your story with an audience, whether live or virtual, you’ll need to get the publisher's permission (yes, even though YOU wrote the story).
Another example is if you decide you’d like to re-release the story in a different language or edition, your publisher will first have to approve.
With self-publishing, you keep 100% of the rights to your book, meaning you don’t need anyone’s permission to reproduce, share, or distribute the story.
You keep ALL the profits. When you publish with a traditional publisher, the publisher will take a cut of the profits. The size of that cut depends largely on the company and their policies.
In my experience, the publisher usually takes the majority of the profits from book sales and offers a small royalty to the author. With self-publishing, you keep every dime.
The story is YOURS (and yours alone). Even if you publish with a traditional publishing company, your name will go on the front cover. That’s a given. But if you decide to self-publish (especially after consulting this pros and cons of self-publishing breakdown), you can revel in the pride that comes from publishing your own book all on your own.
That being said, publishing your own book can be quite taxing on your time, energy, and finances, which brings us to the cons of self-publishing.
The Cons of Self-Publishing
You’re halfway through this pros and cons of self-publishing article (or if you’re like me, maybe you skipped to this section right away), and right now self-publishing may seem like a dream come true. While it is a great option, it isn’t a flawless process. Here are the cons of self-publishing.
You must keep everything organized. When you self-publish, you’ll be assembling your own team of book-creation specialists to get your name in print. But you’ll also be the point person for all of these contacts.
If you decide to self-publish your book, you need to keep everything organized: records, contacts, next steps, and more.
For some people it’s too much pressure, whereas my fellow colour-coders out there are already itching to get started.
All the responsibility is on your shoulders. As the point person and project manager for the book, every decision is yours. You must decide when the story is finished with editing, what kind of illustrations to include, and how you’ll print the book once it’s ready.
You’ll also be responsible for giving your final seal of approval on the manuscript, illustrations, design, printing, and distribution.
So if anything goes AWOL, it comes back to you.
You front all the costs. In the same way, all the costs will come back to you. Since you won’t have a traditional company fronting the costs, you’ll have to pay out of pocket for all the required services.
And if you don’t do your research, these costs could sneak up on you. Here’s a basic list of different expenses you may encounter when self-publishing:
Hiring an editor
Getting illustrations
Contracting a book designer
Printing your book
Starting and designing a website
Opening a business
Royalties to bookstores that carry your book
Shipping costs for online buyers
Etc…
But rest assured — you CAN make these investments back, which brings us to the final point.
Marketing is up to you. At the end of the day, the only way to make back your self-publishing investment is to sell lots of your books. And the only way to sell lots of your books is to spread the word.
Lots of first-timers tell me this is the most daunting part of becoming an author, and I don’t blame them. It can feel scary to put yourself out there. Actually, I wrote a blog all about it HERE.
But there’s something the traditional publishers don’t want you to know…
Even if you traditionally publish your book, the marketing will still be (mostly) up to you.
Lots of writers think that once they get a traditional publishing deal, they can kick back and let the cash roll in. Unfortunately, this simply isn’t the case. No matter how you publish, it’s up to you to market your book and cultivate sales.
How to Choose: Self-Publishing or Traditional Publishing?
Now that you’ve gone through all the pros and cons of self-publishing, I want to help you make an informed decision.
If you’re an action-taking go-getter who is organized, willing to take a little risk for a big reward, and looks at the big picture, self-publishing is the option for you.
If you prefer to take a back seat, focus on just the writing, and preserve short-term cash, traditional is the way to go.
But what if neither of those options sound all that enticing? Then you just might need to partner with a hybrid publisher. You can read more about that HERE.
And there you have it! Now you know all the biggest pros and cons of self-publishing and can make an educated choice that’s best for your story. I believe in you!