Are you writing a book? Will the book be self-published or traditionally published? Or have you even thought about that?
Yes, there is a difference in each of these publishing ways. A BIG difference.
If you think one is easier than the other, you might be correct, but I prefer self-publishing myself. Why? I have my five reasons.
1. I have complete control.
I have complete control of what happens to my book. I can pick the editor. I can pick the cover — even design it if I am so entitled.
I can format the book the way I want. Of course, it needs to meet the guidelines of wherever I plan to sell it.
Speaking of which, I can publish it wherever I want. I can put it on Amazon’s KDP Select if I want to use their Kindle Unlimited program and make it exclusive to them. That means I can’t publish my book anywhere else.
I can publish it on KDP only so I can publish it elsewhere, like Nook Press, Kobo, and/or Smashwords.
2. I can pick the cover.
I can design the cover of my self-published book. I like to think I have a good eye when it comes to a cover.
After all, for the cover of my first self-published book, I described what I thought I wanted, and my book designer, Steph’s Cover Designs, did exactly as I asked.
Now I have no say when it comes to traditional publishing. The publisher dictates how the cover will be done because they know what sells a book.
3. I pick the editor.
I pick the editor of my self-published book. If I want to spend the money for an editor, I can go as cheap or as expensive as I want.
Some authors use English teachers, friends, family, or even beta readers as their editors. Others, like myself, find an editor with a decent rate.
I am on my second editor, and she does a good job with a fairly decent rate for her service. I would recommend Samantha LaFantasie for anyone who wants that in an editor. I know she will only edit certain types of fiction so you will have to see if she will edit for you.
Yet other authors will pay $500 or more for an editor. I can’t afford to do that, not when I haven’t sold that many books yet. You have to take that into consideration when paying for your own services.
4. I pick the price.
I can set the price of my self-published book as high or low or even free if I want. Amazon will take a percentage for themselves, but the rest of the money is mine.
And the best part? I don’t have to share it with a publisher or make ten percent or less off of a book that I spent so much of my time writing.
5. I can choose how to market my book.
I can market my self-published book as much or as little as I want. Sometimes the publisher will help you with the marketing and other times they won’t. Why publish a book the traditional way and still have to market it yourself?
If I still have to market my own book, I would rather not publish the traditional way. If I am using a publisher, shouldn’t that be their job, too?
However, marketing a book yourself isn’t as easy as it looks. One thing I advise is not to spend several hours a day marketing your book.
I remember reading a comment from a fellow author, Russell Blake, “Spend 75% writing and 25% marketing.” How true is that.
I have learned the more books you publish the more you will get noticed and sell. So, while marketing your book is important, continuing to write is as just as important. You will never stop marketing as long as you are writing books.
Final thoughts
What do you think of self-publishing? Will you do this for your book? As much as I would like to see my name with one of the big Top Five publishers, self-publishing will be the way I will always go with my books.
Now if one of those Top Five publishers happened to notice one of my books and decided to sign me, I might have to eat my words, but it hasn’t happened yet. And who knows if and when it will.