Just like with traditional publishing, self-publishing also has some good and some bad sides. First-time writers usually have the issue of choosing between the two options, and many are clueless about what is the better option. Even though many writers stay away from self-publishing, it can be a great way for you to build a writing career. However, there are also some disadvantages that have to be taken into consideration.
Absolute Creative Control Over Your Work
Every writer is also an artist, who is expressing his/her ideas through a literary form. As such, any writer needs to have a say in what happens to his/her work of art. Unlike traditional publishing that limits the control that the writer has over the book, self-publishing gives you complete control over it. You get to decide what goes on the cover, the font of the letter, as well as the distribution of the book in different markets.
Better Royalty Rates
Depending on the book’s success a writer can earn a significant amount of money. However, with the traditional way of publishing things are not always looking good for the writer. Although it varies from contract to contract, a writer is usually left with only 10% of the overall earnings that the book has made. This has led many writers to leave traditional publishing, and turn to self-publishing which enables them to keep almost 100% of their book’s profit.
Pick Your Own Publishing Team
A serious writer will also need to dedicate a sufficient amount of time in the steps that come after the book is written. That means that the book needs to go through the process of editing and some marketing wouldn’t hurt. When you opt for self-publishing you also get to choose the best people for this job. A writer has no say in picking out the right people for this job in traditional publishing because they are usually the people working for that publishing company.
Stress-Free Environment
Deadlines can cause writer’s block due to a huge amount of stress that is put on the writer to finish on time. Self-publishing gives you the power over the publishing as well as the timeline of your creative writing. The only deadline that is set is the one that the writer had in mind.
Downsides
But not everything is peachy when it comes to self-publishing. Firstly, the writer is the main source of financial support over the project, which means that he/she can lose a great deal of money if the book doesn’t go well on the market. Moreover, the publishing team has to include professionals with a good reputation that will not harm the book’s sales. So, it will cost more money to hire experienced individuals. Furthermore, publishing companies have a well-established marketing plan for every book, so in a way, they guarantee that your book will find its way to an audience. With self-publishing writers are left to fend for themselves and try to promote the book the best way they can. And lastly, among many readers, there is still an opinion that self-published books are of lower quality. So, even if your reasons for self-publishing were different, traditionally published books are still regarded as more worth-reading.
