How many indie authors are sat that their desk today waiting to be discovered? I dare say there are many more than we would like to admit. A traditional publishing mindset puts the author at a huge disadvantage. They are waiting to be chosen. Believe me, I have been there. In fact, I still have several manuscripts for children’s books that reside in a file on my shelf earnestly hoping to be picked up and published one day. Each of them had interest from major publishers, and my hopes have often leapt with every show of interest, only to be disappointed again and again. It is time to choose yourself!
I can think of many more reasons than just five to make the decision to go ahead and self publish, but here are just [tweet_dis]five great reasons to throw caution to the wind and publish your book yourself.[/tweet_dis]
Reason number one – Creative Control
When you self publish, you retain control of your creative work. No one else is taking the rights to your books. They belong to you, and you can do with them what you wish, when you wish. You are not bound to some contract that shackles you to a certain process, the number of pages, and a lopsided royalty scheme.
No one will be telling you how your book should be written, or what title and cover it will have. You have complete control over every aspect of the publishing process and the creative content of your books.
I personally love this aspect of self publishing. As a creative I enjoy having the liberty to have an idea, and express it in whatever way I want, and then put it out there for the world to enjoy. You can too.
Reason number two – it is quick and easy
Indie publishing is incredibly easy and quick. The timelines for traditional publishers can be painfully slow. With self publishing I can get an idea on Monday, write the book on Tuesday Wednesday Thursday, and publish ready for the weekend on Friday. I know no other process that can so swiftly realize a creative notion.
The sheer speed with which ideas can become reality with self publishing also allows for testing to take place without massive commitment. We don’t commit to a print run of 10,000 copies. There is no fat invoice to pay. An idea can be tested to see if it will fly at no cost other than the time it takes to write the book. Depending on the kind of writing that you are doing, and especially if you work in genres or niches where short books are acceptable, this is an amazing benefit of self publishing.
Reason number three – it is cheap
There is no cost to self publishing a book. There are options for both digital and print, and both come at no cost upfront to yourself. There may be incidental costs such as paying for a book cover (of course, you could create your own at no extra cost), but essentially the whole process of indie publishing is free.
Oftentimes, the only tangible cost is your time.
Reason number four – You can make more money
Obviously, this is not always the case. There are many self publishers and indie authors who are making very little money. But there are also many who make more on the self publishing platform than they ever would through a traditional publisher. Even traditionally published authors are often flat broke. The reality is that the majority of publishing deals are struck to protect the publisher’s bottom line, not add the the author’s bottom line.
As a self published author, any money that you do make is your own, and the potential is astronomical.
The problem is that many self-publishers don’t want to put on a marketing hat. The fact is though, even if your book were published through traditional channels, the number-one proponent for your book’s exposure and sales will be you. Every author whether they like it or not must also be a marketer.
Thankfully, there are channels that have now opened to anyone who chooses to use them that make reaching your target readers easier than it has ever been before.
At one time sales channels were denied to ordinary mortals like you and I. If you did not have a publishing deal it was virtually impossible to reach any significant readership. Today, the landscape is completely different. Anyone can have their books in the biggest book selling marketplace on the planet. An global audience of multi-millions stands on your doorstep with their credit card in hand.
Social media has also made it incredibly easy to target very specific demographics (your readers!) and let them know about your awesome new book.
Reason number five – readers are reading differently than they used to
At one time the only way readers were consuming published books was off the shelf of the local bookstore. With the explosive growth of print on demand, and even more so digital e-readers, this has dramatically changed. Accessing new books, new authors and new genres has become incredibly easy for readers.
With one click a reader can dive into your book. This ease of discovery is amazing for indie authors like you and I. Not only can your idea become a published book in a matter of hours or days, but brand-new authors can quickly reach a readership that would previously have been way beyond their reach.
Your newly published book can sit there beside famous authors right there in the Amazon charts. No longer is self publishing frowned upon as the act of desperate artists, or vanity publishers. Indie publishing is actually the medium of choice for many authors. Even previously published traditional authors are making the decision to self publish because of the many benefits that it affords.
If you are stuck in a rut, waiting to be discovered. If you are desperately hoping that some publishing company will snap up your manuscript and offer you a contract, but all you receive are rejection slips, maybe it’s time to choose yourself. Indie publishing comes with its own unique challenges. I would be lying if I say it is a guaranteed winner for every author, but I can say with confidence that increasingly it is a wise choice, and one that offers tremendous benefits over traditional channels.
Check out posts showing how to set up an Amazon Kindle account, and publish your first book there. Maybe the time has come for you to go for it. You have much to gain and nothing to lose!
