Self-Publishing Primer: Part 6 – What are the pros and cons of self-publishing?
February 14, 2007 by Lillie
Table of contents for Self-Publishing Primer
- Self-Publishing Primer: Part I – Introduction
- Self-Publishing Primer: Part 2 – What is traditional publishing?
- Self-Publishing Primer: Part 3 – What is vanity publishing?
- Self-Publishing Primer: Part 4 – What is subsidy publishing?
- Self-Publishing Primer: Part 5 – What is self-publishing?
- Self-Publishing Primer: Part 6 – What are the pros and cons of self-publishing?
- Self-Publishing Primer: Part 7 – Who should self-publish?
- Self-Publishing Primer: Part 8 – How do I write my book?
- Self-Publishing Primer: Part 9 – How do I set up a self-publishing company?
- Self-Publishing Primer: Part 10 – What do I need to know about copyrights and ISBNs?
- Self-Publishing Primer: Part 11 – How much does self-publishing cost?
- Self-Publishing Primer: Part 12 – What do I need to do and when do I need to do it?
- Self-Publishing Primer: Part 13 – Do I need a Web site … and should I make my book available as an e-book?
- Self-Publishing Primer: Part 14 – How can I market and distribute my books?
You will find links to the other posts in the series at Self-Publishing Primer.
The pros and cons of self-publishing may seem self-evident from the description in the previous post. However, let’s break down the characteristics of self-publishing into benefits and disadvantages.
Advantages of self-publishing include:
- You, the author, are in complete control. Your book cannot be rejected or changed by a publisher who may not have the same vision for the book that you do.
- You can bring your book to market much faster than a commercial publisher would.
- You own all the rights to the book and all the books that are printed. You make all the profit.
- You set your own price and marketing strategies.
- You can take advantage of your personal platform, your niche market, your target audience that a publisher might not be able to reach. You can use your book to build your credibility as a professional, to promote other products, or to supplement a speaking career.
Disadvantages of self-publishing include:
- You must become a businessperson as well as a writer.
- You must pay all the costs of publishing and marketing.
- You must either learn how to do every task involved in publishing your book or find and hire competent people. Either way you will have to learn new skills and spend time on production and marketing in addition to writing your book.
- You must learn to treat your book as a product, not just as your creation, and to make decisions based on business and marketing considerations.
- Self-publishing lacks the prestige of commercial publishing, and you will find it challenging to get reviews and distribution in bookstores.
For other views of the pros and cons of self-publishing, read the following articles:
- Find a Publisher, Co-Publish or Self-Publish:Which One to Choose? by Mary Embree for Small Publishers, Artists & Writers Network (SPAWN)
- Pros and Cons of Self-Publishing from Gropen Associates, Inc.
Writers, Readers and Self-Publishing by Ambrose Musiyiwa of Blog Critics Magazine
Next, we’ll look at who should self-publish. Is self-publishing right for you and your book?
[tags]publishing, self-publishing, writing[/tags]
Wow. I have been looking to self publish for the longest. What I do is make a sales page, and then I just market my book from there. I find it way easier and a little more professional (especially if it is on a paid domain). But, marketing and publishing your own books is made easy with the internet. Lulu.com is a good place to publish your own books, etc.
sara,
A lot of people are very happy with Lulu. My You need to consider whether to use a Lulu ISBN or your own. I discuss ISBNs in more detail in another installment of this series.
The main issue with Lulu is that the price of the books ends up fairly high, but that’s the case with most POD publishers.
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