You’ve done the hard work of writing and editing your book and now you’re ready for the next step—publishing! Publishing your book means making it available for the public to read and review. But now’s not the time to slack off.
Just like writing your book was hard, so is publishing it. That’s because you’ll have to make dozens of tiny decisions along the way. Here’s what you need to know to start on your path to publication:
Why Self-Publishing Is Awesome
Decades ago, if a writer wanted to publish a book, she had to submit it to agents and editors. She could only hope that they’d love her manuscript and deem it worthy of publication. If she couldn’t find anyone in publishing to take on her book, that was the end. Her dream was over unless she started working on a new book that would hopefully appeal to an editor.
Now with the invention of the internet and the rise of self-publishing technology, an author can publish her own work. That means even if you’ve been rejected by gatekeepers like traditional publishers, you can still get your work out there.
The best part is readers love indie authors who produce their own work. They love supporting an artist’s dream and getting to be part of your journey. If you keep at it, you can build a large community filled with readers who believe in your work.
Another perk of self-publishing is that you get to keep all of your own earnings. This may surprise you, but most traditional authors only make a few cents per book sold.
In order to sell books, publishers have to offer deep discounts to booksellers. After the discounts, the publishing house gets their cut of the author’s paycheck. This can be as much as 80% of the purchase price.
Then the author’s agent gets a cut of the remaining funds. A typical agent fee is 15% of the earnings. That means by the time the author is paid, they see about 5% of the profits.
Imagine what you could do if you saw 95% of your earnings. You could afford to quit your job and spend your days writing. You could focus on your marketing directly to the masses without worrying that a publisher is going to eat you for lunch.
Not only do you earn more when you self-publish, you also have total control over your book. Traditional authors often have to compromise when it comes to working with a publisher. This may mean they have to cut a beloved scene from their book or re-work the ending if an editor tells them it needs to be changed.
Authors also have very little control over their covers. Since covers can make or break the success of a book, this is a big deal. If a publishing house chooses a cover that’s ugly or doesn’t appeal to the target audience, the author is stuck with it. When that book doesn’t sell well, the author will be blamed, no matter how wonderful her prose is.
You don’t want that. You want to be free to make your own decisions. After all, you wrote your book, so you know it best. You know how to market it and how to weave a twist into your ending page that will shock and delight your fans. You know how to pick a cover that will make buyers drop everything to read your book.
If you approach it with the right attitude, self-publishing can be an awesome adventure. It can change your life and give you a deeper purpose.