You may have noticed the growing number of interviews with Authors on this website. Most of them are Indie Authors. The term Indie stands for Independent, which is another way of saying, Self-Published Author.
One or two of these Authors write novels (fiction) but most of them write non-fiction books on healing, self-help, spirituality, mindset or business strategy. Most of the Authors I follow and interview write to get their message out to the world.
This article was sponsored by Sam Haskell, Author of Promises I made my Mother. Sponsored posts are one of the ways I make money blogging. All opinions are my own.
Now… let’s get into the nuts and bolts of self-publishing.
What is Self-Publishing?
When you choose to self-publish a book rather than approach a traditional publisher, you are in charge of the entire process from start to finish (as well as the costs).
So you are responsible for:
- editing
- proofreading
- formatting
- cover design
- submitting to a platform
- PR
- marketing
- sales
- printing
Of course, you can hire someone to help with any of these steps and more and more specialist companies are popping up nowadays to teach, help, or guide you through the self-publishing process.
Self-publishing doesn’t always pertain to books. It could also mean music or art or film, though the term is used more frequently to refer to writing than in it is to any other creative art form.
Why Self-Publish?
There’s been a huge shift to self-publishing in recent years, mainly because giants like Amazon, Kobo, Apple Books and Barnes & Noble have made it so easy.
At the stroke of a button, you can upload your book in written or audio format and sell it directly to your customers via their online platforms.
There are three primary benefits of self-publishing.
1. Creative Control
Because you are in charge of the entire process, you also have full creative control. You own the rights to your book and you call all the shots.
You choose the look and feel of your book, you choose how you will promote it. No-one is cracking the whip, but you.
This can be a pro or a con. If you make bad decisions, it’s also on your head. A traditional publisher is an expert in this field and may be able to guide you to make better choices than you would yourself.
And if you’re not self-motivated and disciplined your book may never get written or published.
2. Speed
The traditional publishing process can be very slow. Getting a traditional publisher to consider your work and agree to publish it, can be a lengthy process in itself.
Most bestselling authors have had to face rejection from a number of publishers before they finally found a publisher who would work with them.
Having said that, once you have a reputable publisher on your side, you’re likely to sell more books. Sadly, 90% of self-published books sell less than 100 copies.
3. Income Potential
Most traditional publishers offer royalties of around 10-13% because, of course, they are covering all the expenses.
When you self-publish, most platforms pay between 35 to 70% royalties.
There are definitely pros and cons on both sides but I suspect that most entrepreneurs, will choose to self-publish rather than approach a traditional publisher for a couple of reasons.
One, because entrepreneurs generally like to maintain control of their business.
And two, because many entrepreneurs are publishing books simply to become an authority, to gain credibility, make a difference in the world or leave a legacy.
Self-published authors can sell their books directly from their own websites or, if they are public speakers, from the back of the room. They can add books as additional resources for their online courses or webinars. They can sell it on their YouTube Channel and their Facebook page or via their email list. Writing a book is a fabulous way to extend your reach.
And this is why their income potential as a self-published author is limitless.
Over to You
Would you consider self-publishing a book? If so, why would you choose to self-publish rather than go the traditional route? What will your book be about? Would love to hear your comments below.
