Self-publishing means publishing your work without having to deal with major and established publishing companies. The past decades have seen significant changes in technology making traditional publishing no longer the sole option for aspiring authors.
While traditional publishing companies rely on their established brand and literary standards, self-publishing companies offer many possibilities for young and aspiring authors. Here is a short list that we think is more than enough for you to consider publishing your work independently.
It’s all about artistic freedom
From the text, layout, book size, book cover, down to the choice of paper, you are your own master. Many times potential literary gems did not see publication because great publishing houses decided that these works are not worthy of publication. Mark Twain, Edgar Allan Poe, Margaret Atwood, and even Kurt Vonnegut turned to DIY-publishing at one point in their careers. Some like Herman Melville saw publication for his best-seller Moby Dick but had to finance the typesetting and plating for his timeless classic. While issues are mainly about the worthiness of their manuscripts, other discussions such as layouts, materials, format, marketing, and royalty shares are often the source of conflicts.
It’s a financially viable option
One great thing about indie-publishing is that it allows almost everyone with a great story to tell to actually print that narrative into multiple copies for the reading public. Authors who choose to self-publish need not worry about spending much for the start-up. Andy Weir’s The Martian was first published on his own website for free. He uploaded one chapter at a time before he decided to create an Amazon Kindle version due to numerous fan requests. But the publishing and marketing of your masterpiece need not be purely DIY. You can also tie-up with self-publishing companies to provide you with quality and affordable publishing and book marketing services. Lastly, independently publishing your own book gives you command over profit and royalty shares, a major issue with traditional publishing.
You are the master of your own time
A word that is often associated with self-publishing is freedom. With self-publishing, you can set the timeline for the printing, publishing, and marketing of your book. While traditional publishing usually takes more than a year to publish your book (along with the lengthy discussions with editors, agents, publishers), self-publishing allows you to have your book available in the market in no time. The sooner you can print your book, the sooner you can market it and immediately see how your brand is fairing in the market. Bypassing the traditional process in publishing your books gives you more time to market your brand, and perhaps even provide you the opportunity to start your next bestseller.
Conquer the market in your own terms
Speaking of marketing, self-publishing is a feasible option when you think of endless possibilities for you and your book. Because authors are not tied to most standards set by traditional publication, essentially independent authors are free to decide when, where and how to market their brand. Using the Internet, and other technological advancements, authors can engage in various platforms in order to reach the broadest and most number of target readers. While traditional forms such as print advertisements, radio, television, book fairs, and press release campaign still attract audiences, the publishing industry is fast evolving. The Internet, social media and frequently-visited sites such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Amazon, and Kindle Direct Publishing, online videos, blogs, and another online platform command a wide following and should be extensively and intensively be engaged. As for reviews you can tap third party book reviews or use the above platforms to gather reviews from reputable review sites such as Trustpilot Reviews and Google reviews.
Crossroads have never been this exciting
Because independently published authors are not beholden to traditional publication demands, they are free to take their brand to whatever direction. They can afford to pursue whatever engagement they deem most beneficial for their book as well as their career as authors. Self-publishing empowers authors and allows them to interact directly with their readers, give them more time to further market their brand and to explore other opportunities. Also, there are no post-publishing and marketing hassles as authors can choose to reprint as many copies as they wish or chose whatever platform they can engage to guarantee continued marketing.
Traditional publishing may lay down a number of arguments to dissuade future authors from self-publishing their works. Basically, they will raise the issue that self-publishing is tedious and that its authors don’t sell that many copies or seldom do their book land into bookstore shelves. Being in control of every step of publishing and marketing your narrative is priceless. Getting people to appreciate and eventually buy your book is never an easy task. However, publishing and marketing your book shouldn’t feel like an errand. Self-publishing can be fun, engaging, and at the very least an adventure, especially with the online publishing format and marketing platforms. As for prestige and getting mainstream attention, interesting stories and creative stuff that offer new perspectives and new possibilities usually capture the audience, and self-publishing is all about that.
ReadersMagnet is a self-publishing company that is committed to sharing stories with the world. With their past and recent achievements, ReadersMagnet has proven to be an effective publishing partner.
Contact ReadersMagnet Self-Publishing at their office number: (619) 354 2643 Toll Free Number: (800) 805 0762 Fax Number: (661) 338 1442 or email them at info@readersmagnet.com for more details.
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