Publishing a book is a noble dream for many people. Whether one reads Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird or J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, everyone who takes interest in reading has most probably, at least once, dreamed of writing and publishing their own book someday. Self-publishing makes such dream within arm’s reach for these book enthusiasts.
Traditionally, the publication is done by an established publisher who basically does all the work for the author. From designing the layout of the book to marketing it, the publisher does everything for the author to improve the salability of their book. In turn, the publisher gets a percentage of the profit.
The traditional type of publication, however, serves as a gatekeeper that limits many books from getting published. The reason for this is that esteemed publication companies tend to handpick the books they are going to publish. They usually only go for books or authors that are already expected to generate profit.
Today, more and more authors have already broken away from such gatekeeping through self-publishing. Instead of relying entirely on publication companies that take away a percentage of their sales, authors now opt to publish their books by themselves. This makes the publication process more personalized and favorable to the author’s pocket.
To be clear, self-publishing is not a new thing. Martin Luther, who is famous for the Ninety-five Theses he nailed on the door of the Wittenburg Church, self-published many of the controversial books he wrote against the Catholic Church. Other well-known authors from the past including Walt Whitman of Leaves of Grass, Jane Austen of Pride and Prejudice, and Emily Dickinson of My Life Had Stood a Loaded Gun also self-published some of their globally-acclaimed works.
Publishing your own book, of course, involves some risks especially for budding authors. To begin with, publishing requires the author to shell some money out, making them more eager to make their book sell. In order for books to attract buyers, however, authors should take careful consideration of many things including the design of the book, its pricing, distribution, and marketing. For new authors, these tasks may feel overwhelming.
Because new authors may not be able to manage the different tasks needed to market their book, self-publishing companies have emerged throughout the years. These companies do some of the works for authors without actually taking the function of a publisher. Basically, what differentiates self-publishing companies from the traditional ones is that the former offers a range of tasks they can do for authors without taking the control away from them. This allows authors to personalize their book, retain full rights over them, and keep all of their profit to themselves.
The usual services offered by self-publishing companies include cover design, interior book design, editing, and promotion. They sometimes also offer an avenue where authors can directly sell their books online through a webpage or an eCommerce option. Usually, these services are offered in bundles.
ReadersMagnet, which is composed of publishing and digital marketing experts with proven efficiency, is one of the companies that offer self-publishing services at reasonable prices. These services come in a variety. https://readersmagnet.com/readersmagnet-self-publishing-2019-updated-services-list.
Although successful authors still often go to established publishing companies to have their works published, there is also an increasing number of success stories for self-published authors. This includes Rupi Kaur’s collection of nostalgic and empowering poems Milk and Honey, E. L. James’ popular erotic novel Fifty Shades of Grey, and Andy Weir’s bestselling novel turned Hollywood blockbuster The Martian.
Regardless of whether traditional publishing still dominates the publication scene, there is no question that self-publishing is becoming more and more prominent. Especially in this digital age, it has become easier for every aspiring author to publish their work at their own convenience and with full control. Thanks to self-publishing, publication is now made personalized.
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