Self-publishing a book can be a rewarding and lucrative venture. It is a worthwhile endeavor to see your name in print. Self-publishing a book isn't for everyone. This article highlights three questions that will help you determine if self-publishing is right for you.
Question #1: Do you enjoy talking to others about your passions?
Self-publishing is the right choice if you like to communicate with others who share your interests or want to learn more about something you are knowledgeable about. Why? You become an expert in your field when you self-publish a book.
You can share your expertise with the world by giving interviews, writing articles, lecturing at seminars, and taking part in other forms of communication online, such as participating in discussions, blogging, and even speaking at seminars.
Self-publishing is not for everyone. If you prefer to keep your thoughts to yourself, self-publishing might not be right for you. You may still prefer traditional publishing, but you have a slim chance of selling a book if you don't promote it.
Image Source: Google
Question #2: Do you want to make a lot of money selling books?
Self-publishing is a great way to make money from your book. Did you know there are over 50,000 independent publishers? And that they sold a combined $14 billion worth of books last year. Self-publishing is a great way to get involved in this growing and lucrative market.
The traditional publishing route is still valuable. Authors prefer the traditional publishing route because they have a long-held goal to publish books via this route. Or, simply because there's a better way. Self-publishing is a lot more profitable than traditional publishing and you can keep all of it – no sharing with the publishing house or your agent!
Question #3 Would you like to have total control over your book?
Publishing via traditional publishing houses has one major drawback: you don't have any creative control. The publisher owns everything, from the cover to the promotion to the contents of the book, and can do whatever they wish with it.
If they say you can add a new chapter, then you must add another chapter. If they say you can delete a section, then you can delete it. The final product is yours to control. Self-publishing means you have complete control over all aspects of your book. You decide what your book looks like, how it is sold, and every word within. I don't know if you do, but I want to be able to control how it looks and sounds.