Originally posted on Renee Writes:
Hi everyone! Today I have a guest poster, Kevin McNamara, here to talk about the benefits of self-publishing. So any writers out there who are trying to make that all-important decision between traditional and self publishing, maybe this article will help you!
Yes, traditional publishing houses are past their glory days. With today's development of the Internet, a book author feels a much less need in a publishing house to get the reader's' attention. Like most things in the world, this tendency does have its drawbacks, but the pros by far outweigh the cons.
In this article, you'll find top 5 reasons that make self-publishing a more attractive option to young and aspiring authors than traditional book publishing.
1. INSTANCY
In the traditional book-publishing scheme, a writer needs to wait to be discovered by an agent who will then find them a publisher. This process can be very long, tiresome, and nerve-wracking, or this day might never even come, doesn’t depend on whether you’re a good writer, or not.
If you decide to choose self-publishing, on the other hand, you can skip this stage and have your book published whenever you feel ready.
2. FULL CONTROL
Even famous and established authors often complain about the control imposed on them by their publishing houses. Now, this is arguably a drawback, since the person appointed by the publishing house does provide a fresher look at your work, assumingly being an expert at what he is doing. And yet, it does often take a lot of the fun and magic away from the writing process, making it more dull and routine.
When you are publishing your book yourself, you are in charge of everything: content, cover and interior design, marketing strategy, pricing, etc. But remember, you don’t have your publisher always watching your back and pointing to your every mistake, so be careful and think twice before you do anything.
3. INDIVIDUALITY
You can see how big handmade clothes and accessories, as well as organic, locally grown food, are today. As opposed to the stuff manufactured industrially, these things possess the unique warmness and coziness that make consumers feel as if these particular products were made especially for them – so make them feel special.
4. UNLIMITED TIME
Do you know what is common for Lewis Carroll's ''Alice in Wonderland'', Leo Tolstoy's ''Anna Karenina'', Friedrich Nietzsche's ''The Antichrist'', and Mark Twain's ''The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn''? They all either went unnoticed initially, or were shattered by the critics, and therefore were commercial flops. Same goes for pretty much everything written by Franz Kafka or H. P. Lovecraft, or even J. R. R. Tolkien. History knows many examples when a book went unnoticed when it was first written but later on gained a massive following. Some books are like good wine – they need time to catch on.
A traditional bookstore usually lets any new book a life on a shelf from 30 to 60 days, whereas with self-publishing, you can avoid such limitations, and keep your book “on the shelf” pretty much forever.
A traditional bookstore usually lets any new book a life on a shelf from 30 to 60 days, whereas with self-publishing, you can avoid such limitations, and keep your book “on the shelf” pretty much forever.
5. FLEXIBILITY
You will receive feedback from your readers regarding the fate of a certain character. If you choose to please your audience and introduce the changes that they desire, you can do that instantly, without having to wait until your publisher re-issues your book (which they may even refuse to do).
Same goes with the pricing: demand increases, and you feel like your book should cost more than it currently does, it will take you a few clicks to set the price you want. Or drop it a bit, if you feel like it will help you to sell more copies.
That being said, it is up to you to decide whether you should find yourself a publishing house or have your book self-published. As a matter of fact, nothing can stop you from combining these two approaches. Just remember about all the perks of self-publishing.
My name is Kevin and I'm a content writer and blogger. I like sharing my thoughts with people through words.
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