The pros and cons of self-publishing

Once snobbishly dismissed as the publication choice of ‘amateurs’, self-publishing has become wildly popular in recent years and the preferred publication path for many. While it does have a number of big advantages over traditional publishing and hybrid publishing, there are also a number of pretty big downsides.

Until a few years ago, the only real way to get your book into print was to go through a traditional, bricks-and-mortar publishing house. While many writers still aspire to traditional publishing, many more are leveraging the power of various internet platforms to self-publish their work.

In this post I’ll outline both the pros and cons of self-publishing, to give you something of an overview and help you decide if this is the route you want to take.

The cons of self-publishing

You have to do everything yourself

As a self-published writer, everything is on your shoulders. You’re going to have to find your own editors and proof-readers, generate your own cover and really work hard on the promotional side of things if you want your book to be a success. While traditionally published writers will have a small army behind them, you’re very much on your own if you choose to self-publish.

You might find it hard to reach a wider audience

Traditional publishing houses can get their authors wider distribution, as well as having the ability to enter them into all those high-profile competitions that attract prizes and acclaim. Self-published authors, on the other hand, may find it hard to reach a decent-sized audience. Even if you find your niche, there are millions of books self-published every year and it’s easy for yours to get lost in the crowd.

You may need to pay some upfront costs

If you want your book to be a success, then you may have to accept there will be upfront costs. Paying for editing and proof-reading may not come cheap but will improve the quality of your manuscript. You may also need to shell out for a well-designed, eye-catching cover if you want your book to stand out. Traditionally published writers don’t have to worry about paying for any of these things, as they’re all taken care of in-house.

Print distribution might be tricky

If you decide to sell your book in a physical format, then getting those physical books into stores can be a challenge. Printing can be costly and distribution a logistical nightmare, and while you might be able to get a few copies onto the shelves of local shops, getting them out nationally or internationally can be a really difficult task. Traditionally published writers, by comparison, have a publishing house to take care of all that.

Marketing for yourself can be a challenge

Marketing can be the bane of a self-published writer’s existence, because it is so time consuming. From managing social media pages to organising your own author events, successful marketing takes a lot of hours and energy which you’d probably much prefer to spend writing. While it’s not impossible to market your book on your own, it can feel like an uphill struggle in a saturated market.

The pros of self-publishing

You don’t need an agent

Many traditional publishing houses – certainly the Big Five – will not accept unsolicited manuscripts, which means finding yourself an agent. One of the joys of self-publishing is that you don’t need representation, so you won’t have to spend months tracking down a potential agent and you won’t have to deal with the inevitable rejection letters those following the traditional path will receive.

It’s a lot faster than traditional publishing

The publishing industry moves slowly. Very slowly. Those who follow the traditional route to publication can expect to wait months or even years from the day their manuscript is accepted to the day their book appears on the shelves. Self-publishing, on the other hand, can be done extremely quickly, sometimes at just the click of a few buttons.

You get to keep more of the royalties

One major advantage of self-publishing is that you get to keep far more of the royalties from your book than a traditionally published writer. That’s because you’ve cut out the middle men – the agent and the publishing house – so don’t have to divide the money you earn with them. Most of the money from book sales will end up in your pocket, while a traditionally published writer might take home just 25%.

You get to keep the rights to your books

As well as keeping the royalties, you also keep the rights. When someone signs a book deal with a publisher, the publisher automatically gets the rights to the book and can decide what they do with it in perpetuity. That’s not true of self-publishing, where there are no contracts involved and you therefore retain the rights.

You maintain creative control

All writers have a ‘vision’ for their book, from the story itself to how the cover will appear. If you choose the self-publishing route, you have complete creative control over the finished product. Some traditionally published authors will find their publisher intervenes, perhaps changing the story or having the final say on the blurb and jacket. If a loss of creative control is one of your greatest fears, then self-publishing might be a safer option.

The traditional publishing journey can be a really difficult one, and many writers are either put off at the very beginning or give up before they secure an agent or a book deal.

While there used to be a certain stigma around self-publishing, that has diminished in recent years. More people than ever are turning to self-publishing, and it’s becoming far easier to do.

If self-publishing is something you’re interested in, then it’s also worth considering the downsides as well as the advantages. Think carefully about where your priorities lie before you choose self-publishing, traditional publishing or a hybrid model.

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