What is Self-Publishing?

In traditional publishing you had to submit your manuscript and wait for months to know the result, repeat the same process and end up in a loop of rejection. The result is publishing a book takes more than a year and it is controlled by a community of publishing houses. So, how can every writer complete their dream of becoming a published author?

Welcome to the world of self-publishing. Unlike traditional publishing, here you can stay in control over the process. Your approval is priority at every stage of the book creation. While the services require investment you get to decide the future of your book.

A team of experienced professionals take care of various services your book needs like editing, cover design, distribution and marketing. Your brilliantly written manuscript is converted into a beautiful book and is released at a convenient time.

The concept of self-publishing is powered by advancements in technology like print-on-demand and electronic version of books. Prior to the invention of these technologies companies had to bear the cost of inventory and unpredictable sales. However, with no requirement of inventory publishers can afford to publish all kinds of book and let the readers decide which book is deserves to be read.

The innovative business model allows you to publish anything you want and the way you want. However, given the investment you need to make, it’s always wise to publish books of high quality so that sales aren’t disappointing. Unsold book can discourage you from pursuing your writing career. One of the ways to avoid such situation is by conducting surveys on social media platforms to gauge the interest of people on the topic.

Designing is an important aspect of book publishing. Cover and interior designs should reflect the theme of your novel to make it look appealing for interested audience. Similarly book promotion is very integral to become a successful author. Creating an active social media presence, blogging and author website are among some of the commonly practice of popular authors today. Selecting the right distribution channels is also an important decision to make to reach your book to the right audience.   

Choosing between eBook and print version for your story is another critical decision to make when you are going to publish your book by yourself. While print is a preferred choice of reading, electronic readers like Kindle is gaining popularity every day. Many authors go for both the format as they do not want to lose out a single reader, while others prefer to publish in electronic version forst, see the response then select print publishing.

Some companies offer up to 90 percent royalty depending on multiple factors, such as maximum retail price and distribution store. In this new model of book publishing, you also take the responsibility of making decisions. You must be well informed to decide if eBook is good for your book or print or you should select both. Similarly for deciding critical factors like pricing cover design, marketing strategy, and distribution options you must be aware of the details of the industry. You can read this guide book to teach yourself the basics of book publishing. It will walk you through the various steps involved and necessary details you should know like what is ISBN, how distribution works, how royalty is calculated and the importance of cover design and book marketing.

Today there is equal opportunity for everyone to become a literary superstar. Readers decide the quality of the book and not the book critics of publishing houses.