Should you self publish your first book

Fred, first, your article is insightful and has a lot of very important information, particularly for new self published authors. Its up at should you self publish your first book ive published 4 nonfiction books now with a publisher who specializes in technology books and ive self published a few small things. To read more, check out my companion post, start here. When you publish your book, you can put any name you want in the author field. This places you nicely within amazons 70 percent commission bracket, meaning youll gain more for each book sold, and the low price should ensure as many people as possible buy your untried and untested book. If you re kind of famous but not hella famous lets say you have a decent number of followers or founded a small but reputable company or write for a small but reputable publication, the decision whether to self publish is a bit more tricky.

If you need to make changes later on, its easy to edit the collection. But first, you should know about traditional and self publishing. Its also true whether you are self publishing, going through a mainstream publisher or. I encourage going through this brainstorming process as its the only way to ensure that youre 100% committed to writing a book and youre doing it for the right reasons. The reality for most people is that selfpublishing wont even get your book into bookstores. Should i selfpublish a paperback version of my book. I think every author should selfpublish one book because they then know what it means to. After you officially publish your book, you can make changes to your cover and interior text by submitting new pdfs, though your book will go offline out of stock for a week or two. Pros and cons of traditional publishing vs selfpublishing the. Publishers who accept unagented submissions are pretty rare nowadays. Like any dream big enough to excite us, self publishing is also big enough to scare us. Here is a sevenpoint self publishing checklist to help first time authors of nonfiction and fiction books avoid making. What you should know about being a published author. If you want to selfpublish a book, your best options are to publish as an e book or through a printondemand service.

Validating publishing rights faqs in some cases, when you submit your book for publication through kdp, we may request additional documentation to confirm that you hold publishing rights to books you are attempting to publish before the book can be made available for sale. You spend thousands of hours over several years writing your. Sep 05, 2018 if you want to get your book to market as fast as possible, selfpublish. You can also create a blog and share excerpts from your work in progress. Today, with self published authors determining the formats and release order for their work, is the traditional path still relevant. Whether you do absolutely every task yourself involved in your books production, or whether you delegate specific tasks that fall outside your skill set, the buck stops with you. The best thing you can do as a selfpublished writer is keep publishing. First things first, why should you self publish an ebook. You didnt have to tell us this was your first book. May 07, 2015 you may also choose a publishing imprint name, to make your book sound more as if it has been published by a company rather than an individual. Especially if you ve gotten positive feedback from a busy agent or professional editor. Is it better to selfpublish or find a publisher for firsttime authors.

I do not recommend self publishing first for this reason. Jun 06, 2017 it might take you three books before you break your first 5000 copies sold but if you selfpublish you can get those three books out in two years, all while building your audience and refining. Its a simple and fast publishing route that can help you see your book in print. So, you can selfpublish, but it all depends on your goals and what will satisfy you. If you need to release your book by a certain date, pretty much the only way to guarantee it is to publish it yourself. Whether you selfpublish or publish traditionally, dont write a book to make lots of money because you probably wont make that much. How to find the best service and avoid getting ripped off.

Sometimes people look down on selfpublished books because they feel anyone can do it. If you just typed the words the end youre probably anxious to see your book in print stat. The publisher essentially buys the right to publish your book and pays you royalties. If youre writing about a timesensitive topic or really want to get the word out fast, you can selfpublish. Plus, the audio book is more expensive, so even though there are fewer sales, its decent money. Even though there is no longer a stigma associated with being a selfpublished author at least for most genres, once you selfpublish a book, it will be exceedingly difficult to garner interest for that book from an agent or traditional publisher. As a selfpublished author, you have by definition assumed the responsibilities and the role of the publisher. Feb, 2018 for my first book i did a lot of research to try to decide if i should work to get a publishing deal as a new author, or if i should go the self publishing route. None of this is to discount the credibility of selfpublishing. Publishing imprints alliance of independent authors. An agents job is to sell your book to a publisher and negotiate the best deal on your behalf. With my first fulllength novel, fire in frost, i slowed down and put more time and money into the book.

Understand how the process works, and research what might work best for your genre and budget. By signing in, you are indicating that you accept our terms of service and privacy statement. At minimum publishers announce your book to the world through their mailing lists, websites and catalogs. The ultimate guide to amazon selfpublishing everything you ever wanted to know about how to selfpublish a book on amazon, plus tips for actually selling your book. Dec 10, 2018 whether your goals are personal or professional, to reach a large audience or to make mom smile, it makes sense to take stock of them before you self publish your book. Feb 20, 2020 if you want to selfpublish a book, your best options are to publish as an ebook or through a printondemand service. And there is always the possibility you can release the book again with a publisher later. I encourage going through this brainstorming process as its the only way to ensure that you re 100% committed to writing a book and you re doing it for the right reasons.

Of course, you can self publish your book, but you ll need to budget enough money and time for the process of writing, editing, book packaging, and jacket designs. You may not understand the editing or design process, or how sales and distribution work, etc. These days, with so many distribution platforms available, its easier than ever for anyone to selfrelease a book. Whether you publish as an e book or you prefer a physical format, you can have the last word on your content, layout, design, jacket cover and price. The most straightforward way of selling to a publisher is to first secure a literary agent. The real challenge is the book itself and dont let this decision stand in its way. Apr 15, 2020 plus, so many traditional publishers limit you as to the number of book you can release in a year. So, while there has been a resurgence in the purchasing of printed books in recent years, ebooks still make up a significant portion of the market. Jun 21, 2016 becoming a selfpublished author means you are fully responsible for your books success. A firsttime author can spend years acquiring an agent and sending query letters with no result. If you are selling your book via kindle direct publishing, never ever ever price your. Dont let this decision be the one that holds you back for year after year. Before we dive into how much it costs to publish a book, check out how much you will make if you choose to selfpublish your book. Mar 05, 2015 today, with selfpublished authors determining the formats and release order for their work, is the traditional path still relevant.

But you may be successful in selling them your next project. We are here to make your dream to publish a reality with our 5 tips to selfpublish your first book. So if you are looking for a new publishing home, here are the top 10 things i think every writer should know about amazon publishing. Ebooks are forecast to make up nearly 26% of total book sales worldwide in 2018. Selfpublish by hiring a service company to basically act as your publisher. If you ve dreamed of writing a book your entire life, self publishing is the best way to make your dream a reality. Design a cover and why its often separate from the rest of the book. Should you selfpublish or work with a traditional publisher.

I admit to a possible biasi have worked for a long time in traditional publishing, mostly in childrens books, but the following applies to all areas. Feb 27, 2018 when you know your motivations, you can better understand how publication will impact your identity, your business and your book. Createspace and other selfpublishing companies are. If you want to work with a publisher, you have to have talent, a great platform, andin most casesa sizeable audience to get a traditional publisher to want to work with you and pay you to publish your book. Even then, some ebook publishing services have restrictions on content. If you self publish your book, you are not going to be writing for a living.

Scott berkun has the most coherent, well thought out post on self publishing that ive seen in a while. This article goes into the pros and cons of traditional vs selfpublishing. Instead, find a story people absolutely need to hear, and go out and do everything you possibly can to tell it. Or would you recommend going for a publishing house instead. If you re in the rejection phase with your unpublished books, deciding to self publish is certainly a path in the right direction. To defeat your self publishing doubts, you need to have reasons powerful enough to overcome them. When my first book, a collection of short stories titled new york 1, tel aviv 0, was published in november 2014, many people in my life assumed id enter a state of total bliss. You want to or have already written a book and now its time to decide between traditional. May 11, 2016 the problem is even though you can make updates to a book, you cant get rid of it once you publish it. But you should at least get a sales team to take books to bookstores. Your first book is unlikely to be a sixdigit success, but thats ok. At authorhouse, a self publishing company, we understand the amount of work you ve put into your book publishing project, and ensure that you retain all rights to the content of your book throughout the self publishing process. How to selfpublish your book through amazon not so long ago, the first hurdle for an aspiring book. When i first considered writing a book about millennials seeking meaning in their professional lives, my dream was to find a publisher.

Although anyone can selfpublish a book today, it doesnt make it any less valuable or useful. If youre procrastinating on publishing a book, write 500 words on literally anything, go to amazons kindle direct publishing, and publish it under a madeup name. If you come up with a novel idea and want to establish yourself as an authority, you can simply and speedily create a quality book for selfpublishing. If you want to make money, well, dont rely on just your book sales to do that for you. These additions made to your books on author central appear on your book page on amazon, so they offer the fantastic potential to increase your books appeal and discoverability. Scott berkun, author of four popular books on creativity, leadership, philosophy and speaking, answers the question from one of his readers should you selfpublish your first book. According to anna bowles, a former commissioning editor at hachette.

If you are wondering if you should self publish your manuscript, or know someone else who is considering this, read on. As seth godin told me, do it under another name if you want. The far better way to successfully selfpublish your book is to get the basics in place first. Oct 07, 2015 most poets selfpublish their poems as a chapbooka smaller book, normally around 25 to 60 pages, wellsuited for smaller print runs and more affordable to produce.

You can also selfpublish your collection as an ebook. If youre an author dreaming of making your books available to millions of readers, you can make it happen. If you are wondering if you should selfpublish your manuscript, or know someone else who is considering this, read on. This post will expand on how to selfpublish completely on your own. Traditional publishing traditional book publishing is when a publisher offers the author a contract and, in turn, prints, publishes, and sells your book through booksellers and other retailers. It might take you three books before you break your first 5,000 copies soldbut if you selfpublish you can get those three books out in two years, all while building your audience and refining. Amazon and goodreads will not remove books from your profile even if theyre out of print. Debbie young feels like cheating as if you are in denial of your selfpublished status. If you demand creative control over every aspect of your book, selfpublish. How to publish a book and sell your first 1,000 copies.

Some selfpublished authors feel that putting anything other than their own name e. Jun 27, 20 21 responses to should you self publish your first book. Then, when you hold your book in your hands, you ll be better able to gauge your self publishing success on your own terms. You only have to invest your time, some money, and a little bit of sanity. So you have the choice to put out a book that will need future changes, or you can do it right the first time and stand proud of your accomplishments. Becoming a selfpublished author means you are fully responsible for your books success. Createspace and other self publishing companies are always. If you are serious about sales you need a marketing plan and a commitment to invest even more time marketing the book than you would if working with a publisher.

You can delete your book from amazon when youre done. I know you want to write books, but while youre working on your first book, you can publish other forms to build your audience. Unless youve spent most of your professional life in book sales and you have a large sales team working for you, a traditional publisher is going to be more effective getting book buyers to purchase your book especially in large quantities. The definitive guide to pricing your book the wise ink blog. All you need to know about amazon algorithms free course learn to pick the right keywords and metadata, and get amazon to do most of your marketing for you. If youre a firsttime author, you have may have little or no knowledge of what a professionally published book looks like.

I always recommend that people recycle chapters from failed novels and works in progress into short stories. For my first book i did a lot of research to try to decide if i should work to get a publishing deal as a new author, or if i should go the self publishing route. A good rule of thumb to remember if you re hosting your book on amazon is to not cross the 9. Heres a link with more on publishing options for firsttimers. In stark contrast, you could selfpublish your book tomorrow. Jul 02, 2017 selfpublish completely on your own, hiring only the freelance assistance you need, and work directly with retailers and distributors to sell your book. So, why should you selfpublish your first book instead of taking the traditional route its a control thing self publishing gives entrepreneurs full control. Your fiveminute guide to pricing your selfpublished book. Even if 99 percent of your sales are going to be e book. What to consider before you selfpublish a poetry book. Amazon will give you a whopping 70% of your e book profitif you price your book how they want you to. You should do this well before you start the process of publishing your book. Mar 27, 2020 writing and publishing a book certainly isnt easy. If you publish your book as an ebook, you will be responsible for all of the marketing and advertising, but youll retain the rights to your book and will keep more of the total revenue.

How to format an ebook and a print book with vellum. Just because you can selfpublish a book doesnt mean you can sell it. It stands out from the average self published book when you have an e book, a print version, and an audiobook. That doesnt mean that their books will be on the shelves in bookstores. If you desire to have the greatest possibility of reaching the most readers, seek traditional publishing. Nonetheless, you should differentiate between ebooks and print editions when you state.

Sep 22, 2014 it took me two years from signing the deal with for my first book to publication. Or should i selfpublish and become an indie author. But first, your book has to sell and be successful much like the martian was. How to selfpublish your book through amazon forbes.

If you publish your book as an e book, you will be responsible for all of the marketing and advertising, but you ll retain the rights to your book and will keep more of the total revenue. You can create an ebook for your website or a physical book with various print services. Research self publishing and crowdsourcing sites like publishizer are great for raising money and getting awareness for your book in order to either work with a publisher or raise funds for self publishing. After all, you re not beholden to the schedules of a gargantuan press. Finishing a book is always a great accomplishment and its usually one that represents months or even years of hard work and dedication. This is true whether you are a first time author or a veteran in the field with dozens of books to your name. What you need to decide first when self publishing a book, is why you want to write a book. The far better way to successfully self publish your book is to get the basics in place first. How much does the average author earn publishing their book. One other reason to publish in paperback is if you plan to release your new title as a kindle ebook preorder. Most of the books i have published are available in both print and electronic formats, but when i published reality check, i only published it as an ebook.

By the way, if you self publish, always do a print book at the very least. You should probably send out a few book proposals to publishers and see what kind of response you get. Jun 05, 2018 you can publish your first book today. You should selfpublish your first book heres why yfs.