Thursday 3 December 2015

Self Publishing? Beware of your EGO!

Are you looking for ways to publish your own book? 

It's been over a month since I did an internet search on How To Publish a Book. I sent applications to all the publishing companies that offered an easy to fill form and requested either a few chapters or the whole manuscript. 

Everything was ready for a Writer's Competition, so after not being selected for the long list, I decided is was time to move in a different direction. I had heard of self publishing but wasn't sure of what it entitled. The result? After submitting the forms I went on to read articles about the topic of self publishing. 

What I learned from articles about Self Publishing

  • There are many companies offering services to help new authors publish their book
  • Some companies belong to large traditional publishers and specialise on self publishing
  • Smaller companies have been created by authors who self published themselves 
  • There are options for all budgets and needs
  • You can publish for FREE on Amazon and get 70% in revenues
  • It is not easy to design a book cover
  • It is very difficult to design a printed book
  • Marketing your book is a big issue for authors
  • Indie Authors don't rely on any publisher to put their written work out there

Beware of your Ego

You probably worked very hard to get to the final version of your current manuscript. Of course, you'd like to see it reaching as many potential readers as possible. It might be tempting to sign a contract and contribute towards production costs, especially if you're not a known author.

Beware! There seem to be thousands of potential authors and new authors wanting to do exactly the same thing. Competition is fierce, otherwise there wouldn't be so many companies offering to help you self publish your book. Of course you want to give your baby creation the best possible chance for success, just make sure it's not your ego making all the decisions. 

Take Your Time

Don't make any decisions based on how the publisher approaches your manuscript. Let's face it: it it's really THAT good, they wouldn't ask for a contribution from you, since they'd know for sure it would be a selling success. 

I understand you must invest if you want to get a return, but how about your time? It takes hours of your day to write and polish your ideas. It will take time to work together with any editor, marketer, graphic designer and public relations team to reach the level of success you want to achieve as an author. 

Your Turn

Are you an aspiring author? Do you have experience with contracting the services of a publisher yourself? 

I'd love to hear your input on this matter. Let me know in the comments. 

Cheers,

Veronica