Monday, August 22, 2011

Self Publishing Is a Dirty Word

I remember the days when people would be embarrassed to say they were self-published because when they did they received pitying looks; because money isn't made from self-publishing. If you did it yourself it meant that a publishing house would not accept your work. It meant you weren't a very good writer.

While it wasn't always true before, now, with the introduction of internet self-publishing and now the ebook, it's not only becoming far more popular and it's becoming an actual reputable platform.  Even many professional freelance writers are choosing ebooks over the traditional method of publishing.

The Question is Why?

When the Kindle came out the ebook revolution began. While many cried that it was the end of the book, and many still do, it is simply a new option. One that gives many people the opportunity to publish their work without the miniscule royalty that many publishing houses dole out to their writers. Many people who refused to buy Kindles when they came out now own them and swear by them.

While there is the ebook, there is also Print on Demand publishers such as Createspace that will publish a hard copy of the book you want to publish; but only when someone wants to buy it.  For a book that you know will either sell slowly or only sell a few copies, it is a good option.

What this means for Writers

Self Publishing is no longer the dirty word it was. While you still want to avoid vanity presses, ebook and Print on Demand publishing is becoming something reputable. Someone can publish their work for the world to read. Of course, some of the usual drawbacks with self publishing still apply. The biggest drawback that still applies is the marketing aspect. The writer, in most cases, are doing entirely all of the marketing to sell the book. While for many this can be troublesome, for others, especially those with small niches and new writers, who the publishers will not heavily market your book through traditional means.

So while you may still want to search for a publishing house, you may not need to go to a publisher for all of your writings. For that collection of short stories that many publishers will quickly overlook, self publishing may be an option. Make sure to check out your options when you are working on getting published.

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