The Advantages and Disadvantages of Self-Publishing

Which format is best for you?

If you're a budding writer, and you're not sure if going down the self-publishing route is for you, take a look at this article. I have listed some of the pros and cons of publishing. You might be drawn to the traditional, professional publishing, or you might be considering a DIY project for your book, and you want to know some of the facts before embarking on that journey; either way, we hope this article helps you to make the right decision for you, your work, and your readers.

Traditionally, publishers are seen as playing an essential, qualitative role in the process of publishing, for they were to guide budding writers and direct their work in the direction of the public eye. In recent years, that role has been twisted as the economy has faced significant hurdles, including financial restrictions, and so, authors have taken the opportunity to take matters into their own hands. Part of the problem is that publishers have struggled to adapt to the changed economic circumstances brought about with digital technologies and their implementation. While it is increasing problematic to publish literary texts through traditional establishments, the ease of self-publishing that is occurring “on the internet allows for a greater range of user-authors as well as the ability to reach a wider, more global audience" (2013, p. 43). Despite this, there are benefits and drawbacks for both paths of publishing.

Quality:

One prominent role as traditional publisher is the quality control of the authors work, and so, the idea that they are diminishing, while self-publication is emerging, brings into question the written quality of the latter. ‘This view is largely based on the plethora of self-published eBooks that are not peer reviewed and can represent questionable quality, content, opinion and interest’ (2013, p. 54). Such views highlight the fact that a self-publisher has complete control over every aspect of the production, in terms of the content and design features. With traditional publishers, “the author’s work has to undergo scrutiny from the author’s agent and the trade book publisher’s own editors” (2013, p. 331). These establishments have significant experience in the production of books. In contrast, the independent author may upload work of varying quality, which is why self-publishing has often been perceived as lacking in respect and worth.

Know the process:

Although the ability to publish work independent of experienced publishers may seem to be unfavourable, ‘knowledge about the processes of publishing gained through self-publishing enables them to plan for effective management, and controlling the processes can deliver strong satisfaction’ (2013, p. 279). Understanding the process, or at least, gaining awareness of it may lead to opportunities for employment in the publishing industry, and thus, turning to self-publishing emerges as advantageous for traditional establishments in this aspect.

Who has the time?

Time is another feature in which traditional and self-publishing differ. For instance, producing your work through an experienced publishing house can take anything from 6 months leading up to several years until the complete work is released to the public. With this route, the speed with which your work is carried out further depends on whether it is accepted in the first place. “A trade book publisher accepts less than half of agented authors’ works for publication and even fewer first-time authors’ works, whether they have an agent or not” (2012, p.44). Undergoing the process yourself can mean your book is published in minutes, months, or a year, depending, of course, on the stage you are at with your writing. With this method, the author also bypasses the acceptance process that is essential to traditional publication. However, overcoming barriers of independent promotion and editing may have a large impact on the quality of work the author produces and may not be able to sell in the way the author desires it to.

Reaching the public eye:

‘Authors are faced with a greater responsibility for promotion and marketing their work’ (2014, p. 48); this is certainly true of self-publishing, but you may be surprised to hear it also relates to traditional publishing. Whether you choose the former or the latter, promoting your own work will be beneficial as you will gain marketing data and skills so that you may make informed decisions to enhance your readership.

Having to market your work may seem daunting, but the developing technological sphere has created a smoother link to the public’s view. ‘Through purchases, online reviews and other means, publishers and authors now have access to quite a lot of market information’ (2014, p. 47); various changes in this field means that traditional publishing houses have had to adapt to the ever-changing marketing process and their contact with readers. They have had to alter their approach to the marketing audiences to compete against their rivals.

Particularly for self-publishing, marketing their pieces is further limited by the format in which they present it. This route of publishing consists predominantly of e-books. For instance, if the author were to publish their book exclusively for Nook users, they reach out to a limited audience. Not only this, but the process is further filtered through the percentage of users of that specific format. If the book was a historical fiction, the filter would consist of audience who owned a Nook AND were interested in that genre. ‘In traditional publishing, a trade book publisher can sell the author’s product in either digital or physical form, or both, avoiding the need for an e-reader’ (2013, p.330).

Where previously an author’s work was determined by its economic value to the reader, the idea of social value has replaced the pursuit of wealth when publishing texts “as a direct product of market exchange of information” (2013, p. 45). This is intriguing as it suggests that authors would prefer to have their literature received by an audience rather than sell their work for financial gains. To summarise, as an author, would you be satisfied by the idea that your piece was being read by many or would you want something more in return for your labours?

Penny for your thoughts:

Now, it is common knowledge that traditional publishers offer the authors they take on a significantly low percentage of royalties for the final publication. These are often determined “according to a sliding scale ranging from 10% to 15% of the publisher’s revenue from the book’ (2013, p. 40). On the other hand, self-publishing your book, particularly when doing so online, can provide you with anything from 40 to 60 percent, although this will vary depending on your own decisions. Whether you choose to go down the traditional path or take matters into your own hands, the fact remains that the higher the sales of your published works, the more you gain in regards to revenues and profit. However, the author will have to take into account the extent to which they are limited, regardless of whether they self-publish or not. As previously discussed, in order to reach a broader audience, they will have to market, promote, and publish their works in many forms to attract the public eyes.

What with the advances of technology, social media is one effective method of promoting yourself as an author, but it also keeps your costs low. The downfall for self-publishing through technology is that despite “the influx of digital titles into the marketplace, print publications still generate about 93 per cent of the market revenue” (2012, p.13). Of course, physical books are more costly and are extended to a broader audience than self-published e-versions and therefore, generate a higher income, in spite of the low percentage of royalties the author receives from traditional publishers.

So which route do we take if we wish to pursue our idea of producing a book or published piece to the reader? Naturally, it depends on the individual. If time is an issue or you desire to publish smoothly but promptly, perhaps you ought to look further into taking on the challenge of doing it yourself. However, if you’re uncertain of where to start, or simply need someone to guide you through the process, why not attempt to capture the experienced eyes of an agent? If you believe you can get started, and yet, you would still prefer to have someone with publishing experience to guide you, there is always the option of hiring. With this option, you are able to retain the power of the final word, in addition to hearing words of advice.

With all things, there are advantages and disadvantages. You merely have to make the right choice for yourself. By publishing your own work, you bypass the process of appealing for acceptance by a publishing agent, but you must be willing to design, proofread, market, and promote the piece you produce. Nevertheless, by doing this, you gain the understanding of how publishing works and with experience, that process will become a smoother, simpler method.

Reference List:

Stehlik, P.T. (2013) ‘Self-publishing: A Creative Solution to Academic Survival in the Commercial World’, International Journal of the Book. 10, (3), pp. 53-60.

Grensing-Pophal, L. (2012) ‘Who Needs a Publisher?’ Publishers Weekly, pp.12-17.

Greaves, C. (2012) ‘The Thriller-Worthy Odds that Face Attorneys Who Want to Be Novelists’, Los Angeles Lawyer, 35, (4), p. 44.

Kinberg, M. (2014) ‘Marketing Sensing as a Tool for Fiction Authors’, Journal of Marketing and Management, 1, (1), pp. 45-57.

Gebhard, C. (2013) The New Economy of Creativity: Authors, Literary Property and digital publishing. Hons Thesis Available At: https://www.honors.umass.edu/sites/honors.umass.edu/files/Caitlin%20Gebhard%20Thesis%20English.pdf (Accessed 1st July 2017)

Camacho, J, D. (2013). ‘Is the E-Reader Mightier? Direct Publishing and Entry Barriers’, Journal of Scholarly Publishing, 44, (4), pp. 327-339.

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