Here are ten more reasons that explain why self-publishing might not be the right thing for you to get into when you are trying to publish your new book. But when reading this list, keep in mind that there is no one right way to get your book published. Therefore, it is important for each writer to consider their own goals, reasons, and resources before choosing to pursue the traditional book publishing route, or the self-publishing route.
1. You Are Responsible For All Editing
As a self-publisher, you need to become skilled in all editorial and design areas – or hire and pay for an expert to do it. Editing takes a lot of time to do correctly. And a good editor is not easy to find. If you overlook any editorial mistakes, they could be stuck in your book until the next printing.
2. You Must Treat Your Self-Publishing As A Business
Managing a business, even a very small one, is very time-consuming. As the owner you are responsible for every aspect of the business, such as marketing, finance, public relations, design, writing, website design, etc. The list is endless.
3. Booksellers Will Not Buy Directly From An Author
Many booksellers will not buy directly from an author. It is too expensive and time-consuming for them to set up an account to handle only one book. That means you will need to find a distributor, who will insist on a large discount from the cover price. That means that about 70% of your profits gets consumed very quickly.
4. It Can Be Difficult To Get Reviews
Most reviewers, especially in the main-stream media, won’t review books that are self-published.
5. You Must Get A Lot Of Exposure
You will discover very quickly that with self-publishing, writing is 5% of the process – marketing is 95% of the process. You might spend twelve months writing your book, and then spend the next sixty months putting all of your time into marketing that one book. Marketing your book never ends. Going with a traditional publisher puts your book way ahead of the self-published books – right from the start. Traditional publishers have the ability to get your book a huge amount of media exposure very quickly.
6. Self-Publishers Might Not See A Profit For A Long Time
Most traditionally published books see a positive return on their investment. Most self-published books never make a profit. So, if positive cash flow is your only motivation for enter self-publishing, you might be making a mistake.
7. There Is A Prejudice Against Self-Publishing
This is the general perception of the general public, and most of those who work in traditional publishing, the media, and every university and college. These are the same people who believe that unless you have convinced a traditional publisher to publish your book, there must be something wrong with it. If this bothers you, then self-publishing is not for you.
8. All Marketing And Promotion Is Your Responsibility
Although this is similar to traditional publishing, with self-publishing you are completely on your own. You will need to expend an enormous amount of time learning to market and promote your book. Your life will be consumed with marketing and promotion for the entire life of your book. It never ends.
9. Self-Publishers Have A Smaller Marketing Power And Reach
This is a great reason to use a traditional publisher. They have enormous marketing power and clout, and are very sophisticated marketing experts. They can wield their power to get your book into every imaginable outlet. The fact is that there are fewer marketing and advertising opportunities for self-publishers.
10. Self-Publishers Don’t Have Big Industry And Media Connections
This is another great reason to use a traditional publisher. The main reason is that as a self-publisher, you will need to develop your own connections within the media, and within the industry that you write in. And a traditional publisher is already set-up within the media to promote your book on a large-scale.
This article was written by Joseph C. Kunz, Jr. and originally posted on KunzOnPublishing.com