We are regularly contacted by people who’ve finished a book and want to get it published, but find the process of approaching an agent or entering a book competition too daunting. Others have tried that route and found it frustrating, as it does take a good amount of perseverance.
The self-publishing route is more accessible than ever, and much more widely accepted as a means to get your work out there. There are more and more writers who are finding success and even fame by putting out their own books. Here are some good places to get started and see if it’s the right route for you:
- Writers’ & Artists’ publishes a comprehensive how-to guide and has also has a section of their website with many resources
- Other excellent resources can be found via:
- The Society of Authors has a range of videos:
The main pros and cons of self-publishing are:
Pros
- Shorter publishing time–you can put it out as soon as you’re ready
- Retain full rights to your work and complete creative control
- Earn higher royalty rates
- Build your own base of readers
- Mainstream publishing is very competitive and can be highly market-focused
Cons
- Lower visibility—there are many other self-published books alongside traditional books, and you won’t have the help of a publisher to get your work promoted
- Upfront costs and support of design, editing, proofreading and promotion you’d get from a traditional publisher
- Few bookstores carry self-published books
- Entirely reliant on you doing all the promotion, publicity and getting readers’ attention
- AI-generated books are crowding the market
If you decide to self-publish, here are the key things you’ll need:
- Start with choosing a platform, although your book can be hosted on more than one:
- Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing enables you to be hosted on Amazon, and will sell and distribute your book as an e-book, print-on-demand paperback and/or hardback.
- IngramSpark offers the same service, plus potential bookstore distribution.
- BookVault offers similar, and specialises in special, deluxe editions.
- A professional proofreader and preferably an editor. We can’t recommend one for you, but try the Chartered Institure of Editing and Proofreading
- A book designer and cover designer, to create the book professionally and up to the specifications on Kindle Direct Publishing or other service. (Again, we’re not able to recommend one for you, but have a look at the list on the Alliance of Independent Authors)
- Be ready and willing to put the time and energy in to promote your book.
One very important note: there are many, many ‘publishing companies’ that claim they will publish your book for very high fees. Many of them—for example Austin Macauley—appear at the top of your Google searches. Before committing your book and your money, please be sure to check the Alliance of Independent Author’s ratings guide or the Self Publishing School’s companies to avoid.
If you’re looking to get your book out there quickly and easily, self-publishing may well be the best way forward for you.
