10 Rewards and Risks of Self-Publishing

Posted: December 27, 2012

Self-publishing may be your dream - especially now that publishing companies are getting smaller it's harder to get them to even look at your book. Before you take that step, be sure to weigh the risks and rewards.

Some time ago, I wrote a highly skeptical post about self-publishing. I stand by my concerns, but I realize my initial assessment could have been more open-minded. Here’s a more neutral evaluation of the pros and cons.

Rewards

1. Autonomy
In self-publishing, writers control the publishing process. In traditional publishing, the final edit, the cover design and cover copy, and the manner in which marketing and rights are handled are the publisher’s prerogative.

2. Marketing
Traditional publishers focus most of their marketing efforts (and other attention) on established authors, attending little to most of the writers whose works they publish. However, writers with an established audience — bloggers, speakers, and experts — can inexpensively market their self-published books themselves.

3. Timeliness
Self-published books can be completed and distributed in a matter of weeks or, at most, months. A traditionally published book usually comes out more than a year after it is accepted for publication.

4. Compensation
On average, self-published writers collect roughly half of the sale price, as opposed to ten percent or less for authors of traditionally published books. In addition, self-publishers can deduct many of their expenses when figuring their taxes (but so can other writers).

Read the entire article 10 Rewards and Risks of Self-Publishing at DailyWritingTips.