6 Things you Need to Know Before you Delve into Self-Publishing

The self-publishing industry is a relatively new concept for most people. Usually when you hear about publishing company, the first things that come to mind are usually of the traditional form of publishing wherein prospective authors submit their work to publishing houses and there have their work inspected if it is good enough to be published. And should it pass, the author will be paid in advance and will be given a percentage of the royalties that come in.  In the case of self-publishing though things are done a little bit different. Here are six things you should take into account before you get into self-publishing.

1. You are the Boss

In complete contrast to traditional publishing, the way things are done in the self-publishing industry is quite different. In traditional publishing the author is the one who needs to pass his manuscript to the publishing house. Once it has been submitted the manuscript goes through a thorough inspection if it fits in with the company’s specifications and restrictions and should the manuscript pass and the be approved for publishing the company will pay for the manuscript and take over the publishing aspects of the book. In Self-publishing it is quite different. If you self-publish your book you will have complete creative control of the entire publishing operation, with no editor or agent to answer to.

2. Self-publishing is both simple and complicated

What you will notice when you try self-publishing is the surprising fact that it is both simple and complicated. It is simple because you are the beginning and the end of the entire operation, so the success or failure of the operation is all up to you. It is also complicated because almost every aspect of the operation is to be managed by you. From the most mundane aspects of the book such as the book cover to the creation of a marketing service is predominantly done by you.

3. Self-publishing is not a fad

Self-publishing is a newer concept compared to traditional publishing, but despite the fact that it is not as entrenched as the older traditional publishing houses, it is a legitimate prospect. Through the years since self-publishing rose to prominence millions of self-published books were sold. This is because authors are now given better self-promotion options. Authors now have complete control of how they conduct their book marketing and how they create better publishing packages to make a bigger impact in the self-publishing market.

4. Book covers do matter

Although the say don’t judge a book by its cover is true, but when it comes to self-publishing book covers can make or break a book campaign. This is because in this day and age most people take images very seriously. Take a look at Facebook and Instagram. Literally millions of pictures circulate all over the internet. Thus in order to make an impact on your potential clientele, your book cover should stand out.

5. You will need help

As exciting as it sounds to take control of your book campaign, you should not be under the delusion that you can do everything in publishing your book. Although you may be a good writer, you are only human and you have a probability of error. And because of this it is a good idea to hire people more suited for the job. Hire a web-designer to create a professional web-site, hire a copy-writer to create advertising write-ups and blurbs for the web site. Hire the right people for the job, don’t be stingy when it comes to your book campaign.

6. Keep looking forward

There is no guarantee that you will succeed the first time you try to self-publish. In many ways publishing a book and selling it to the masses is a gamble. But you should take heart and never give up, although it may seem daunting now, all your hard work will pay off in the end.