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Thinking of Self-Publishing a Book? Weigh the Pros and Cons First

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Scott Baylor
Thinking of Self-Publishing a Book? Weigh the Pros and Cons First

The past decade has been marked by transition and dynamism in the publishing industry. The dominance of traditional publishers has faced a serious challenge from self-published authors, hybrid, and cooperative publishing. It has brought onto the market thousands of more new titles each year and concurrently transformed book marketing. Traditional publishers are struggling under the weight of old-fashioned business models, and they're cutting advances paid to authors and reducing financial support for book publicity. If you're thinking of self-publishing a book, the good news is that it's more accepted than ever before. The tougher news is that the competition is fierce and getting yourself and your book noticed becomes harder every year. The entire landscape authors face today is unlike anything anyone might have predicted ten years ago. Traditional publishers likely would have laughed had you told them a significant number of high-quality and accessible books would become self-published. If you're now considering writing and publishing a book yourself, you'll face far less stigma about the quality of your work. Today it's about the quality of your content and its relevance to audiences of interested readers. But more than ever, you'll need strong book marketing.

The pros at Smith Publicity are among those who offer helpful advice to authors considering self-publishing. They see many potential advantages and challenges for people who choose to skip the traditional publishing route. The favorable aspects include timing because self-published books can be brought to market much more quickly and with less complication. They can be printed and ready for sale online in as little as months or even weeks. Costs are also surprisingly affordable – you can have a book professionally designed and prints for as low as $1,000 in some cases. Independent publishers are helpful with logistical support for authors, including ISBNs and printers. For many self-published authors, complete control over the final product is among the most attractive elements. The published book will be exactly what you have written with no edits nor cover designs out of your control. Most self-publishers also allow authors to retain complete rights to their books, so if it's a hit and a runaway bestseller, all of the profit goes to you. Today's self-published books also have quality levels on par with traditional publishers. It means what ends up in online sellers and brick-and-mortar stores will be completely competitive going up against other titles.

The challenges also are present, and there are essential things to consider before you reach your final decision. Distribution is likely the most significant challenge. Book buyers for online sellers and large chain stores have relationships with traditional publishing houses. Therefore, self-published authors may find it more difficult to be displayed online and to win space on bookstore shelves. Quality of the final product also depends on the self-publisher you work with. It is essential to be an activist author and stay involved in approving the cover design and the copy that will appear on the back cover. If you cede all control of these elements and are not present in the approval process, you risk a final product that is not up to the highest standards. Alsop the baseline of self-publishing is quite affordable, and some companies will be very aggressive in trying to upsell additional services. These services sometimes can include marketing and publicity, bringing the total contract cost up to $10,000 or more. Because marketing staff may not be top-notch, it's often better to keep your publicity contract separate. Knowing all of these things in advance, think them over and choose carefully before making your final decision.

Scott Baylor is the author of this article. For further detail about book marketing please visit the website.

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