The self-publishing option

Having published two books using the same traditional publisher, I’ve come to the conclusion that I am no authority on the publishing industry. In fact, I feel I know even less than before I was published. Why? Maybe the industry is filled with so many inconsistencies that I am confused. Or maybe, the industry is just constantly changing.

One of the biggest changes in the industry is the increase in self-published books. With the internet, the rise of e-books and the proliferation of e-readers, self-publishing has become much more attractive than a few years back. There are many advantages to self-publishing as well as many drawbacks. I will outline a few and you are welcomed to add (or dispute) as you see fit.

Advantage # 1: You publish what you want to write and retain the rights
Back in the mid 1990’s while in college, I worked for an author who was trying to get a work of non-fiction published. It was a book about walking from Manhattan to Bear Mountain. The author included a lot of little anecdotes about the history of the area and the changes in the area that he noted on each walk. He first submitted to traditional publishing houses. Several accepted but with changes to the manuscript. One of the publishers wanted him to remove the anecdotes and just outline the walking; another wanted the title changed. The thing is, the anecdotes made the book come alive. Without them it was just another boring “how to” book.

That author, in frustration, decided to self-publish. He was able to publish his story as is, anecdotes included. He retained all the rights to his books. And yes, back then he had an advantage. He was already running a small vanity press.

Drawback #1: You do all the work
Based on what that author went through I decided never to self-publish any book in my life. That author had to do everything. Editing (I edited that book and it was grueling); cover design; getting it to a printing press; warehousing, distributing and the author’s favorite nightmare, the marketing. The upfront cost was expensive. The last time I spoke to that author, some fifteen years ago, he had just broken even.

Advantage #2: you have a higher profit margin
Very true. But if the book doesn’t sell enough to offset your initial investment you still don’t make Jack. 100% of zero is still zero. Traditional publishing houses can spread the cost because they publish multiple books. In the case of my boss, he barely broke even a few years later.

Today, with print on demand and electronic books, self publishing does not require the warehousing, mass printing and the exorbitant upfront cost that my boss had to cough up. That means it is easier to make a profit. If you google “self-publishing” you see hundreds, if not thousands of self-publishing websites. For a small cost, many will get your manuscript published. Unfortunately, the onus is on the author to maintain the integrity of the work, making sure it is edited correctly. And yes the marketing nightmare persists.

Drawback #2: people still frown on self-published authors
Even today, many authors whose works are published by traditional publishing houses view self-published authors as second class wannabes. Many consider their work to be substandard (though that is not always the case). That is probably because traditional publishing houses are selective in the authors and work they choose while anyone with a few bucks and time to invest can self-publish.

So would I self-publish today?
Considering the ease of self-publishing today compared to the 1990’s, I will consider that avenue. But because I absolutely hate the business side of writing, I’ll have to exhaust the traditional route before I venture into the realm of self-publishing.

So what about you? Will you self-publish?