Every writer dreams of getting published. Whether it is traditional or self-publishing, it would be great for every writer to receive royalty checks from publishers, to see your book on the shelves and being acknowledged for your work done.
Most of the writers would get published through publishing houses like Bantam, Wiley and other similar names. But it is a long process. Writer who would get published by these houses would be able to see their books in book stores from 12 to 24 months. There are is a long process, since writers would have to get and agent that would represent him in the talks with the publisher.
Authors would find difficulty non only in being accepted by the publisher but also in looking for an agent. The agent is responsible for catching the attention of publishing houses. The publisher would then either accept or deny the proposal. Getting rejected by publishing houses is something that every beginning writer has to deal with. Even big names like J.K. Rowling had been rejected. If the author and the agent are denied by any publishing house, then they can bring their proposal somewhere else.
This lengthy process of getting accepted by publishing house is what sometimes push writers to drop their dreams and eventually stop writing. Even if they get to be published, they can sometimes encounter problems in promoting the book and later on achieving sales. Royalties that the writer receives will be based on the sales of the book. Most authors who get published by publishing houses also do some promoting and marketing of their own.
But with self-publishing, time is of importance. There is nothing more important to a budding writer that getting the books finished and out in the market. Since in self-publishing, the author can be the editor, promoter and marketer, and publisher, it would considerably cut the time in half.
But in self-publishing, there are some things that a writer should be careful about. There are some self-publishing companies who would advertise that they would help you earn the profit, but in the end they will ask you to cover expenses. But there are also reliable self-publishing companies out there. Authors just need to be alert and know everything about a particular self-publishing company interested in them.
With traditional publishing, the publishing house takes care of everything, the editing, layout, design of the book and the promotion and marketing strategy. But in self-publishing the author is everything. He or she is expected to handle the production and commercial processes. Publishing houses would also cover the expenses while publishing the book, but self- publishing would require you to shell out some funds. But be aware of the amount that they are charging you.
Some readers think that going for a publishing house and getting approved and published by them would mean that the book is actually really good. Some readers would even shrug their shoulders over self-published books. But the general public thinks that all the books on the book store would not be there if they are not even meaningful or worth reading. So most writers try really hard and their best to make sure that their books would reach the shelves.
But even if your book gets rejected by a major publishing house, do not be sad because there is still hope. You could always look at self-publishing as an option. But the most important thing here is that the author will work in a way comfortable to him and would suit his needs and requirements, whether it is self-publishing or traditional publishing.
For book authors, the term ‘self-publishing’ almost always prompts a sense of important decision-making. This is because to be able to get into the concept, there is a need to decide firmly whether to self publish or not. Technically, self-publishing is a practice when authors publish their own books and other content without the help, assistance, and mediation of third-party publishers.
Currently, self-publishing is accounting for just a minimal percentage of the entire publishing industry (with respect to sales). However, it is fast becoming more popular as an option for numerous book and content authors. Because the publishing industry is obviously changing its landscape, it is expected that more and more authors would prefer to self publish in the future.
Self-publishing is not an entirely new practice. In fact, it has been around, though in different forms, ever since the start of the publishing history. These days, self-publishing is logically increasing amid further advancement of the modern-age publishing technology. With the emergence of desktop publishing systems, xerography, the Internet, and print on demand, self-publishing is becoming a clear phenomenon in the changing publishing industry.
Observers note that the practice is getting more attention these days. This could be attributed in part by the emergence of different cultural phenomena, like proliferation of various media channels, emergence of the DIY movement, and of course the very popular blogging. Now, anyone could opt to self-publish.
What makes self-publishing a very attractive option and prospect among authors? In the practice, the absence of traditional publishers serves as a key distinguishing characteristic. The author decides to fulfill the role instead. Because of that, he is able to take full control over the editorial content. He assumes key roles like arranging for printing, massive marketing, and distributing the printed outputs. It could be a tedious job but there could be overall fulfillment in terms of quality and revenues.
Without the third-party publishers, self-publishing authors are directly involved to the risks and detriments of publishing. People may not be fully aware of it, but publishing is a really tedious and challenging activity. Third-party publishers have editors that approve content of authors’ works. They decide whether a material is fit for publishing or not. Of course, editors would give a go-signal to content that has the potential to create a patronizing impression among book readers. They only approve for printing materials that they think would be commercially viable.
Without such editors, authors would be at risk. Some authors do not have the grasp to know which type of content would appeal to the commercial market. On the plus side, absence of third-party publishers’ editors could prompt authors to go on and stick to their creativity and originality. Many authors like the prospect of having a book published as they have written it, without any minor and major revisions.
Are authors bound to make more money through self-publishing? It would depend. In many cases, self-publishing authors incur losses because they take care of all the financial aspects of printing, releasing, marketing, and distributing a book. If the book does not sell well, the self-publishing author would be in trouble. However, if the book makes it big time (make it big commercially), the author is up for hefty income. It could be a big and strategic risk to get into self publishing.
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