Have you written a book, sent it out to loads of publishers but have either heard nothing or gotten a series of rejection letters?
If you have, then you might be seeing this as a sign from the universe that you should give up, that you are not meant to be a writer. It is perfectly normal to feel that way. After all, who likes getting rejected? But did you know that there is an alternative?
You could self-publish your book
Before we look at whether it is the right time to think about self-publishing, let’s look at what it is.
What is self-publishing?
Self-publishing involves writing, publishing, marketing, and selling your book, without the help of a publishing company.
For a self-publishing author, the job does not stop when the book is published. Your role is now to get it into the hands of readers and reviewers, to create a buzz and to make some money. That might mean setting up a website, social media accounts, finding and approaching retails and book distributors and so on. Basically, all those jobs that a publisher does with its cut!
So, is it time to think about self-publishing? Here are 4 signs that it might be.
Sign #1 – You have received loads of rejection letters
It is perfectly normal to get rejected by publishers. J.K. Rowling reputedly got over 20 rejection letters from publishers, but it only takes one to get signed up.
Do you want to keep going, or is it time to give up and try something different?
Only when you have absolutely exhausted all the potential publishers out there should you really consider giving up.
Sign #2 – You know in your heart it is a good book
Let us be honest, there are some really crappy books out there. I have even published some of them myself. (Hindsight is a wonderful thing!) It can be hard to see the flaws in your book when you are so close to it.
But if despite all the rejection letters, you know you have a good book on your hands, then the world needs to read it and you should consider self-publishing.
Sign #3 – Your book has a small audience
There are millions of books out there, and more being published every day. Meaning there is a lot of competition for readers. So, if your book has a limited audience before you start, a publisher may not be interested in it simply because the numbers do not add up for it.
Sign #4 – you want more control over your book
You might not realise it but when you hand over your book to a publisher, you also hand over a lot of control. In some ways, this is good because they have the experience you do not and can just get on with doing what they do best. However, there is a price to pay for this service, and that is that they get a bigger cut of the profits.
When you self-publish, you may make more money per book, and have more control of it, but you also get all the work that goes with it. It’s also important to remember that just because you want to make money, it doesn’t mean that you will. The reality is that the average author doesn’t make much money at all from their books. Those that do see it as a business and their business begins once the book is published.
There are a number of pros and cons when it comes to self-publishing, so think very carefully before you start down this route.
That being said, it can be fun and rewarding if you do.
If it’s something that you’d like to do, then I’m here to help. Just book a call with me.