I’ve edited and co-authored books with bestselling authors for over 20 years, books written for major publishing houses with big names and big distribution systems. So why, when I meet an author with a great book concept, do I often encourage him or her to self-publish? Why don’t I send them off to an agent first? Or connect them with one of the acquisitions editors I’ve met in my publishing travels? 

Why do I point them toward independent publishing? Because spending their precious time convincing a publisher of your book’s worth is often time they don’t have to waste. In this fast-paced world in which the first book out of the gate with a fresh idea wins the bestseller readership, taking 2-3 years to bring out your book could mean its hoped-for position in the market is snapped up before it ever hits the shelves. So I encourage authors with great book ideas to take a serious look at self-publishing. Because I know that, if they’re thoroughly invested in what they have to say, and if they’re determined to create buzz around their book and their message, those authors are perfectly situated to discover . . .  

5 Fantastic Benefits of Self-publishing

Benefit #1: Control. 

When you enter into a contract with a major publishing house, youíre signing an exclusive agreement that prevents your having input into most of the important decisions that will affect your bookís perception by the public, and its sales. Youíll have very little say about the look and feel of your book cover, the endorsements that appear on the back of your book, or the wording of your press release, for example. And since all of the above elements are critical to giving your book its best chance for bestseller status, such loss of control can pose significant problems. ìBut donít publishers know better than I what to do to sell a book?î you may ask. Not necessarily. Authors usually know more about their bookís subjectóand hence, about their target audience (market)óthan anyone else. Hey, they wrote the book! 

More food for thought about signing with a major publishing house: If for some reason your book doesnít sell quickly and the publisher lets it go out of print, thereís often a ìwaiting periodî before the author is allowed to self-publish the book to get it back on the shelves. In the meantime, the reading public sees that your book is ìout of printî and a great deal of word-of-mouth damage is done. Self-publishing means that you are at the helm of your book project. Of course, it also means that the responsibility for its success rests in your hands. But when you believe in your message and know that youíre going to do everything in your power to get that message out to your target audience, isnít it a good feeling to know that youíre the one driving its success in the marketplace?

I suggest a balance of control and delegation. The right publishing ally can coach you through the process of writing and editing your book, and will also advise you to design and market your message in a way that gets optimum results. Your publishing ally may be a book editor, a publishing consultant, a published author, or all three. If sheís worth her salt, though, sheíll know what it will take to get your book published, and sheíll know how to help you make it happen. Reputable help can be found in Literary Market Place (online or in your local library). LMP is the publishing industryís by-nomination-only directoriesññhere youíll find book editors and publishing consultants with a proven track record.  

(Stay tuned . . . In the next blog, I’ll tell you all about Benefit #2. Make sure you don’t miss anything important, subscribe to my RSS feed.)