There are many reasons why people decide to self publish their work. There are also many reasons why they don’t. I’ll list some of the common ones here.
1. They want to get rich quick. This is a common reason, and one that is often fueled by greed. Self publishing is not a get rich quick scheme. It takes time and effort. You have to market your book, you have to build up your reputation as an author, you have to write more books. The only way you can make money is if you sell enough copies. If you want to get rich quick, go get a job at McDonalds or WalMart.
2. They want to save money. Many people think self publishing will save them money. The truth is, self publishing can cost you money in many ways. First, there is the cost of the book itself. You have to pay for cover art, interior design, and even the printing of the book. Then there is the cost of marketing. How do you get people to know about your book? How do you promote it? How do you sell it?
3. They want to get published without having to go through an agent. This is a common reason. Most agents are out of touch with the needs of today’s readers. They are too busy chasing the big names. If you want to be published, you need to get yourself into a good publishing house.
4. They don’t want to spend the time writing. Writing is hard work. Writing a book can take months or even years. Some people think they can just sit down and start writing. This isn’t true. Writing a book is a process. You have to develop your characters, your plot, and your story. If you want to write a book, you have to spend time developing it.
5. They don’t have a lot of time. Writing a book can take a long time. In order to get a book published, you have to submit it to publishers. Once you have submitted it, you have to wait for feedback. If the publisher likes what you’ve written, you have to rewrite it. If the publisher doesn’t like it, you have to start over. And all this takes time.
6. They don’t have the skills. A lot of people think they can just write a book and then submit it to a publisher. This isn’t true. You need to learn how to write a book before you can submit it. You need to learn how books are marketed. You need to learn how copy editors work.
7. They don’t have the money. Another common reason people give for self publishing is that they don’t have the money. They think they can just write a few books and then get them published. The truth is, you need to invest a lot of money to get your books published. You have to pay for the editing, the cover art, the marketing, and the printing. If you want to get published, you have to invest in yourself.
8. They don’t want to put up with the rejection. Many people say they don’t want to put up the rejection from publishers. The truth is, rejection is part of being an author. Publishers aren’t going to accept every book they read. If you want to be successful, you have to learn how to deal with rejection.
9. They don’t want to deal with the editing. Many people don’t want to deal with editing their book. They think it’s too much trouble. This is a mistake. Editing is important. You need to make sure your book flows well, that your grammar and spelling are correct, and that your sentences are easy to understand.
10. They don’t want to face criticism. People who self publish their work often don’t want to face criticism from their readers. They think that once their book is published, they can just walk away. This is not true. Your readers will give you criticism. If you don’t like it, you can always edit it out later.
11. They don’t want to pay the fees. Many people don’t want the fees that publishers charge. They think that if they write a book, they should be able to sell it themselves. This is not true. If you want to get paid for your work, you have to pay the fees.
12. They don’t want to have to deal with the returns. Some people don’t want to have to return unsold copies of their books. They think they can just keep them and sell them later. This is not true. You have to return unsold copies. You have to pay for shipping. You have to deal with the returns.
Comments are closed