by Rebecca Livermore

Created on: January 19, 2008

Perhaps you've always wanted to write a book. Or perhaps you've already written one but don't quite know what to do with it. One thing you do know, however, is that you want your book to be published and read by as many people as possible. Unfortunately, competition is fierce, and you may find it difficult if not impossible to find a reputable traditional publisher willing to take you on as a new author. Many people opt to use an agent to assist in this, but it can be almost as hard for people to find an agent as it is to find a publisher. Also, agents typically take a 15% cut of all profits, which seriously cuts into your earning potential.

Because of these issues, and because of the many new options now available for self-publishing, many authors are choosing to bypass traditional publishers and go it alone. Here are some things to consider when trying to make the decision regarding whether or not to self-publish.

SELF-PUBLISHING CONS

1. It cost money. The cost of self-publishing varies, depending on which self-publishing company you choose to go with, but regardless of which option you choose, self-publishing cost you, the author, money. In contrast, traditional publishers pay you money, typically in the form of an advance and then royalties, once the advance has been paid back through book sales.

2. All of the responsibility for marketing the book is on your shoulders. Nowadays, all authors are expected to work hard at marketing their books, regardless of whether they go with a traditional publisher or self-publish. But those who go with a traditional publisher have at least some help with marketing their book. For instance, the publisher may get the book into catalogs, arrange for radio interviews, put together press releases, etc. If you self-publish, you have to do all of that yourself, or hire others to do it for you.

3. You won't have a quality control team. Traditional publishers often have an entire team of experts in the publishing business to go over your book to make sure everything is in place. They check grammar, references, etc. If you self-publish, you won't have a team of people working with you unless you hire an editor.

4. People may not take your book as seriously if they know that it is self-published. The problem with self-publishing is that anyone with the discipline to write a book and the money to get it published can do it. Because of that, many self-published books are not the quality you would hope for and expect in a published book.

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