Writers Tricks of the Trade VOLUME 10 ISSUE 1 | Page 21

“naysayers” would caution that once you
self-publish, a publisher will never pick
up your work. However, lots of successful
authors got noticed by publishers by self-
publishing their first book.
Of course, the book had to have a sales
track record or the author possibly had a
huge platform. And then, there is the
competition that has been fostered by the
ease of self-publishing and the internet.
Think about it. It makes sense that
companies like Kindle Direct Publishing ,
Draft2Digital and Smashwords are so
successful with self-published authors.
If you are considering self-publishing
a novel, take a look at all of these benefits
to see if this is something you would like
to pursue, but remember if you aspire to
it being successful it requires a lot of
promotion and dedication to getting and
yourself out there.
1. S OLE O WNERSHIP
In most cases, you have the sole right
to the material and the right to publish it
where you choose. Kindle Direct
Publishing is one of the sites that clearly
states this, but make sure you look into
this before self-publishing on any other
sites, particularly if you are using a
company to package your book. Make
sure you know your rights before self-
publishing your book.
2. S ELF -P ROMOTIONS
The ability to handle your own
promotions and marketing for your book
is very important part of self-publishing.
Depending upon your capabilities and
personality, it can be a benefit or a
W INTER 2020
challenge. You are the one responsible for
marketing and promoting your book, but
these days the same is often true if you
are traditionally published..
3. M ORE R OYALTIES
You generally receive more royalties
per sale than if you went through a
publisher. A lot of times, publishers are
going to charge fees for promotion and
marketing, and they will sometimes take
that out of your first sales on the novel.
Typical publishers pay about 10% to 15%
on paperback and higher on digital. An
important question to ask is whether that
is based upon retail or wholesale. Self-
publishers are paid a much higher
percentage after the cost of publishing a
paperback. Digital will pay between 60%
and 70% in royalties.
4. S ELF -M ANAGED
If you would like to be self-employed
and be your own boss, this is the best way
to do it; you are in charge of your own
hours, time, and investments into this
career. It is often very difficult for people
to get to this point, because for many this
is a dream job, but it is possible. Don't
give up hope just because others think
you won't be successful. Do what you
think is going to be the best option for
you and stick with your plan! Set goals for
yourself to help make you successful as a
full-time, self-published author!
Do remember, though, that you pay
for editing, cover design and any other
attendant costs to publishing.
P AGE 16
W RITERS ’ T RICKS OF THE T RADE