Is self-publishing right for you?
People are always asking me why anyone would want to self-publish a book. They think it sounds like a lot of hard work and, after all, isn’t that what traditional publishers are for? The truth is that there are loads of reasons why you might want to consider self-publishing. Here are my top 3 (along with one reason why it probably isn’t for you).
You’re an established business owner with a story to tell
If you’re an established business owner with an inspiring story to tell, writing an autobiography will help you to share your story and expertise with a wider audience. Autobiographies are popular because we love hearing about other people’s lives. Seeing someone successful talk about the hurdles they’ve overcome is incredibly inspiring. It also helps you to elevate your status and show why you’re the expert.
Self-publishing is a great option for you because you can stay in control. You make all the decisions from book design to marketing so it reflects your brand. The process is also a lot faster than traditional publishing. If you’ve got something timely you can get it out into the world much more quickly.
You’re building a new business
You don’t have to have a six-figure business to self-publish a book. It can be great as a teaser for your services if you’re just starting out. You can share useful hints and tips that your readers can use. If it helps them, they’ll be more likely to get in touch because they want more. It means that you can build your client list and raise your profile in the early days. You could even self-publish but use your book as a freebie to encourage people to sign up to your email list. Personally, I can’t resist the offer of a free book! Here are 5 more ways that self-publishing could help your business – https://fuzzyflamingo.co.uk/flamingo-news/5-ways-publishing-a-book-can-help-your-business/
You’re a fiction author trying to raise your profile
You might be a bit suspicious of self-published fiction. I know a lot of people think that if you self-publish it’s because your book wasn’t good enough to be picked up by a traditional publisher. Publishing a new book by an unknown author is a massive gamble for a publisher. They prefer to pick up books by celebrities or influencers because they’ve got an established base of people to sell to. If you’ve got a good quality, self-published book that’s already selling you can increase your chances of being traditionally published. They’re unlikely to publish the same book again but it will raise your profile and help you to get picked up.
Self-publishing won’t work for you if…
…you want to be a millionaire. At least, it won’t if you want to become a millionaire just from selling books. If you have an existing income that you want to replace, self-publishing is unlikely to do that. I’ve worked on some amazing books for authors who have knowledge that they just want to share with people. They might have useful hints and tips or a story that will change the way you look at the world. Sometimes publishing a book isn’t the most important thing; it’s part of a bigger goal, so it’s always important to think about what that might be for you.
Do you want to find out more about self-publishing? Get in touch or come and find me on social media.
