If you want to be a published author, what’s stopping you from achieving your ambition? Self-publishing is a highly recommended option. It costs almost nothing to produce an eBook and publishing one is much easier to accomplish than many people believe.
Here are four fabulous reasons to self-publish your book:
1. You can make more money
Even if a traditional publisher agrees to publish your book, you can make more money by going it alone. It all hinges on the percentage of royalties you can earn and you can earn a far higher percentage (between 30% and 70%) if you self-publish, compared to the 12% to 20% a traditional publisher might offer you. And, for eBooks you sell and distribute yourself, you can even keep 100% of the royalties.
2. Sometimes it’s the ONLY way
Particularly for would-be non-fiction authors, self-publishing may be the only way to get your work out there. Not because there is anything wrong with your book, but because most traditional publishers don’t expect to make enough profit from books they consider ‘too niche’, or that have too small a market of potential buyers. However, that doesn’t mean there isn’t enough profit in it for the author, particularly when publication costs are low. Besides, profiting from book sales isn’t the only motive for authors wanting to see their books published.
3. Speed
Once your book is written, polished and correctly formatted, it can be available for your readers to buy within a matter of days. With traditional publishers, you could wait months, sometimes years, for your book to appear. Nowadays, the only real drag on your publishing timeline is how quickly you, not the publishing house, can respond.
4. Greater control
When you decide to self-publish your work, you have more control over the finished product, from the artwork on the front cover to how and where you choose to market your book. These decisions are yours to make. You can still seek expert advice in areas where you are unsure but, ultimately, you decide.
5. Gateway to more opportunities
Having a book affords you instant authority and enhanced credibility. This opens the door to speaking engagements, coaching and consulting opportunities. Non-fiction author? Why not turn your book into an online course? Many course creators struggle to produce content or structure their material so that learners can follow it easily. If you already have a book, you’re already several steps ahead. Your table of contents provides the course framework and structure, while each chapter can be turned into a separate module. Leverage even one of these opportunities and your book could soon provide you with multiple income streams and much higher revenue than royalties alone.
