Self-Publishing

Why I Choose Self-Publishing over Traditional Publishing

Traditional publishers, like any business, need to make a profit to survive. For commercial reasons, these venture capitalists must back a winning horse. An outsider is an unknown risk. They publish a set number of authors each year, and they’re going to choose dead certs and only allow themselves manageable risks. This means they often lean toward established authors and celebrities, making it a challenge for new writers to get their foot in the door.

If, as a new author, your book doesn’t take off, they are not going to plough money into new marketing campaigns for you, even if it was their launch campaign that was the problem to start with. I completely understand that—it’s business.

That’s why I’ve chosen self-publishing. It’s a path that allows me to nurture my creative ideas, pick my own covers, maintain ownership of my work, and grow on my terms. It also allows me to publish more quickly. It’s not an easy journey, but it’s one where I can set the course.

However, self-publishing is not without its challenges. One of the biggest hurdles is the need to market both your books and yourself constantly. In a crowded market, visibility is everything, and unlike traditional publishing, where a marketing team might handle promotions, self-published authors must wear multiple hats. You’re not just the writer—you’re the marketer, the PR person, the graphic designer, and sometimes even the distributor. Keeping up with social media, building an email list, running ads, and engaging with readers can be time-consuming and overwhelming. It’s an ongoing effort to keep your books in front of potential readers, and this can sometimes take away from the time you want to spend writing.

Then there’s the financial aspect. You front the costs for everything—editing, cover design (if you can’t do it yourself), formatting, and marketing campaigns. While these allow you to retain control, they also require significant investment. And there’s no guarantee of immediate return.

Despite these challenges, I still find self-publishing worth it. The freedom it offers to experiment with genres, control pricing, and maintain creative autonomy far outweighs the difficulties. As I continue my writing journey, I’m grateful for the ability to shape my own career path, free from the constraints of a traditional publisher.

Are you a fellow author or an avid reader? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this!

Do You Want To Take The Plunge?

If you are interested in a self-publishing course, then I would recommend Barry Hutchison’s (aka J D Kirk’s) course, Page to Published. It’s a fantastic resource for writers looking to navigate the world of self-publishing and improve their craft.

Remember, this is my journey and my opinion. Yours may be different and equally valid. I’m not anti-traditional publishing. What we will both have in common is our love for stories. In the world of self-publishing, the path to success is as unique as your writing style, and it’s a journey worth embarking on.

Here are a few authors who have self-published in the past or are currently:

• Jane Austin
• Mark Twain
• Margaret Atwood
• Andy Weir
• Mark Dawson
• John Grisham
• Beatrix Potter
• Gertrude Stein
• Deepak Chopra
• Henry David Thoreau
• Virginia Woolf
• Tom Clancy
• L. Frank Baum
• William Blake
• Elizabeth Barrett Browning
• Lord Byron
• E.E. Cummings
• Alexander Dumas
• T.S. Eliot
• Benjamin Franklin
• Thomas Hardy
• Ernest Hemingway
• Stephen King
• Rudyard Kipling
• D.H. Lawrence
• Edgar Allen Poe
• Alexander Pope
• George Bernard Shaw
• Percy Bysshe Shelley
• Alfred Lord Tennyson
• Leo Tolstoy
• Walt Whitman
• LJ Ross
• JD Kirk

Article edited 7/09/2024

Featured image by Stephen Phillips