You have completed your book and are now considering your publishing choices? Traditional publishing vs. self-publishing. To get you started, we would like to discuss some real benefits of self-publishing your manuscript.
Publishing your own book is much more efficient, affordable and achievable than going down the traditional publishing route. Gone are the days when self-publishing was viewed as an option for those who couldn’t hack it in the mainstream. On the contrary, even highly successful authors are choosing to self-publish their new titles today.
Although self-publishing is somewhat more stigmatized when compared to its traditional counterpart, we believe that it's just as valid and fantastic a publishing option for many writers, including for those looking to build writing careers.
With that in mind, we bring to you some of self-publishing’s biggest advantages
#1: COMPLETE CREATIVE CONTROL
Traditionally published authors don’t always have a say in the creative process that comes with publishing. Publishing houses often select a book’s final cover design, title, blurb, often without the author receiving any say.
Writers are artists, and as artists, you should have full creative control over your work. Luckily, with self-publishing, authors are always in full control of every aspect of their book’s finished form.
#2: HIGHER ROYALTY RATES
Unlike self-published writers, authors with traditional book deals don’t get to keep every ₹ their book makes. In fact, some take home as little as a 10% royalty after their agents and publishing house have taken their cuts.
Such a small royalty rate is understandably depressing, which is why many writers choose to self-publish and keep nearly 100% of their book’s profits. This is made possible because self-published authors pay their publishing team members upfront, rather than from their royalty checks.
.
#3: NO DEADLINE STRESS
Publishing houses work on a timeline, which means authors must meet several strict publishing deadlines or risk their current and future contracts. And when life gets tough or an edit just isn't working, such strict deadlines can prove problematic.
On the other hand, the only deadlines a self-published author ever has to meet are those they set for themselves, which means they're always welcome to readjust their publishing timelines to best accommodate all that life throws their way.
#4: A QUICKER PUBLISHING PROCESS
Despite strict deadlines, the traditional publishing process can actually be quite slow, taking anywhere from 12 to 36 months (sometimes more!) for a book to finally hit shelves after its author has inked their book deal.
After working so hard to bring their book to life, this wait can prove frustrating for many writers. Fortunately, self-published authors can keep as quick a timeline as they please, publishing the moment their finished book is uploaded and ready to go.
#5: MORE FREQUENT PAY DAYS
Did you know that most traditionally published authors only receive royalty pay outs twice a year? Such infrequent pay days can obviously complicate financial matters, which is why self-publishing's monthly royalty pay outs are such an attractive feature.
#6: NO REJECTION
Rejection may be one of a traditionally published author's biggest roadblocks, but this isn't the case for self-published authors, who never have to worry about an agent or acquisitions editor rejecting their project. Self-published authors get to publish what they want, when they want, without any worries.
#7: MAINTAINING YOUR RIGHTS
When an author inks a traditional book deal, they hand over the rights to their book — and potentially some aspects of future creative work, as well — for a certain amount of time.
This can spell disaster under a number of circumstances. Publishing houses can fold, team members may quit their jobs or get promoted or fired. A book can perform poorly on the market, resulting in the loss of a contract. And on and on and on...
As a self-published author, you maintain 100% of your rights to your creative work 100% of the time, so you won't ever have to worry about being left in a creative lurch.
#8: GREATER OPPORTUNITIES FOR NICHE PUBLISHING
While traditional publishing is slowly breaking out of its shell, it can still be quite difficult to nab a book deal if your book doesn't fall into genre standards or if its sub-genre currently isn't doing well on the market.
With self-publishing, you never have to worry about whether market trends or a quirky story will derail your publishing process. Self-publishing truly does allow you publish what you want, when you want. No questions asked.
At Blue Trunk Press, we make publishing your book seamless with the support of the perfect team of experts. If you have a story to tell, then we’ll give you a platform to tell it. We publish paperbacks, hardcovers and e-books and ensure maximum reach by selling them across various online and offline portals across India as well as internationally.
Our vision is to provide new writers an adequate and unbiased platform to tell their story in an unhinged manner. We offer affordable and a hundred percent customizable payment plans to get your journey as a best-selling author started. So, join us on this journey and turn your dream of becoming a published author into a reality, only with BLUE TRUNK PRESS.
