Let me ask you a question - Why do you want to write a book?
If your answer is status, validation, long-term wealth, or quick money, traditional publishing is what’s meant for you. But if your answer is freedom, creativity, and making an impact, self-publishing is the way to go. The catch here is that self-publishing does give you status, validation, and long-term wealth if you follow the right process but traditional publishing will never give you, the writer, the freedom and the room for creativity you deserve. This is, in a nutshell, why, in this article, we will edge a little towards self-publishing while critically examining the pros and cons of both options.
Starting by exploring the traditional publishing domain, the first major concern is the difficulty writers endure to get good publishers offering a decent advance to publish their book (Less than 1% of proposals are accepted). However, if you do get an officer, you might enjoy some advantages which include a monetary advance prior to publishing, high potential for traditional media coverage, and ensured professionalism by the publisher. With that being said, you also need to keep in mind the fact that you will have NO creativity, ownership, or marketing control over the manuscript.
This clearly does not sound like a win-win situation for our first-time writers. So let’s come towards the second more practical and perky option, and you can see for yourself the advantages of self-publishing outweigh those of the traditional method. Let’s delve deeper into the world of self-publishing and the promising opportunities it has to offer. Self-publishing refers to publishing independently and at one’s own expense. Since you, the writer, is the person taking care of the publication process, you have full ownership of the rights and the royalties, something that you completely lack in the traditional method. For example, you might receive 10 percent to 15 percent of the list price of each book sold, while the rest of the profits go to the publisher. While you will get the entire remuneration for your hardwork if you self-publish.
Imagine having to listen to someone else on how your book should be published, sounds boring and authoritative right? Publishing through one of the larger houses means you will have to meet the requirements of multiple parties, including editors, marketers, and designers.
We are modern humans and we live in a democratic age. Self-publishing gives you all the creative freedom and decision-making power you rightfully deserve to yield.
Added to all this is the fact that self-publishing gives you the room to enter the market quickly and get fast exposure. On the other hand, publishing a book through one of the big houses takes six to 18 months at a minimum, because of the tedious publishing process.
“You don't have to wait to be "Accepted" by a publisher or agent to become a Millionaire Author and live a glamorous life traveling, living near celebrities in Hollywood and California, and being able to be hired to speak all over the world. I did it without being traditionally published, and it is the greatest feeling in the world to have that freedom.”, said Kailin Grow, a multi-millionaire self-made Author. She did it and you can do it too.
Are you worried about the how?
Blue Trunk Press gives an unbiased platform to aspiring writers in India, giving you all the freedom while easing the process out for you as well?
Now, that’s a win-win situation.
I started with a question and I will end with another -
What’s stopping you from taking that ounce of risk and sharing that one story with the whole world?