Every book is different, just like every author, and the best solution for you will not be the same as it is for someone else and their book! You may want to consider some of the points below.
Disadvantages of self-publishing
- You are taking all of the risk and are responsible for the whole publishing process: you will have to wear many hats.
- If you choose to outsource parts of the process, it can become expensive.
- It is generally very difficult to get self-published books on the shelves of bookstores and other physical shops.
- You will need to become familiar with publishing software and platforms, which may be challenging if you are not comfortable with technology.
Advantages of self-publishing
- You have greater earning potential: you will earn a higher percentage of the cover price than if you use a traditional publisher. (Typically a self-publisher can make 25% or more of the cover price, although every type of book is different; whereas with a traditional publisher you will typically make 10% of the cover price or less.)
- You have complete creative control: you can either take on editing and design yourself or you can subcontract to service providers, and ultimately it’s your say.
- You can bring a book to market much faster than with traditional publishers: you could get from draft to publication in a matter of weeks rather than months (or even years!).
So is self-publishing worth it? We’d say yes. It can be very hard to sell books, and perhaps a traditional publisher would find it easier to sell them than you would, but if a book is hard for you to sell, it is more likely to be harder for them to sell too. Conversely, most publishers expect authors to help with marketing anyway, and if you have access to a large audience or network of contacts… you could make the most of that for yourself.
All publishing involves risk – but the rewards can be much higher if you decide to take on that risk yourself.