Although I have published with a recognized publisher, since then I have begun to put more emphasis on self-publishing. Why is this? I will share some of the pros and cons of self-publishing.
The problems with self-publishing. If you are looking to fill your CV in order to get a teaching position or to move up in the publishing world, self-publishing is probably not the right area for you. Self-published books, even if they are of excellent quality, still do not have the same prestige as books published through a recognized publisher. Beyond the stamp of approval from the publisher, publishers do a good job of putting together a cover and organizing the text to make it look the best. You can do this but it is either expensive or much more work. Finally, publishers know how to market the book.
The benefits of self-publishing. It can be free. Although you can purchase a package, you can also do absolutely free. One of the great things about self-publishing is that you have total freedom. This may or may not be a good things. You decide what it looks like and you can determine the price and the amount of your royalty. I have found that I make as much money by self-publishing as I did with my published book. Although for a long time the benefit of publishers was marketing, social media allows the author to market their work for free and still reach thousands of people. You can be as successful as you are willing to put the work into it. Yes there is a steep learning curve, but it is rewarding to finally see your work in print.
You can find my print and ebooks here.
You can find my Kindle (plus some paper) books here.
In a future post, I will give some ideas on how to put your self-published book together and how to market it.
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