Should You Self-Publish Your Book? Key Questions to Consider
Self-publishing through platforms like Amazon, Apple, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble has made sharing your book easier than ever. With these options, the traditional barriers to publishing have almost disappeared.
Gone are the days when you had to order boxes of books yourself, hoping they’d sell. Today, publishing is as easy as uploading a file. But while self-publishing is straightforward, it may not be the best fit for everyone. Every path to publishing has its unique ups and downs, and what might be ideal for one author could feel like a burden to another.
In fact, some successful self-published authors find themselves moving to traditional publishing after realizing that managing their self-publishing businesses isn't how they want to spend their time. Although these authors typically make more with self-publishing, they often trade the extra profit for the ability to focus exclusively on writing, letting the publisher handle everything else.
Whether that sounds like you or not, it’s essential to weigh your options. Let’s dive into the questions you’ll want to ask yourself when deciding if self-publishing is the right fit.
1. How Important Is the Money?
The first question most aspiring self-publishers consider is the financial aspect. Self-publishing royalty rates are one of its biggest perks. Depending on the platform, your royalty rate can be as high as 70% of each sale. Comparatively, authors who publish traditionally might see royalties of just 10%—sometimes even less.
With self-publishing, you’re keeping a much bigger slice of each sale. For many, this alone is enough reason to self-publish. After all, if you’re putting in the work to write the book, why shouldn’t you keep more of the profit?
However, while self-publishing may provide a larger slice of each sale, it might also mean a smaller pie overall. Traditional publishers bring established distribution networks, marketing resources, and industry connections that can boost your book’s visibility, leading to more sales. In some cases, the broader reach from traditional publishing can compensate for the smaller royalty, resulting in higher overall earnings.
So, while self-publishing might mean a higher percentage per book, traditional publishing can potentially offer greater earnings over time through enhanced reach. It’s a personal decision that requires weighing the potential for higher royalties against the likelihood of increased sales from a traditional publisher’s support.
2. What Kind of Book Do You Want to Write?
If you’ve ever pitched a book proposal, you know that publishing houses are interested in marketable ideas. They’re looking for topics and genres with proven sales potential and may ask you to tailor your project to fit current trends. This approach helps them minimize risk but may also mean compromising on your creative vision to appeal to a wider audience.
If you’re content with writing within a publisher’s guidelines, traditional publishing might be right for you. However, if creative control matters more, self-publishing could be a better choice. With self-publishing, you don’t need to consider trends or market appeal. You can write exactly what you want and produce the book you envision, without needing approval or editorial changes that may alter your work.
3. How Skilled Are You at Marketing, or Are You Willing to Learn?
In self-publishing, marketing is crucial. It doesn’t matter how good your book is if no one knows about it. Titles, covers, descriptions—all these elements contribute to a book’s potential success. Self-published authors have full control over these decisions, but they also bear full responsibility for their outcomes.
Marketing is multifaceted and can involve everything from designing the cover to running ad campaigns and managing reader outreach. Some authors find it exciting to control the marketing process, but others feel overwhelmed by the responsibility. Joining book clubs, reader communities, or joint promotions with other authors can help, but it requires effort and time.
For those who prefer not to worry about marketing, traditional publishing provides a built-in team for these tasks. When you sign with a traditional publisher, you’re entrusting them to handle most marketing elements—from designing the cover to planning the ad strategy. You give up control but save time, freeing you to focus on writing. For many, this is worth the trade-off in royalties, as publishers are often more experienced in reaching audiences.
4. Do You Want to Write a Series?
Series books often perform well with readers, especially in self-publishing. A series allows readers to continue engaging with characters they love, making them more likely to purchase additional books.
Self-publishing enables you to take a long-term view of your series. If the first book doesn’t catch on immediately, you have the freedom to release additional books and gradually build an audience. In traditional publishing, the reception of your first book can heavily influence whether or not a publisher is willing to support a series. If the first book underperforms, they may not publish the sequels.
With self-publishing, you can create a long-term strategy for a series, using each book as a building block in your career. You have full control to continue the series as you see fit, developing a library that can attract readers over time.
5. Do You Prefer Writing to Running a Business?
Finally, consider whether you’re interested in managing a business. Self-publishing requires not only writing but also overseeing the entire publishing process—from hiring editors and designers to setting marketing strategies and handling finances.
Some authors embrace this business side, seeing it as part of their creative journey. Others find it a distraction. Self-publishing means handling all aspects of book production, promotion, and sometimes even customer service. For some, this level of involvement is energizing. For others, it’s exhausting.
In traditional publishing, you largely avoid these responsibilities. The publisher manages the technical aspects of production and provides resources to edit, design, and market your book. Many authors prefer this hands-off approach, focusing their time and energy on writing while trusting the publisher to manage the business side.
The Bottom Line
Choosing between self-publishing and traditional publishing depends on your priorities and preferences. Self-publishing grants you full control over your book but requires dedication to the business of publishing. Traditional publishing, on the other hand, frees you from many publishing responsibilities but limits your control over the process.
Whether you self-publish or go the traditional route, the decision should align with your goals as an author. If you’re passionate about creative control and willing to manage the publishing process, self-publishing might be perfect. If you prefer to focus exclusively on writing, then traditional publishing may be your best choice.
