Self-publishing is Now Plan A

by: Romany Howes (18 November 2013)

It seems that most authors can't do better than going the self-publishing route for their new books, especially in the current economic climate. Traditional publishers will only look at established authors with a high profile, and will not give others a second thought, but even those authors they accept are told that they have to do their own marketing.

Several authors interviewed by journalist and author Lisa Gordon, www.newswire.net, point out that they prefer, in any case, to market their work themselves. Rick Quinn from Alaska explains that Amazon, Create Space and Barnes and Noble give authors step-by-step instructions on formatting. Authors self-published in this way retain 100 per cent control of their work and, as he says, "are able to reap 100 per cent of the benefits – which allows you to keep prices lower in order to see a decent return on your efforts."

Karen Andor of Northampton, UK says she has read enough on the subject to realise that she will make more money self-publishing. She adds that as she is not a high profile author she would not receive any help in marketing from mainstream publishers in any case, and the only advantage from using the traditional route is having a professional to give a considered opinion on one’s work. But, she concludes, that with self-publishing: "I can write the type of book I want, the way it should be written."

If you have written a book and choose to self-publish, do ensure accurate spelling, punctuation and grammar so that you can then confidently progress to the marketing stage. It's best to use an experienced proof-reader for a fresh pair of eyes, so see our proofreading and editing services at www.writeitclearly.com.

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