In recent years, the self-book publishing services proposing self-publishing of books on various topics have increased by people who do not want, or cannot, publish with a publisher. In this post, we compiled 5 things you should know if you choose self-book publishing services.
What is the self-publishing of a book?
Self-publishing is publishing a work without the intervention of third parties, especially without a publisher. The author writes and edits the manuscript so that third parties can appear in printing, distribution or sale.
A couple of decades ago, it was unthinkable to publish a book yourself. As a result of the rejection of many works by publishers and the great demand of writers who wanted to launch their manuscripts into the publishing field, self-book publishing services were created little by little. Some scientific studies recorded that in 2008 the number of self-published books exceeded those published by publishers for the first time.
We understand publishers who must make an exquisite selection of works. It is a significant investment for them; only some manuscripts are commercial or engage readers. Therefore, self-publishing and hiring self-book publishing services is another option, but you must be careful about some things.
The first thing, take care of the quality of the work.
As in all sectors, some people have been very successful and others not. Publishing a book can be challenging. But currently, many published works need to be of quality. In a certain way, this has been caused by self-publishing that allows anyone who wants to write a book, whatever the subject, to get it and it can fall into the hands of tens, hundreds or thousands of readers.
Self-publishing a book entails the acquisition of many responsibilities.
Let’s focus on possible errors in layout, spelling and grammar and content. And this is where the role of a good publisher comes into play. When a publisher publishes a book, there is a process of correcting errors, content review by experts, and creating a layout that, in a certain way, ensures and gives a certain editorial quality to work. We recommend that before printing it, you send it to an expert in editing and literary revision for review. This is where self-book publishing services come into sight.
A typical mistake: confusing edition with printing
When you carry out work yourself, you can settle terminological errors that spread very quickly. One of them is to confuse an edition with a print or reprint. Generally, when one self-publishes his book, he does a small circulation, 100, 200 or 500 copies. And after buying it, family, friends and a stranger run out. The author quickly announces that it was a resounding success and that the first edition was sold out, revealing that there will soon be a second edition.
It is a very typical error, we insist. A new edition implies essential changes in the original work. However, the author is referring here that he will make a second impression, which is very different. Especially if we print 50 copies in the first printing and they run out, we can announce to the audience that it has been a success and we are going for the second printing, third, and fourth. It is important not to deceive ourselves so as not to deceive others.
Refrain from thinking about the economic aspect.
Publishers work with copyright margins that oscillate between 3 and 15%, which is relatively low. But it is true that they also have many expenses: editing, layout, printing, distribution, storage, fees for bookstores, advertising, infrastructures, labor personnel, taxes, etc. And if we add to this the low sale of books, due to the current crisis in reading habits in society, one can understand those figures.
But when we opt for self-book publishing services to self-publish a book, the gain is practically for us. In contrast, we must bear the printing costs. And it will also have less distribution, so our book will not be in bookstores as the works of publishers do. Publishing a book should be a personal satisfaction, but with quality and without thinking about making a living. However, a small group of people achieve global and national successes receiving valuable benefits. As a fact to take into account, some experts indicate that the average profitability of a self-published book is around 500 dollars once printing costs have been subtracted.
Do not forget the ISBN and Legal Deposit.
Until a few years ago, the ISBN and Legal Deposit had no cost, but currently, it entails a small financial outlay. The author must remember this aspect since it is the only way to register the work legally.
Strive to publicize your book, draw up a dissemination plan
It is one of the most significant flaws of self-publishing. Lacking a publisher and distributor, it will be difficult for you to place your work in the spotlight of the audience. In this sense, we recommend that you make an excellent dissemination plan for it, for this take into account the following aspects:
- Make one or several presentations in different cities and settings.
- Design a good signage that captures people’s attention.
- Contact the local, regional or national media or reference entities in your area so that they can help you disseminate it.
- You can also choose to pay for an advertising campaign.
- Hiring self-book publishing services and a social media marketing expert can be another good option.
- Create a web page for your work or give it good publicity on your blog.
- Give a few copies to influential people who can spread your work.
- Try to get specialist authors to review your work.
- Make a mailing by sending a brief synopsis of your work, the target audience and what value it brings.
Lastly, remember that some publishers have joined the self-publishing line, charging authors a certain amount but guaranteeing the same editorial quality as the invited works. And you also have the option of publishing it with companies created to meet this demand for self-book publishing services – some with high costs and without quality control. Evaluate all the options very well before making a decision.
And remember that dreams can come true, and you can start from anonymity with your little work and receive invitations from big publishers in a few years.
Connect with us at WriterCosmos for self-book publishing services. Best of luck with your projects!
