By John Bond

Self-publishing has been through quite an evolution in my lifetime. From decades being thought of as “vanity publishing,” to an emerging option for both print and then digital in the Nineties, to complete acceptance and preference in many genres of fiction, self-publishing has transformed how authors think about getting their ideas and thoughts out to the world.

But academic and textbook publishing still has a challenge when it comes to complete acceptance as both author and reader. As a Publishing Consultant for the past ten years (and having been in scholarly publishing the past 35 years), I rarely bring up self-publishing with my clients, at least initially.  However, they bring it up with me more than you would think (usually after the frustration with finding a publisher). See my previous blog post for the Nuts and Bolts of Self-Publishing.

Let’s look at some of the pros and cons of self-publishing:

Pro #1: Control: This is usually what draws people to it. They don’t need to wait on bureaucracy or for a corporate entity. No industry gatekeepers. No other opinions on cover design or marketing approach other than your own. You get to drive the car with no other passengers. The good news: it is all on you! The bad news: It is all on you! (Con: It is all on you. No experience to draw on. You are in some cases reinventing the wheel. Few connections in book distribution).

Pro #2: Quicker time to publication: Definitely, assuming you have the bandwidth. It can happen very quickly. There are no long delays in a publication cue. (Con: Faster doesn’t always mean better. Faster may mean a sacrifice in quality).

Pro #3: “Low” costs and high returns: Maybe. When done right, self-publishing is not without costs. When self-publishing with a partner like Amazon Kindle Direct or Ingram Spark, there are costs for each sale, but you do get to keep more. Know what costs are upfront with any vendor or partner. (Con: Low cost itself can be a cost both in quality and reputation. Also, as keep it all versus a low royalty, 10% of 5,000 copies sold is more than 75% of 100 copies sold).

Pro #4: Rights retained and no OOP: You will keep your publishing rights and (if you wish) the book need not go Out Of Print. Your work won’t be trapped in a black hole of a faceless company. (Con: If your work never finds a market and no one buys it, your publishing rights have less value than you think).

Con #1: Concern about quality and perception: I have seen a fair share of people that have self-published a below average book with an amateurish type of cover. Also, some people still feel a self-published book brings with it a sense of lower status or quality.

Cons #2 through #100: Marketing and Distribution: In my mind, if you have a great idea and great content, the only variable that matters is the promotion and marketing of the book. Whoever and however it is done. If a great book is not readily available to buy, people will move on.

Do NOT self-publish a book if you don’t like to market and sell it. It will NOT sell itself. Many people will say as a counter that publishers don’t market books that much anymore. They may not, but what the large publishers ARE good at is getting the book with no hassle and strings attached to retailers such as Amazon and bookstores. Self-publishing platforms come with built-in hurdles that resellers don’t like. Your self-published book will start life three spaces before Go.

Weigh your options carefully.  If you can’t find a publisher, it does NOT necessarily mean you should self-publish. If you are going to self-publish, there is a wealth of great information on self-publishing (some of it actually neutral versus salesy). Do your homework. Or give me a call for a brief discussion on how these points apply to your circumstances. Good luck.

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John Bond is a publishing consultant at Riverwinds Consulting. His new book is: The Little Guide to Getting Your Book Published: Simple Steps to Success. He is also the host of the YouTube channel “Publishing Defined.” Contact him at jbond@riverwindsconsulting.com.