We get many enquiries from people who are unsure of the difference between self publishing and traditional publishing. It can be confusing, so here’s a short guide.
Traditional publishing
Traditional publishers take a percentage of each book sold, but because they only take on books they are confident they can make money on, they are prepared to invest time and money in the preparation and publishing of the book.
Self publishing
Self publishing is when the author takes on the costs of getting a book published, which may or may not involve editing, design and layout, print or e-book conversion and distribution and marketing.
Why self publish?
Most manuscripts are rejected by publishers (most aren’t even read) but that doesn’t mean your book is not worth publishing. If you believe in your book and want other people to be able to read your book, then self publishing is a way to make this happen. It can even lead to your book being picked up by a traditional publisher – if it has a proven track record. But for any chance of this to happen, you first need to invest in your book.
Online and traditional bookstores do sell self published books – but a self published book needs to be well edited and to look professional because it will have to work that much harder than those taken on by a traditional publisher.