Disadvantages of Self-Publishing
Many authors are turning to self-publishing because it has
become so accessible. While it can be appealing to go the route of
self-publishing, as it is less time consuming than traditional publishing, turning
to self-publishing has its disadvantages.
For one, traditional publishers already have a platform to
sell your book on. They have connections to publicize your book and get it out
to the masses. Going into self-publishing means you have to create your own
platform to market your book on. Traditional publishers are also helpful in
making your book better, through editors, marketers, and designers, who all
work together to make the book the best it can be. By choosing self-publishing,
you must edit, design, and market your book without an objective opinion.
Another drawback: money. You have to pay for the cost of
creating your own book, which means paying for design and/or editing, or even
just purchasing a publishing package. You also have to pay for printing,
whether you do print-on-demand or not, and you must pay attention to the price
of your book in comparison to others on the market. When going the
self-publishing route, you receive little to no advance, something you would get
with traditional publishing.
Lastly, there’s essentially a self-publishing boom going on
at the moment, which is a major disadvantage for new authors and writers hoping
to gain attention. There are so many books being self-published that it’s hard
for readers to actually find a really great book because there is so much out
there for readers to look through.
Self-publishing is there for those who are interested, but everyone
should know the potential drawbacks before entering into it.
By Ashley Tahir
