Firstly, congratulations! You did it, you wrote that book, and now you are ready to take over the book world by storm.
The challenge is to find a rock-solid author platform. It’s good to be proactive about your next step because your plan of locking in a publisher may not come through easily. What should be your game plan then? SELF PUBLISH!
In this article, you’ll learn about the signs you’re ready to self-publish, but before that let’s look into what self-publishing is.
What Does Self-Publishing Mean?
You should already know this by now – but if not you should read a complete guide to self-publishing a book.
Self-publishing means publishing media without a publishing company. It can be creative work of art, writing, music, or even visual art. Although when we refer to self-publish, we usually talk about authors and the book industry.
Self-publishing a book in the simplest form means that an author has written a book, and is ready to start publishing it all by themselves. The process includes editing, formatting, and designing the book cover – all without the support of a publishing company.
An author willing to self-publish their book typically has certain advantages that include creative control, full autonomy over the entire process of publishing, and acquire higher royalty fees.
Signs That You’re Ready To Self Publish
Here are a few signs that will tell you that you are ready to self-publish.
1. You’re a go-getter
You like to take responsibility for your actions, and you are a self-starter. Nothing can stop you from getting things done. You are confident about how it should all be lined up for your book.
You have written that book, and now you want to take control of the situation and opt for the “self-publish” path.
You may have tried publishing through credible companies, but you’ve had no luck. Now, these cues are all the cues you should follow. Self-publishing requires you to get a publicist, illustrations for your book design, and commission agents. So, you must be ready to cover the costs of self-publishing.
Keep in mind that many publishing agents sometimes do a half-hearted job, which often leads to a disaster for authors. If you are doing it all by yourself, try to avoid the most common mistakes made by comic book artists, non-fiction authors, novelists, or memoir writers make.
2. Now or Never
You like the idea of getting it done sooner than later. Locking in a publishing agent can often take a couple of years until it is actually printed, and the thought of it bothers you.
We strongly recommend you give yourself a timeline of “when.” this is crucial for you to determine even if you can be in contact with editors or pitch your piece. If it all looks too time-consuming for you, then opting for the self-publishing route is the way to go.
3. Publishing Agents are not Calling you Back
This is a key indicator. If you have already pitched your book to multiple agents and are waiting to hear back for months, maybe years, you know that you probably need to make a move.
Lack of response from agents can really test your patience in most cases. Rejections from agents can also be frustrating after they have kept you waiting for a long time. So, if you don’t want to try your luck in this waiting game, then self-publishing is definitely a better choice for you.
4. You Know Your Readers
You have a clear understanding of who your target audience is, in other words, your readers. You have written your book, keeping your dear readers in mind. If you are already on social media and your presence is noteworthy, you might also use the self-publising platform to publish your book, instead of wasting time.
For example, if you have thousands of followers or subscribers, it’s easier to reach out to those audiences instead of targetting random readers. You know your people and can count on them. Trust us; you’re already halfway there.
4. A-Team
This basically means that you have people who will support you with the process of self-publishing and engaging your readers for your book launch. Contacting media outlets, and social media campaigns all require an extra set of hands.
You don’t need to literally employ people to do this job for you if you are tight on budget; you could ask your friends and family to help you with most of these tasks. As long as you have your tribe, you should be all set to self-publish. Don’t forget to organize a book reading session and share it on your social media for maximum engagement.
5. Your Book, Your Rights Reserved
Publishing a book has many aspects, such as the book’s design, appropriate illustrations, pricing, editing, and making it available with adequate marketing strategies. If you feel that you have all of these aspects in control, you are ready to self-publish.
Please keep in mind that it is easier said than done. Come up with a solid plan for it all to work out. You must be organized and take measures to micromanage.
You could even talk to other self-publishers to guide you in the right way. Like-minded people will highlight all the pros and cons of self-publishing, which will definitely help you to do a better job.
6. You’ve Set Goals For Your Book
You have already thought hard about what you consider a successful book. Authors have different goals and wish to achieve different results by publishing a book. Not all authors are about making it to the best seller’s list. You could even have a rough idea of how much you want to make from the book, in terms of money. If you don’t, it’s okay because there are authors who don’t want to think or have anything to do with money even after publishing their books.
It could just be a personal goal that you want to achieve. If your goals match the impacts of self-publishing, then just go for it.
Tip: Try to find a balance between commercial and personal goals – it will lead you to a rewarding self-publishing experience.
Conclusion
Lastly, you might want to consider how many of these pointers match your publishing requirements. Do they tick all the boxes for you?
You have already waited, might as well take some more time to think about these signs before you decide to self-publish. Here’s an idea, if you tick at least 3 to 4 of these signs – you’re ready to self-publish for sure. Good luck!