Self publishing no longer has the stigma of “unprofessional”

When self publishing first got started in earnest in the early 2010s, many people snubbed the new format. Self publishing was seen as an option for authors who weren’t “good enough” to get a deal with a traditional publisher.

I mean, I get it. I remember reading some self published books back in the early days of self publishing and finding some real duds. One woman in my book club recommended a friend’s self published book for a monthly club read, and the book was so riddled with typos I just couldn’t read it. In addition, the story was just … bad.

But around that time I also found several self-published authors I love. I could tell they took their writing seriously. I found few typos and the stories were well constructed. Same with some self published nonfiction books.

So are you someone who thinks of self publishing in a negative light? Do you think self publishing will hurt your dreams of becoming a respected author?

Those days are over.

Self publishing has come into its own as a viable and respectable way to publish books. In fact, many authors see it as preferable to a traditional publishing deal. How did that happen?

First, many self published authors take their writing careers seriously and treat their self publishing ventures as a business. Many have set up a real business via a method like a Limited Liability Corporation (LLC), they have a business plan, marketing plans, and everything else a real business needs to success. These authors have beta reader teams, hire editors, and also hire cover designers. They understand that self publishing doesn’t mean doing everything yourself, and they contract with experts in their areas to help bring their books to life. As a result of treating their books as a business, and hiring professional help as required, the quality of self published book is now often difficult to distinguish from books published by the “Big 5” publishers. Surprisingly, self published books often look better than books released by small publishing houses.

There are other writers who may want to create a professional book not to sell, but to use to promote their business or to give to family and friends. Those writers are just as serious about their work, but don’t need to treat publishing as a business. To create a fabulous book, they do need to follow some common guidelines in the self publishing process.

So what does this mean for you? It means that if you’ve written a book and are currently contemplating your options for getting your book out there into the world, you no longer need to think that self publishing means you’re a “lesser” writer than people who get contracts with traditional publishers.

But is self publishing the right option for you? Let’s dig in a bit to what self publishing means, and how it’s different from traditional publishing.

What is a general self publishing process?

To create a quality book as a self-published author, it’s best to follow these steps.

1. If you plan to sell your book, set up social media accounts to attract potential readers and beta readers–then be active on your chosen social media accounts. This is a step that many people don’t like. It can be uncomfortable, putting information about yourself and your books out there in a super public format! But this is a great way to set yourself up for success for the following steps …
2. Finish your first draft. Let it sit for a bit, then self-edit. I like to read my books out loud to catch typos and awkward phrases.
3. Finish a draft to send to beta readers. If you’re writing a book for your family or friends, send the draft to a trusted friend or two. If you’re working on a book for your business, send your book to a colleague in your field or a friend. If you want to sell your book, ask for some beta readers on your social media sites in exchange for a free copy of your book and honest feedback. A good way to set up a successful beta reading process no matter who reviews your book is to create a checklist of things you want your beta readers to tell you about, and a date you need comments back. Do you want to know about typos? Do you want them to comment on parts of the book that maybe they thought were too slow, or confusing, or left them hanging?
4. This is a good time to start thinking about a marketing plan if you want to sell your book. How will you promote your book? Where will you promote it?
5. After getting back your beta reader comments and incorporating them, hire an editor and send the editor your finalized draft. Finding an editor can take a bit of time, so ideally start looking while you’re thinking about setting up a beta reader team. You need to find an editor who specializes in your type of book (for example, I specialize in nonfiction). Once you find an editor, you’ll need to get on their schedule. Good editors stay busy!
6. Hire a graphic designer for your book cover, unless you are actually a graphic designer. It takes a lot of skill to create a compelling cover for many types of nonfiction books. Using a do-it-yourself cover that doesn’t look great will turn off potential readers and have a negative effect on sales.
7. Incorporate your edits, then get your book ready to launch. You can create the print and ebook formats yourself, or again, hire someone who specializes in layout and design.
8. Launch your book! You keep all the profits.

Of course, this list leaves out a lot, like how to connect with readers, how to set up a newsletter to communicate with your readers, and things like that. But you can see that self publishing includes a bunch of different things that although you shouldn’t do them yourself, you manage the entire process, unlike with traditional publishing.

This general process is how self published authors can create a high-quality book that can compete toe to toe with traditionally published books. Self published authors who create great books don’t just send their first draft out there into the world, they treat their book as a professional product.

But one thing you’ll notice is that YOU as the author have the final say on what edits to include, and what the cover will look like. Traditionally published authors rarely have that flexibility.

Who should pursue self publishing?

With nonfiction books, there are a variety of writers who want to publish a book. Let’s go over some of the different types of book projects that are good fits with self publishing.

Family history or other personal book project: These types of books are ideal for self publishing. Usually, people who want to publish a book just for family and friends don’t really want a book available to the general public. I’ve helped a lot of clients publish books just to give to their extended family. You as the writer have complete control over the whole process and can include whatever information and photos you want.

Nonfiction book to promote a business: Many professionals like the idea of having a book to publicize their business. That’s a great idea! Giving away a book you actually write is a fabulous way to set yourself up as an expert in your field. Since these types of books are designed to promote your business, self publishing is really the only viable method for these types of projects.

Memoir: Many people have written memoirs about chunks of their life. These are great projects to help move feelings from your mind to the page. Some memoirs may also be of interest to the public. Memoirs are a popular type of nonfiction book, so you can certainly try to make money from your book. However, memoirs are usually deeply personal. By self publishing, you can be sure you have complete control over the content of your book. However, since the content is so personal, hiring an objective editor to make sure your story flows smoothly is an investment I highly recommend. It’s extremely difficult to find errors in your own deeply personal work.

Narrative nonfiction about a niche topic: If you write a book about a super niche topic, you will probably have a hard time finding a publisher, unless a regional university press has an interest. Self publishing is a great way to approach niche projects.

Self publishing is a good option for many nonfiction authors

Just to sum up, self publishing is a great option for many writers, and you shouldn’t feel that by self publishing your work you aren’t as accomplished as writers with traditional publishing deals. In fact, your book will likely be more as you envision it if you publish it yourself!

Do you need an editor for your nonfiction book, or help with design and layout? I provide that service to self publisher writers just like you! Learn more here.