It’s true that self-publishing is a lot more common and easy these days. It’s simple and quick, and there’s very little fuss.
But with that ease comes disdain from industry professionals. And with that disdain comes myths about self-publishing as a whole.
So, here are some self-publishing myths.
Self-Publishing is easy
I never want to be a Debbie downer here, but there are some difficult aspects to self-publishing in a way that will even closely meet your expectations. Work goes into publishing a book, especially if you want it to be a quality book.
That’s why I started this blog. Because I know self-publishing isn’t easy, but maybe the right help can make it easier for you.
You’ll make a ton of money with just the click of a button
There are no guarantees with self-publishing or with traditional publishing. Don’t be fooled by any claims to make you a best-seller. No one can promise that.
Thousands of books are published every day. There are more books out than there are readers, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it can be. Sales in print, and even ebook are down from 2013.
So, how do people make their living? Consistency, quality, and niches.
With more and more books coming out about the same thing, it’s imperative that your book have something new; something that makes it stand out from the crowd. More importantly, it’s important that it’s a quality book.
Self-Published books are poor quality
That’s not a myth, it’s a flat out lie.
Self-published books can be just as high of quality as their traditionally published competitors. I find typos in traditionally published books all the time. Which is infuriating, but I know that no one is perfect, even an editor for a fancy big name press.
With the ease at which to find freelancers on just about everything, there’s no reason why a self-published book cannot be edited, formatted, polished, and perfect just like one from a fancy publisher.
The biggest plus side is that you get to control so many aspects of that work.
Self-Published books don’t sell well
I know what I said about making money with the click of a button. I know.
But self-published authors are reaching the top 100 on Amazon all the time. Only 16% of the books on Amazon’s best-seller list are traditional titles.
Granted, that should most definitely be taken with a grain of salt. I read a blog from a man who published a book of his foot (literally just a photo of his foot), put it in a niche, and it reached best-seller status.
What I really mean to say is, there’s no reason your self-published book cannot sell just as well as a traditionally published one, especially in the right niche.
Self-Publishing is new
Self-publishing is the old way. People are just bringing it back with the rise of technology. Many famous classics you know were self-published, and I’m sure people will be self-publishing for years to come.
Charles Dickens was self-published in 1836, while only one of the big 5 began before that (HarperCollins 1817). Macmillan comes closely after in 1843, but non of the other three were founded until after the 1900s began.
One of the big 5, Hachette Book Group, was founded in 2006!
We’re talking about big name publishers who take huge pieces of the publishing pie every year. And one of them was founded just 14 years ago.
In fact, Johannes Gutenberg was perhaps the world’s first self-publisher when he invented the printing press in 1440 C.E.
Everything has to start somewhere.
What self-publishing myths have you heard lately?