Is self-publishing right for me?

Is self-publishing right for me?

I love being an author. I feel the buzz of creation as I develop characters, scenarios, twists and turns and danger. Putting the main character through their paces as they grow and evolve throughout the book. But then what? You have a book and it may be amazing, what are you going to do with it?

Really you have three alternatives:

  1. Approach agents in the hope they will take on your project,
  2. Leave it, saved on your hard drive for no-one to see, or
  3. You can self-publish.

Let’s look at each in turn:

  1. Agents

Very few publishing houses will take an author on directly. Most will want to go through an agent. A quick search will reveal many agencies.

There’s no doubt a major book deal with a major publisher is the dream of most of us who bang on our keyboards at all sorts of hours of the day and night. And while it will happen to a few, for most it will not.

Be prepared for hours of research – which agent is looking for the book we have just written? Which agent represents that author who is similar to me? Preparing that perfect application letter and synopsis can take hours. And, in the end, you receive the rejection email. Or worse, sometimes no reply at all.

This is not the agent’s fault. They are extremely busy and you’re competing against thousands of other authors. And have you ever looked around your local bookshop and considered just how many choices there are? Thousands of books lying on the shelves, many gathering dust. If you got that deal, would that be your book?

  1. Leave it

As a result of leaving your book hidden in your hard drive, it will remain forever unread. It seems such a shame.

  1. Self-publish

Take the leap and publish that book yourself. You can do it yourself or pay a self-publishing company, like Beyond The Vale, to help you. Upload to Amazon, or have the book printed or both. Friends and family will usually help an aspiring author by buying a copy of your book.

Before you decide, consider this question: “is it finished?”

On the face of it, this seems like a stupid question. After all, you’ve written the last chapter. The guy has the girl. The baddies are defeated. Your main character has overcome all their obstacles.

The reality is, if you’ve only just finished your first draft, it almost definitely isn’t complete. Has it been read through by someone (these are called beta readers) to make sure it makes sense, it’s consistent and the story flows?

Has an editor checked through the book for grammar, missing question marks, or spelling mistakes?

Is your book, the best version of itself it can possibly be?

I’ve self-published. I know the journey and with my experience I am now ready to help you. Contact me today on info@beyondthevalepublishing.com for your free call back. Every story deserves to be told. Let me take you through the exciting and wonderful adventure that is self-publishing.

Leave a Reply

css.php