Are you wondering about self-publishing pros and cons? When you decide to write a book, one of the most important questions you must face is whether you’re going to self-publish or go the traditional publishing route. Some writers choose self-publishing from the start. These independent spirits say they’ll never go the traditional route. Others turn to self-publishing as a second choice after repeatedly failing to get a publishing deal. Some writers are undecided, even after they finish their book.
It’s a big decision, which is why we’re giving you a quick refresher course on self-publishing pros and self-publishing cons. Here’s what you need to know to make the best choice for your book.
Facts about Book Publishing
Are you worried about entering an oversaturated market? Statistics show that book sales remain steady, and readers are ready to embrace new writers. If you have a great story to tell or important information to share, you can find people who will buy them.
- The book publishing market is over $140 billion annually.
- Publishers and self-publishing formats both expect steady sales growth in 2025.
- 75% of purchases of self-published books are for book series.
- While male writers earn more than women in traditional publishing, the opposite is true for independent publishing.
- Physical books make up more than 60% of new book sales.
Self-Publishing Pros
These self-publishing pros are the main ones authors cite when they say they’ve chosen independent self-publishing.
Self-Publishing Pros: Publish Quickly
One of the biggest self-publishing pros is how quickly you can get your book to market.
In traditional publishing, you usually start with a literary agent who promotes your book to publishers. Finding an agent can take some time because many won’t work with first-time, unknown writers. You’ll have to face a long string of rejection letters before you finally spark someone’s interest.
Eventually, you find a publisher who’s willing to publish your book, and you sign a contract. The publisher then decides when your book will be published. This is out of your control, and you may end up waiting months or years before you see a finished copy of your book.
With self-publishing, you skip over all those steps. Once your book is finished, you follow these steps.
- Create the cover.
- Finish the design and layout.
- Format the book for self-publishing.
- Publish on a direct-to-print or e-reader format.
You can do all this yourself from a computer at home. You could also hire help for each of these steps. You could realistically see your book published and ready for readers in a week.
The speed of self-publishing beats traditional publishing and is one of the most important self-publishing pros. If you’re impatient to see your book in the hands of readers, it’s the way to go.
Self Publishing Pros: Make More Money–Potentially
When you publish traditionally, you typically don’t have upfront costs. The publisher pays for the editing, proofing, printing, and marketing. You may even get a small advance. That all sounds great, but remember, you’ll pay the publisher back with royalties.
With independent publishing, one of the self-publishing pros is you keep a larger percentage of your sales. If you sell your books yourself, you will keep 100% of the royalties. Yes, you’ll have to make back enough to cover your initial costs, and you’ll have to sell a lot of books, but all the money you make is yours to keep.
Self-Publishing Pros: Keep Full Creative Control
Creative control is one of the key self-publishing pros. Once you’ve signed a contract with a traditional publisher, you give them the legal right to use your work any way they wish. You have almost no say in how your book is marketed, what niche your publisher puts you in, or how they design the cover and marketing materials.
You also lose control of the way your images, characters, and findings are used. If your book becomes a bestseller, you will lose even more control. Should you be lucky enough to be offered a movie or TV deal, you’ll have no say in how your story or characters are depicted on the screen. If your book becomes a bestseller, you may be asked to create a series, even if you had no intention of doing so and wanted to move on to something else.
Creative control is especially important as a self-publishing pros if your book defies conventional genres, includes your original artwork, or otherwise stands out from the typical commercial book. Having control allows you to experiment, change, and update your book without worrying about what your publisher thinks, which is an important self-publishing pros.
Self Publishing Pros: Market It Your Way
How do you plan to market your book? If you sign a contract with a publisher, they’ll take care of that for you.
The publisher might arrange promotional tours, book signings, and interviews. If you have a contract, you must agree to make all these appearances. It may be hard to fit those into your existing schedule and your current responsibilities, but you’ll have to find a way.
Self-Publishing Cons
As you see, there are many self-publishing pros to becoming an independently published writer. Given that, you may wonder what the self-publishing cons are. Here are the top ones.
Self-Publishing Cons: It Will Cost You
Publishing yourself will cost you in terms of time, money, and work. You’ll have to spend a lot of money upfront to produce a book that’s ready for publication. The initial bulk of that money will go to editing and book design.
Besides the monetary cost, publishing independently will cost you hours of unpaid labor to design, promote, and sell your book. If you want a professional-looking book that appeals to readers, you must hire a graphic artist and a book designer. You must also use a professional printer. It all adds up.
In some cases, self-publishing is the only method that makes financial sense. If you’re writing a book that’s just for your family and yourself, you won’t have those same expenses. In these cases, self-publishing makes sense because you’re not trying to promote your book beyond a small, immediate circle. You can get it printed quickly and affordably without worrying about marketing and promotion.
Self-Publishing Cons: It’s Less Risky Financially
Self-publishing requires a large investment of your time and money. Is it likely to pay off? Not necessarily.
This is one of the biggest self-publishing cons. If you think you’re going to make a lot of money with your book, you may want to dial back your expectations.
According to 2024 Indie Author Survey, annual earnings for self-published writers averaged around $12,000 a year last year, which was an increase from 2022. The same survey found that 46% of authors made $100 or less from their writing, and 17% made $250 to $1,000.
The average amount for commercially published writers was lower, at around $9,000 annually, but remember, those authors didn’t have to shell out thousands of dollars to produce, print, and market their books.
Self-Publishing Cons: You’ll Get Experience and Expertise
A publishing company is staffed by experts who know what the public wants and how to reach them. You will benefit from a team of professionals who know how to edit, design, and produce a high-quality book. Don’t discount the benefits of working with a top team.
Self-Publishing Cons: You May Lose Credibility
While some self-published authors have hit it big, and others have managed to make a decent living from their writing, they are the exception. Most writers who are considered successful have come through traditional publishing. The main reason is the stigma that still surrounds self-publishing.
Commercial publishing is considered more prestigious. To book buyers, getting a publishing contract signals to the world that you’re a legitimate writer with a high-quality book. You may not think that characterization is fair, but it’s shared by most readers, libraries, and bookstores.
What’s the Right Choice for You?
Only you can decide which way you prefer to publish. With independent publishing, you remain in full creative control, but you’re responsible for all the costs and the marketing. The risks and the self-publishing pros are all yours. You also don’t have to worry about a string of rejections from publishers and agents.
With a traditional publisher, you won’t have to spend upfront money, but you will lose control of your book and marketing. You’ll also have the prestige that comes with a publishing deal. Your book will take longer to print, and you may make less money than you would with self-publishing.
Weigh It Up
You don’t have to decide right away. Start with the first step: writing your book. Once that’s done, you can weigh up the self-publishing pros and cons of both approaches. Choose the one that best fits your goals and your vision for your book.
We hope you found this guide helpful. If you’re a self-published writer who’s looking for a high-quality printer for your book, contact Dazzle Printing.
