Should you self-publish?

By Remy Raitt

“Traditional publishers are the gatekeepers and they are closing the gates,” says Bridget Impey managing director at Jacana Media. “They are faced with a mountain of books but really have to squeeze to sell them, so they need to cut back, only making an opening for the really obvious choices.”

Porcupine Press co-owner David Robbins agrees. “Commercial publishers are more and more difficult to access and predictions have been made that in five to 10 years there will only be a few commercial publishing houses left.”

And that’s why more and more people are deciding to do it themselves. “There are huge numbers of people writing, so self-publishing has developed astonishingly,” says Robbins. And, as long as there is passion and commitment behind the project, Impey says the DIY route, with a bit of assistance from those in the industry, should see an e-book or hard copy come to life rather painlessly.

“Doing it yourself can be a little scary, kind of like DIY dentistry,” says Impey. That’s why it’s worth contacting local independent publishers like Jacana Media or Porcupine Press for guidance. “The first thing to do is send the publisher a synopsis and your first chapter, they can then advise you from there,” say Robbins.

Impey says they will also provide advice about the process, print runs, design and layout, “but the author remains the boss,” she adds.

Or just DIY

American author and self-publisher David Carnoy believes it is easy enough to take control of the whole process without any professional help. All you need is a computer, Microsoft Word, Photoshop and an internet connection. But then the marketing and distribution is left up to you too. “And you can’t count on your Facebook friends to buy your book,” says Impey.

Either DIY route ensures the author knows what the end products will look like. Going through a large publisher eliminates this kind of control. Robbins says he has experienced this first hand: “You end up receiving a copy of your book in the post, and you’ve had no say on things like the lay out or the cover.”

Digital or hard copy?

“Digital publishing is more versatile,” says Robbins, “plus you don’t land up with a garage full of books.” Carnoy agrees, adding that it is also easier to produce an e-book, “particularly when it comes to formatting and cover design”.

But Impey says unless the author is a “go-getter cyberpunky type” this might be difficult. “e-books sell as long the hard copy is selling,” she says, “because marketing from a hard copy trickles down”.

Books that do best

Conroy says niche books that have a target audience generally do best as self-published titles. But of course, there are many exceptions to this rule. Impey says the range of books they receive is huge and even if the book has a small market, it might be the kind of book that certain readers have been searching for.

And even if the book is received relatively well Robbins says don’t expect fame and fortune, he says in the self-publishing game, breaking even is what is usually strived for.

Have you self-published a book before? How did you find the process? Tell us in the comments section below.