Self-publishing can be daunting for many would-be writers, but then traditional publishing can also be a marathon of hard work and frustration. If you are on the fence about whether to publish the traditional way or to self-publish, you should watch the video below by Brian Felsen, president of BookBaby.com, a company that can turn your manuscript into any ebook format for a reasonable $99 and then$19/year.* Unlike Smashword, Bookbaby does not take a percentage of your sales, so you keep 100% of your royalty.
Felsen makes some good points about self-publishing that are hard to refute:
- Self-publishing avoids the “gate-keepers” of the traditional publishing world
- Traditional publishers require you to build your fan base, so you can’t skip this important step.
- You get up to a 70% royalty on your book when you self-publish, versus the 8% to 15% from traditional publishers.
- Self-publishers are usually better are marketing to small niches.
- You can always sign with a traditional publisher after you self-publish.
You can watch Felsen’s presentation at the 2011 Frankfurt Book Fair if you are still not convinced. Click the link below to see the Youtube video.
*Bookbaby has other services for additional costs. See https://www.bookbaby.com/pricing.
