When does a manuscript become a book? When it is printed.
Everyone has a book in them – a story of their life, or an imagined one in another era. Agents and publishers used to be the gateway to books being published and if a manuscript of even an established author, let alone a new entrant, is not on trend, then it may languish in a drawer somewhere for ever. Lord Byron’s publisher refused to publish his memoirs after the poet drowned at sea because he felt they would offend the sensibilities of the age. And then burnt them.
Henry Miller, the author of the Tropic of Cancer, could not find a publisher in the US and was only published in France for many decades – today his risqué content would hardly raise an eyebrow. Today anyone can self-publish on any topic. Before, an independent author would have to go down the vanity publishing route which meant commiting to a minimum order. Now print on demand has done away with that often predatory market.
There is a growing trend of authors bypassing traditional publishing methods by publishing their work independently. With the advent of digital technology and online platforms, self-publishing has become increasingly accessible. Even established authors are dipping their toes in the market. With the rise of e-books and print-on-demand services, self-publishing has become a viable option for writers looking to share their work with the world.
Self-publishing allows authors to maintain greater control over their work, including content, cover design, pricing, and distribution. It also allows them to receive a higher percentage of royalties than they would with a traditional publishing contract. What’s not to love about it?
A lot. The author is responsible for editing, formatting, and marketing their work, as well as building a platform and audience for their books. And with thousands of self-published coming online every day, being seen is a challenge. Bookshops tend to stay away from self-published authors promoting their works, and an author can send more time marketing than actually writing. Although there are many authors earning a living by independent publishing, especially in niche areas with highly targeted audiences , the money is still in the traditional publishing route.
There are 7,500 new Kindle books per day. At a minimum of 50,000 per month, that means at least 1,670 new Kindle ebooks are published every day. It equates to nearly 70 ebooks every hour.
Of making many books there is no end, Ecclesiastes 12:12
The big daddy of them is Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP): This is one of the most popular self-publishing platforms, which allows authors to publish eBooks and paperbacks on Amazon. Kindle has become the centre of gravity for e-books.
Another popular self publisher is Smashwords: This platform allows authors to publish eBooks and distribute them to several online retailers, including Amazon, Apple iBooks, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo.
Worthy mentions are Draft2Digital, IngramSpark, Lulu, Blurb and BookBaby.
While Amazon Kindle has an optional exclusivity check box, most online retailers accept from all platforms. Barnes and Noble, the Book Depository, and IndieBound are leading print on demand services. Kobo. Google Play Books and Apple specialise in e-books.
If an author spots errors in plot or style, all self -publishers allow the submission of a revised manuscript. A working book cover can be easily designed for free using Canva online. Or a specialist book cover designer can do the job on Fiverr, prices for a decent cover starting at 60 dollars with a professional cover from 250.
A person who publishes a book willfully appears before the populace pants down. If it is a good book nothing can hurt. If it is a bad book nothing can help .
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A new writer can get noticed in the print on demand market. Although a traditional publisher will not take on a book that is already self-published, no matter how successful, they will consider future manuscripts from an author with a proven audience.