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Debunking common myths about self-publishing

Debunking common myths about self-publishing

Despite self-publishing’s growing popularity as a mode to revolutionise the publishing industry, many myths about self-publishing persist. And even worse, these myths can often discourage writers from pursuing this path.

Contents

1. Myth 1: Self-publishing is just for authors who can’t get a traditional deal
2. Myth 2: Self-publishing means lower quality books
3. Myth 3: Self-publishing means doing everything alone
4. Myth 4: Self-published books never make money
5. Myth 5: Only print books count as “real books”
6. Myth 6: Self-publishing books don’t get respect in the market
7. Conclusion

clock - estimated reading time  Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

1. Myth 1: Self-publishing is just for authors who can’t get a traditional deal

Self-publishing is often misunderstood as a last resort for authors who can’t land a traditional publishing deal. However, many successful authors embrace self-publishing for its distinct benefits.

One primary advantage of self-publishing is the full creative control it offers. Authors can make decisions about cover design, content, and overall presentation, shaping their book exactly as they envision it. This level of autonomy often appeals more than adhering to the strict constraints set by traditional publishers.

Another key benefit is the speed. Traditional publishing can take months or even years to launch their author’s book, while self-published authors can have their work available to readers in a fraction of the time. This rapid turnaround is ideal for writers eager to share their stories without delay.

Additionally, self-publishing allows authors to retain a larger share of their royalties. In contrast, traditional publishing often means authors receive only a small percentage of their book’s earnings. Self-published authors typically enjoy a greater share of the profits from each of their sales, whether this is self-selling or through Print-on-Demand services.

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2. Myth 2: Self-publishing means lower quality books

A common myth is that self-published books are of lower quality than traditionally published ones. While the ease of self-publishing can lead to a surge of subpar titles, many self-published works are meticulously designed and professionally edited all to the same level (or higher) than traditionally published books.

The misconception about the quality of self-published books stems from outdated views. As the self-publishing industry evolves, more high-quality self-published books gain recognition and respect from readers and critics alike. Embracing this change can help readers discover outstanding literature that might otherwise go overlooked.

There are many resources available to self-publishing authors to ensure their book is high quality. Authors can hire professional editors, cover designers, and typesetters to enhance their books. There are even services for more niche books with additional requirements, like professional indexers, illustrators, and more.

Most self-published authors dedicate significant time and effort to perfecting their books because they have a personal investment in their success. This commitment often leads to engaging and well-crafted products that resonate with readers.

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3. Myth 3: Self-publishing means doing everything alone

The idea that self-publishing is a solo journey is another misconception that needs addressing. Self-publishing doesn’t mean doing everything yourself; it means having the freedom to choose your team and work alongside professionals who align with your vision.

Self-publishing authors can collaborate with skilled editors, designers, and more to elevate their books. These professionals offer services comparable to those of traditional publishers, ensuring that self-published works meet high industry standards.

Additionally, numerous online forums and writing groups allow authors to seek advice, share experiences, and receive support from their peers. This community aspect of self-publishing is invaluable, helping authors feel connected and empowered throughout their publishing journey.

While self-published authors wear many hats, they aren’t alone. There is a vibrant community of professionals and fellow writers that support the self-publishing landscape.

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4. Myth 4: Self-published books never make money

The common myth that self-published books never generate income is misleading. In fact, many self-published authors achieve significant financial success, often surpassing their traditionally published peers who can receive royalties as low as 5%. Self-publishing gives authors the freedom to set competitive prices and retain a larger share of their royalties. For instance, platforms like Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing allow authors to earn up to 60% of their book sales and 70% of their eBook sales, a substantial increase compared to traditional publishing contracts.

Successful self-published authors frequently use strategic marketing and promotion techniques to boost their book sales. By leveraging social media, email marketing, Amazon marketing, and targeted book promotions, they can reach a wider audience and enhance their earnings.

While not every self-published book becomes a bestseller, the potential for financial success is very real. With dedication, effective marketing strategies, and a strong online presence, self-published authors can turn their passion into profit.

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5. Myth 5: Only print books count as “real books”

In today’s digital age, the belief that only print books are “real books” is outdated. EBooks and audiobooks have surged in popularity, gaining recognition as legitimate literature among readers worldwide. Self-publishing platforms empower authors to publish eBooks and audiobooks easily, meeting the growing demand for digital content.

Digital books offer many advantages, including instant delivery, accessibility features for better readability, and the convenience of carrying an entire library on a single device. These features significantly enhance the reading experience and contribute to the increasing acceptance of eBooks and audiobooks among modern readers.

As technology advances, the definition of a “real book” evolves. Self-published authors can leverage this trend by providing their works in multiple formats, reaching a broader audience and maximising their potential in the ever-changing literary landscape.

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6. Myth 6: Self-published books don’t get respect in the market

The perception that self-published books lack respect in the literary market is changing. As more high-quality self-published works gain recognition, the stigma around them diminishes. Many self-published authors achieve critical acclaim and commercial success, proving that self-publishing is a legitimate path to literary recognition. In fact, some authors even win awards or secure traditional publishing deals after building successful self-published careers.

Industry awards and competitions now recognise self-published books by including specific categories, further validating their place in the literary world. This growing recognition helps break down barriers and boosts the credibility of self-published works.

The increasing acceptance of self-publishing is a positive development for authors seeking respect in the industry. By prioritising quality writing and engaging storytelling, self-published authors can gain the recognition and respect they deserve.

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7. Conclusion

The myths surrounding self-publishing often discourage writers from pursuing it as a legitimate path. However, self-publishing offers numerous benefits, such as creative control and the potential for financial success.

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Self-publishing self-sabotage

Self-publishing self-sabotage

A veteran self-publisher’s case studies

Green Hill has been serving the growing community of Australian and New Zealand self-publishers for well over a decade. And I’ve been in self-publishing in one form or another for 30 years.

While we think we’ve seen it all, each month we seem to be faced with a new challenge or a twist on an old one. Don’t get me wrong – we love our authors! And they love us or at very least respect us. Most are intelligent and sophisticated and have met with good success in their publishing endeavours. But there’s been a few (actually more than a few) who have self-sabotaged their efforts to be a successful author. For simplicity, I’ve grouped these into four categories of the most common forms of self-publishing self-sabotage I know.

IMPORTANT NOTE: These case studies have had the names, locations, book genres, personal profiles fictionalised for the purpose of protecting actual author identities and their privacy.

Contents

1. Bad self-publishing idea #1: I want to be a millionaire
2. Bad self-publishing idea #2: I had a dream…
3. Bad self-publishing idea #3: My words are special
4. Bad self-publishing idea #4: The media is the message

clock - estimated reading time  Estimated reading time: 9 minutes

Bad self-publishing idea #1: I want to be a millionaire

The aspiring author called me and asked to meet. I love meeting authors, online or on the phone or in our offices! So I was looking forward to it. This author was referred by a happy author for whom we had previously published. Its always great to start a project conversation from the base point of a happy author recommendation.

He was a 40 year old, fit looking and a little intense at first greeting. Settling down over coffee I started to show him some of our most successful books including a childrens book that had been selling extremely well on Amazon in the US.

‘Hold on before you go on I’ve got one simple question to ask’ he said, quickly taking control of the meeting.

‘I want to know how much money my book will make. How much can I bank on?’

I explained that I didn’t even know what the book was about (what was his book concept and what was the genre). Nor did I know if he had written a book before, or if he was literate – if he could write. I just couldn’t  pull a financial projection out of the hat.

‘Ok. I want this book to make a million dollars. Can you guarantee that? Its a childrens book about a dog going to the beach. A friend of mine has done some illustrations.’

When I said I that I couldn’t give him any financial guarantee, with measured anger he retorted “OK I’m out’ and within another five minutes, after I felt it kind to further his own disillusion (for his own good) he was gone and gone for good.

Another author with a similar financial goal rebuked me for being negative and said I needed to think big, watch my words and make an appointment for counselling with him as he was a Neuro Linguistic Programmer (NLP). I clearly ‘needed help’. He’d never published a book before – I’d published thousands of books. But, doing his very first book, somehow he knew better.

We have many authors who have done well financially (and many that haven’t) and many more in between. We can certainly provide some advice about the financial potential of your book.

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Bad self-publishing idea #2: I had a dream

He was a senior retired professional writing his memoir of a long and successful life. The book would never be a best seller and he understood that and wanted the book to be a record for family, friends and work colleagues.

It was well written, edited and interesting.

But there was one issue. Sometime around 1992 he had a vivid dream that stuck in his consciousness for 30 years. It was emblematic of his life journey  from early childhood and without getting too Freudian, it wrapped together a whole range of sub-conscious realities in a very surrealistic way.

‘My dream needs to be on the cover… it says everything to me. It is a portrait of everything that has deeply impacted my life.’

Reluctantly we started the book design process with a creative brief where the author and book designer discuss the book creation process. Here the book designer gets the author to clearly outline what sort of book cover they’d like to see.

The dream seemed to be long and complex with people, sounds and characters bobbing in and out of ‘screen’. When asked, the author didn’t really know what the dream meant nor could he visually describe it – when he repeatedly tried the description varied from the last.

He didn’t know how to describe the dream. And the book designer didn’t have a clue what he was on about. The cover was dutifully produced to his satisfaction. Two years later we redesigned the cover at his request.

‘I was happy with the first cover but none of the readers had any idea what it was about’ he said.

‘I got a some negative feedback.’

There are a few of lessons here:

  • never try to tell the whole story with a book cover
  • don’t design a book cover for yourself, have it designed for the reader
  • let a book design professional design the cover

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Bad self-publishing idea #3: My words are special

She was a talented actress who spent her early years in London, then Auckland working in TV and finally managing an advertising and PR agency out of Sydney. She was a confident, sharp and charismatic character but carried the scars of a personal life punctuated with a string of disappointments, failures and minor tragic events. I liked her and she liked me.

Her novel held promise with a major traditional publishing company finally dropping it after they’d sent her so many positive signals over an 18 month period even flying her to Melbourne for a meet-up discussion. She was disappointed but philosophical.

‘I’ve had a f#c$^*g gut-full – I’m going to self-publish now – let’s get it going.’

Our first step with this book was to get our senior editor to do an editing assessment – a quick read-through of a chapter or two and give a professional opinion on the writing and how it might be improved. The book was good but suffered from some relatively minor but frequent issues. These seemed to spoil the reader experience. The errors although minor were a little jarring. We suggested a low level edit of the book.

Her response;

‘my words are special – no-one’s going to touch them – I used to be an editor myself you know.’

‘I don’t want anyone meddling with my words – its my voice’.

Its remarkable how often we hear these very words. They possibly reveal why the traditional publishing company in Melbourne ‘dropped’ her. Perhaps she was unwilling for her work to be edited. I’ve never gotten to the bottom of it.

So the book was dutifully published. At the book launch someone in the audience pointed out a typo on page 123. The book died a swift natural death. The little foxes spoil the vines.

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Bad self-publishing idea #4: The media is the message

Jake was 29 years old, a university drop-out and after working most of his adult life as a barista and in tourism, then building simple websites, had launched his own company. He gained a license from a German company to sell their software products into Australia and New Zealand. He lived in northern NSW in a trendy seaside town loaded with nouveau riche and old-money and was busy recruiting staff who would help him customise the software for Aussie users. He’d started to turn a serious dollar and the value of his new car although leased, would have been enough to buy a modest apartment on the far outskirts of Adelaide.

He was focussed on using his book as a business lever. He wanted the book to be picked up by IT professionals and entrepreneurs seeking a software solution in a narrow market niche. He was unknown. And the book would get him noticed. He could write and did have something new to say. At very least he could give away his book to corporate software buyers and other influencers. He also wanted to get conference speaking gigs. This was an ideal self-publishing scenario for Green Hill – he was an author who was intelligent, capable, focussed, well funded and strategic.

One ‘small’ issue. He wanted the production values of his book to be top-notch.

‘The book needs to be hardback, full colour, I want the cover to be silver, because silver means wealth and gold foil because that’s big among the Chinese’ he said.

‘Inside I want transparent paper on a few pages, and die-cutting on the cover. Can the corners of the book be rounded? Can I get the edges of the book printed? I’ve seen that on a cookbook,’

‘And I want to be photographed… I’m going to Frankfurt, and want a photo there at the river as a backdrop’ he enthused.

Marshall Mcluahn book

Cool man! In the Age of Aquarius the media is now the message, right?

You get the idea. Marshall McLuhan in his iconic work The Medium is the Massage (sic) a few decades ago, brought the theory of “media is the message” to a receptive world audience.

If you have a quality product you need a fancy book… right? You need a quality print job… right? If you have an innovative product you need a crazy innovate book… right? The Medium is The Massage had pages of text in reverse that could only be read in a mirror.

Wrong*. That’s ‘wrong’ full-stop.

Jakes’ book was quoted at $135 per copy for a short-run print. The price made it unsalable and the print method made it unmarketable. He printed just 100 copies and the response to the book was poor. He’s still got 75 copies in his garage.

Not surprisingly Jake is a success. The 75 copies are stacked next to the Porsche. But his book didn’t help at all. Often authors go overboard on print in an attempt to bring an impressive book to market. Often sophisticated readers will question glossy book printing wondering ‘what’s the author trying to hide?’ or ‘its all smoke and mirrors, does the book and author have any substance?’*

We’ve developed our own success hierarchy in this respect starting from the top in order of importance:

  • Book concept and quality of writing (the author’s responsibility)
  • Design (Green Hill’s responsibility)
  • Print and distribution (Green Hill working with the author, printers and distributors to get it right).

Another way of viewing this is a successful book is built upon the foundation of the book concept and the quality of its writing. Self-publishing success looks much like this:Green Hill model fpor self publishing success. A pyramid with the foundation being book concept and writing then design and topped with print considerations

* Footnote: If your book features art, photography, fashion, a cookbook or anything that fits the classic coffee-table book mode, then high production values are justified or even essential.

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The Little Book of
Big Publishing Tips.

 

In just a quick 8,000 words, this little book will equip you with the knowledge you need to successfully publish your book.

The Little Book of Big Publishing tips goes into the essentials of self-publishing a book, outlining the business and financial side of publishing, legal issues, design, editing, sales and marketing. There's even a section on how to identify a vanity-publishing scam.

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Choosing the best childrens book format for your target age

Choosing the best childrens book format for your target age

Choosing the right book format for your child is as crucial as selecting the right book itself. Whether you want to foster a love of reading in your child, engage students as a teacher, or attract young readers as a self-published author, the format plays a significant role. Different age groups have unique needs regarding books, and picking the appropriate format can greatly enhance the reading experience.

Contents

1. Board books for babies and toddlers
2. Picture books for preschoolers
3. Early readers for kindergarteners
4. Chapter books for young readers
5. Middle grade novels for tweens

clock - estimated reading time  Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

1. Board books for babies and toddlers

If you have a toddler at home, you know how much they love to explore their world with all their senses. That’s where board books become essential. Designed for little hands, these sturdy books suit young readers perfectly and are ideal for early childhood development. They can engage toddlers and encourage a love for reading from an early age.

1.1 Why board books?

Board books offer high durability, making them perfect for babies and toddlers who may not handle their belongings gently. They’re easy to grip and feature thick pages that little ones can turn easily. Ideal for early childhood reading, board books nurture a love of literature from a young age while withstanding the wear and tear of daily use.

1.2 How to make your board book

When selecting the perfect board book for your child, prioritise bright colours and simple, engaging illustrations. Interactive features such as lift-the-flap designs and textured surfaces keep your little one entertained, but can be expensive to print, so consider your budget ahead of time. Additionally, books with repetitive text and rhymes not only captivate young readers but also support language development.

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2. Picture books for preschoolers

As children grow, their reading needs evolve significantly. For preschoolers just beginning to grasp the concept of stories, picture books serve as an ideal choice. These engaging books can start to have more in-depth narratives than baby and toddler books, but still need vibrant images to help the child understand the narrative. By incorporating colorful illustrations and simple text, picture books lay a perfect foundation for early literacy development.

2.1 Importance of picture books

Picture books blend engaging illustrations and simple text that bring stories to life. These books play a crucial role in helping children enhance their vocabulary, understand story sequencing, and nurture a lifelong love for storytelling. By reading picture books, kids enjoy tales and at the same time build essential language skills that support their early literacy development.

2.2 The key features for your picture book

When creating picture books for children, prioritise vibrant, engaging illustrations and straightforward but interesting storylines. Opt for texts that are short and simple, allowing the colorful images to convey the story and enhance early literacy to foster a love for reading in young readers.

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3. Early readers for kindergarteners

When children enter kindergarten, they become primed for early readers. These specially designed books facilitate the transition from picture books to more text-heavy stories, supporting literacy development without throwing them in the deep end. Early readers play a crucial role in helping young kids enhance their reading skills and build confidence as they explore more complex narratives.

3.1 Benefits of early readers

Early readers feature simple sentences and familiar vocabulary which helps children start reading independently. These books often include rhyming words and repetitive phrases, making reading fun and boosting confidence. Engaging stories and relatable language support literacy development in young learners.

3.2 What to consider for your early reader

When making a book for early readers, opt for large print with ample white space to make the text more approachable. Include illustrations, but keep them secondary to the text to aid comprehension. This approach helps young readers feel confident and engaged as they develop their reading skills.

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4. Chapter books for young readers

Once children gain confidence with early readers, they are ready to transition to chapter books. These chapter books feature more text and fewer illustrations, serving as a vital bridge between early reading materials and more advanced novels. This progression helps young readers develop their skills and prepares them for more complex stories. Engaging with chapter books not only enhances literacy but also encourages imagination and critical thinking.

4.1 Why chapter books?

Chapter books play a crucial role in helping young readers build reading stamina and enhance their skills. They offer more complex storylines and characters that prepare children for longer novels. By engaging with chapter books, kids improve their comprehension and become confident readers, setting a strong foundation for their literary journey.

4.2 How to make your young reader

Focus on developing an easy-to-follow storyline with interesting characters. Because young readers have very few illustrations, remember to include ample description of characters, places, and items to engage the reader’s imagination and start developing this important skill.

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5. Middle grade novels for tweens

Middle grade novels, aimed at tweens aged 8–12, serve as perfect gateways for young readers ready to explore more complex themes and engaging storylines. These novels seldom feature illustrations and require much more in the way of plot and characterisation than the previous book types discussed. Middle grade novels provide a substantial reading experience, helping tweens to develop critical reading skills while enjoying captivating narratives.

5.1 The importance of middle grade novels

These novels help tweens enhance critical thinking skills and foster empathy through diverse characters and relatable situations. By presenting various perspectives, they encourage deeper engagement with literature, making reading a more enriching experience for young readers.

5.2 Creating your middle grade novel

When writing books for tweens, focus on stories that feature strong, relatable characters and engaging plots that promote critical thinking and personal growth. Don’t be afraid to write a plot twist or two! Select age-appropriate themes that address real-life challenges a child of this age bracket may encounter (even if fantastical!).

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Interested in publishing your book but unsure where to start or what is even involved? Tell us about your project and we will post you a copy of our:

 

The Little Book of
Big Publishing Tips.

 

In just a quick 8,000 words, this little book will equip you with the knowledge you need to successfully publish your book.

The Little Book of Big Publishing tips goes into the essentials of self-publishing a book, outlining the business and financial side of publishing, legal issues, design, editing, sales and marketing. There's even a section on how to identify a vanity-publishing scam.

submit your project details