Debunking Some Common Self-Publishing Myths

There are so many unreasonable things said online about aspiring writers and how they should not choose self-publishing over traditional publishing. The following are some myths which have been debunked so all you aspiring writers can breathe a sigh of relief and chase that cloud of confusion out of your minds:

The Last Thing Readers Will Do Is Buy a Self-Published Book

That’s really funny considering the fact both John Locke and Amanda Hocking are self-publishing novelists. And if that hasn’t got you wide-eyed then maybe this will: both have sold over one million copies of different e-books. You’d be surprised to know they promoted their books entirely through social media platforms and producing high quality blog posts. Moreover, apart from these authors, there are hundreds of other writers who have gone to make the New York Times Bestsellers’ list by self-publishing books.

Self-Publishing Writers Need an Agent to Take Care of All the Selling

Look, these days what traditional and non-traditional publishers look for is a writer who can sell a large number of books. They look to promote writers who have a proven sales record, so in essence it is all about numbers. If you are an author who has already sold a decent amount of books over the internet then your chances of getting picked by a good publishing agency are indeed high. So, you don’t necessarily need to hire an agent.

You Will Go Bankrupt Funding a Self-Published Book

This one really cracked me up. Look, granted there were times authors used to get their books published through expensive vanity presses. Some still do these days, but thanks to technology, now you can use a number of different platforms like lulu.com and Lightningsouce.com which have provide printing services at reasonable rates, perfect for self-publishing writers.

You Won’t Be Noticed By Any Big Publishers

Unless you are as famous as Robert Ludlum, you might not have to do anything to market your books. That is primarily because of the fact he been a published author of decades now. For a writer who has been a published author since 2010, 2012 or 2014, you will have to considerably work hard to market your book. Big publishers always gun for writers who can sell books, remember? Because publishers too need to make money, especially in a highly competitive market such as the ones writers compete in these days. So, what all publishers look at are cold hard facts, how much money can you make them?

All in all, it is up to you to decide if you want to self-publish or go for traditional publishing, one thing you have to understand is the fact in order to even consider about both the options you need to have a great book. Unless you are writing a good book, you cannot afford to think about secondary things. Your primary objective is to first think up of really good ideas and a plot you can base your writing on.