Self-Publishing a Book? Go Digital!

In a forum of freelance writers, self-publishing books and magazines is one of those topics that perennially come up. More and more writers now are opting to self-publish to keep their rights and to lessen overhead costs. With digital publishing software now available, it has even become much easier and more cost-effective for writers to publish their works.

Why go digital?

Wider Reach. Today’s media-savvy generation are wont to purchase eBooks and to subscribe to eMagazines. It is so much more convenient for them to read their favorite books on their eBook readers or tablet computers. To still provide that actual book reading experience, some publishers use a page flip software that enable readers to flip through the pages of a publication the same way they do with real books. Going digital also means that you are not bounded by location. Anyone with an internet connection – which is almost everyone these days – can purchase your work.

Lower Costs, Higher Income Potential. Self-publishing allows you to work with whatever budget you have. If you’re going to self-publish online, you may even be able to do it at no cost at all. Moreover, retailers of eBooks and other online publications usually demand a lower percentage of the revenue than do traditional publishers. With a wider reach of readers and lower overhead costs, your income potential increases significantly.

Are there any cons to self-publishing?

Yes, of course. One of them is competitive pricing in the market. With the hosts of eBooks in the market, some cost merely a few cents. This would mean that you would need to sell more than a hundred thousand copies for it to be profitable. Another downside to self-publishing is that you would have to do all the marketing yourself. If your work is exceptional, this really wouldn’t pose any problem.

If you weigh your options now, self-publishing would most likely still be the best option. You can opt to have your work printed and market it yourself, published online or available on print-on-demand. In my opinion though, if you want to get your books read, go for digital publishing!