You’ve finished your novel (or you’re getting close) and now comes another big decision: what are you going to do with it?
Self-publishing gives you the chance to shape the book from manuscript to finished copy. You can choose the cover, set the publication date and decide what goes in or gets taken out. If you’ve spent months or years writing it, having that final say might be especially appealing. But it also means taking charge of the work that happens after the writing. Would you enjoy that part of the process?
Putting your team together
Self-publishing doesn’t mean doing everything yourself, of course. You can work with an editor, cover designer and formatter, choosing people whose approach suits you and your book. You’ll be the one bringing the team together and deciding how the finished book should look and feel.
You might prefer to tackle some of these jobs yourself, and that’s entirely your choice. But when it comes to checking the words, a fresh pair of eyes can spot things you’ve missed. After spending so long with your manuscript, it’s easy to read what you expect to see rather than what’s actually on the page.
Finding that help is easier than it used to be. Platforms such as Reedsy let authors find publishing professionals and work with them online. You can largely set your own timetable, too, provided you leave enough time for editing, design and the final checks.
Planning what to spend
Self-publishing can offer a higher royalty rate on each sale, but it also gives you responsibility for the costs along the way. Editing, design and promotion are all things to consider when working out your budget. You can decide where to invest and what’s realistic for this book, bearing in mind that a higher percentage per sale won’t necessarily mean higher earnings overall.
Finding your readers
Once the book is ready, you get to decide how to introduce it to readers. Making a novel available online is relatively straightforward; helping the right people discover it takes more thought. If you’re writing around a full-time job, you’ll want to be realistic about the time you can give to promotion, whether that’s online, at events or in other ways.
Independent bookshops can be a great resource here, especially for local authors. Many of the smaller bookshops in and around my area host events where writers can meet readers, connect with other authors and sell their books. Another useful place to look is Author Events, run by thriller writer Alex Stone (we worked together on The Quiet Sister). It brings authors and readers together through events and other opportunities.
Would a traditional publisher take all of that off your hands? Not entirely. A publisher brings a team and may open doors that are harder to reach on your own, particularly in bookshops, but authors can still play a part in promoting their work. Neither route means you have to do everything alone.
What would success look like to you?
I’ve worked with self-published authors whose main wish was to tell their story and put it into the world. Reaching even one reader would have made the experience worthwhile to them. Others hope to build a large audience or earn enough to keep writing. There’s room for all those ambitions.
Occasionally, self-publishing leads to a book deal. Andy Weir published The Martian himself before a publisher acquired it and the story became a film. In the UK, crime writer J M Dalgliesh built a substantial readership independently before signing with Bookouture to write new thrillers. Those are exceptional stories, but a book deal needn’t be your measure of success.
It isn’t always a choice between two fixed paths, either. I’ve worked with authors who publish some books through the traditional route and self-publish others that aren’t a fit for their publisher’s list. They’ve found different homes for different books.
Self-publishing doesn’t have to be a stepping stone to a book deal, and a book deal doesn’t have to close the door on self-publishing. What matters is what you want for this book: the freedom to make the decisions yourself, the support of a publishing team or simply the chance to put your story into readers’ hands. Once you know what success means to you, you’re in a better position to choose your route.
Are you considering self-publishing, or have you already taken that path? I’d love to hear what influenced your decision. And if you’re getting a novel ready to publish and would like help with the editing, feel free to get in touch.
