If you have not had the time or energy to keep going in your search for a publisher, or simply want to get a manuscript into a finished format quickly, self-publishing ought to be a convenient option. The reality can be much less positive.
At a recent literary conference, the room where the various self-publishing firms were displaying their wares had all the charm of the first day of our holiday in Tenerife when, as yet untanned, we tried to evade the clutches of the time-share sellers.
Yet the theory remains good. Self-publishing allows you to park your ideas in a finished format and move on with whatever you want to write next. The key to a successful outcome is what you bring to the party.
As well as offering you an opportunity, self-publishing loads the author with responsibilities: to consider what you want to create, and then choose well - the right format, cover image, paper quality and text size (if you are going for a printed book) or the equivalents for an ebook (reading on screen demands different choices).
And rather than just assuming the complete list of what you are shown by a self-publishing firm is all that exists, you need to remain vigilant to ensure a fine-looking product. It is possible, and it can work - but only if you exercise care, and understand the options open to you.
Alison Baverstock is the author of Marketing your book, an author’s guide and is course leader of the MA Publishing at Kingston University.
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