Why Self-Publishing shouldn’t be your Plan Z

I self-published my debut novel, "Hey, June," on February 29, 2024. Okay, that sentence is a bit misleading. It took me nine months altogether from writing the first draft to releasing my book to the public - but I did self-publish. And this is why I recommend it.

In the past, self-publishing was seen as a last resort. If publishers and agents kept rejecting your book, then you would self-publish. At least that’s how most people saw, and still see, self-publishing. But I’m here to change your mind and, in fact, tell you why self-publishing is the smart route to publishing your written word.

The publishing industry as a whole has changed drastically in the last five years, and it’s for one reason: #BookTok.

Social media has embedded itself into every facet of our daily lives. We often consume hours of information in the form of videos and pictures, and it’s become our third space. Not only that, but social media is a viable career (now the longevity of such a career can be questioned, but as with all things, if you’re smart and diversify your content and offerings, you should be good) and it also acts as the ultimate marketing machine.

You mix that with books, and you’ve got this super machine that not only can potentially reach 1.5 billion people with a simple video, but the community behind the screen controls what books are trending. You’ve seen the #BookTok section in your local bookshop.

Now, what does this have to do with you?

Everything.

One of the major selling points of having your work traditionally published is the marketing budget. While you may not get a billboard in Times Square, you will still get the buzz and prestige that comes with working under a publishing house - especially one of the big five. The other major selling point is that you don’t pay anything out of pocket and that everything is kind of done for you (besides writing and editing the book, duh).

However, there’s a flip side to that very shiny coin. You sign over creative and business control for your book (if the publisher says to change a major plot point, you have to change a major plot point). You make pennies for every book sold (although you do get an advance, this is usually spent by the time your book is released). You have to wait anywhere from two to four years to publish your book (so, becoming a full-time author is a bit more difficult).

Not to mention, this all happens after you secure a book agent and you both convince a publishing house to take your book on instead of the thousands of other submissions.

Thanks to social media and the internet golden age we live in, the publishing playing field has been evened. Your self-published book can be thrust into the BookTok machine and take off just as easily as someone with a traditionally published book. Many of the famous authors you see on BookTok started out as self-published authors, but because of the success of their books thanks in part to social media, they’re picked up by publishing houses. Whether that’s a goal for you or not, it’s cool that others have done it.

Now, why else should you consider self-publishing? Let’s get into the logistics of self-publishing and why it’s the more accessible option for publishing.

Self-Publishing pros + Cons

The pros (and cons) of self-publishing can be summarized in one sentence: You are in control.

Cons

Now, why would this be a con? Well, every decision, however minimal, is up to you. From the plot and characters to the font and title, everything will be up to you. Once or twice, I considered just giving up and going to a traditional publisher simply because I wouldn’t be in charge. I am not new to this feeling as someone who is self-employed - sometimes it’s easier to be told exactly what to do and why you should do it.

While being hands-on may be overwhelming, it is incredibly rewarding. Publishing a book is no small feat, and a book is kind of like your baby. You put in an inordinate amount of time writing the thing, and now you are in charge of how it is presented to the world.

Of course, that’s not to say you’re alone in crafting the final version of your book if you choose to self-publish. I had a very talented editor and book cover artist who helped elevate my book to new heights. You’ll also likely have beta readers or a critique partner who will give you direction in the initial edits of your story.

Two other cons that can be scary (but in practice, really aren’t) are the upfront cost and marketing responsibility. As mentioned before, marketing is relatively easy given the rise of social media. Other forms of online marketing can be easily learned through YouTube, TikTok, or a simple Google search.

Upfront costs vary widely depending on you and what you want for your book. As outlined in my self-publishing guide, you can do it relatively cheaply for under $1000; however, you’re likely going to spend a bit more. The main costs when it comes to self-publishing have to do with professional editors and cover artists for one good reason:

People do judge a book by its cover and won’t buy a book riddled with grammar and spelling mistakes.

There is one really good solution to upfront costs - saving from the get-go. The self-publishing timeline can range from 9 to 18 months, depending on the amount of free time you have outside of your commitments. Once you decide to self-publish, you can also begin saving up, which should be straightforward considering you don’t really need to open your wallet until way later in the publishing process.

Pros

Now let’s further explore the pros of self-publishing and being in complete control. You get to decide how the story unfolds. Writing is a very personal experience, and publishing makes you even more vulnerable. In the world of publishing, especially traditional publishing, marketability is everything. Many publishers don’t care about story integrity as much as they care about how many copies they can sell.

Many authors struggle with giving up creative control over their own stories for good reason; pieces of their story are being surgically removed, replaced, and reduced to make it more consumable to the general public. With self-publishing, you do have to take marketability into account (which your editor will help you with), but you are in complete control of how the story unfolds.

As a self-published author, you get to control not only the creative side of your book but also full ownership of its rights. You get to decide where your book is sold, how it is used, who gets to feature it, and for what purpose. I am very honored and happy that schools want to use my book for their programs, book clubs want to do readings, and it’s even better that I have the power to say yes to these readings. If someday someone approaches and wants to create something around my book, I will be in control then too.

The final pro I will touch on is that self-publishing is also a faster route. The timeline for publishing my debut novel, "Hey, June," was a short 9 months. If I had decided to traditionally publish, my book wouldn’t have come out until late 2025 or even 2026. This was one of the biggest pros in my case because of sentimental reasons.

I wrote "Hey, June" for my two dear friends who passed away at the age of 23 when I was 19 years old. Publishing "Hey, June" at the same age as they were was incredibly important to me considering they were among the first to believe that I could publish a book someday.

There are many pros and cons to self-publishing, more of which I go into detail about in my digital publishing guide - "Cree’s Ultimate Guide to Self-Publishing for Writers Wanting to be Authors" - but these are the biggest reasons to consider.

While it may be scary to take on the responsibility of publishing your own book, I think it is highly rewarding. Not to mention, it’s always smart to get ahead of changing trends, and thanks to social media, the publishing industry is indeed changing.

Have any questions or comments? Leave them down below!