Myth #1: Self-publishing is for untalented writers
It varies by genre but many traditionally published authors are going now self-publishing or publishing with independent presses.
New York Times bestselling authors like Claire Cook, author of Must Love Dogs (gah, I loved that movie), left her publisher and took back the rights to 7 of her 12 books.
Good for you, Claire!
She said she feels more in control of her writing career than ever before.
“Instead of waiting for the next thing to go wrong, instead of feeling like I can’t get close enough to my own career to move it in the right direction, I wake up every day and get right to work. I’m ridiculously busy, but I’m learning so many new things about writing and publishing and connecting, and I spend all day (and often a chunk of the night) doing the work I was born to do.” – Claire Cook
If you love reading about dirt on the revenue grabbing and what finally made Claire say, “enough is enough,” then read her tell-all here.
I’ll also remind you that NYT bestselling book, The Martian by Andy Weir started out self-published on a Reddit thread. Reddit, folks. Andy tested out his science fiction story on a discussion forum.
Some self-publishers have talent…some do not. Just like traditionally published authors.
Myth #2: Self-published books are low-quality
Not to brag or anything, but my readers often ask me the name of my publisher. I confidently reply that my publisher is me. I did all of this.
Many self-published books have identical quality to those from the Big 5 publishers.
In fact, that’s why I created a webinar about the essential elements of a beautiful book. I want to raise the standards for self-publishers.
Let’s create some amazing books, here, ok?
Want my design tips on the essential elements of a beautiful book? Grab my free video training here.
Myth #3: Anyone can self-publish because it’s super easy
I dare you to say this to an indie author. I. Dare. You.
Traditionally publishing houses hire experts for each department. They have teams of editors, proofreaders, typesetters, graphic designers, marketers, and distributors. They have lawyers and accountants who advise them on how to run the business of publishing books.
An indie publisher must learn the workings of all of that and make decisions about pricing, marketing, and of course, content.
Wearing all of those hats can become a lot for any one person to take on, which is why many self-publishers hire freelancers to help them with their books.
Myth 4: You’ll never make money selling books
It’s not in the selling of the books where you make money but in all of the other things that happen after you publish your book.
I’m talking about speaking engagements, conferences, lectures, and other opportunities and partnerships that come after people start discovering your work.
It seems like everyone has a blog these days but not everyone has a book—that’s because it’s a ton of work to self-publish a book and most people don’t have the time or expertise to do it themselves.
Self-published authors who are prolific writers and create an extensive library can and do make money. It’s not impossible but like anything, it takes hard work and consistency.
Myth #5: Self-publishing is basically free
This one makes no sense to me. I’m not sure why anyone would think that creating something that other people want to buy is A) easy to do or B) cheap to create.
NOPE!
If you want a high-quality beautiful book that readers will recommend to their friends and family to read themselves, you have to invest in high-quality design, editing, and layout. Let’s not forget about marketing.
At the end of the day, creating a book is not free and depending on the type of book you want to create, it can become quite expensive.
If you’re interested in learning about the true costs of self-publishing, you can access my free webinar here.
My take on the 5 common misconceptions of self-publishing is captured in the video below. Enjoy!
