Should I self-publish, self-publish with a company, or get a professional publisher?

First of all, let me mention there are many publishing companies out there that will help you self-publish but do not offer that much help with actually selling. They are not "publishers" per say. If you type in self-publish or author publisher, scores of companies will pop up offering their services. Some of them require exclusivity, which is my books, borders on publishing but you put out the costs. Really read the fine print! Many of the self-publishing companies print on demand, which is a low initial fee, but you make very little per book.

Publishers require a manuscript that meets a genre that they feel will sell. Your book may or may not meet their requirements, so even if you decide you'd like a publisher, they may not take your book.

So, you have a manuscript and you want to get it published. Should you publish the book yourself or get it published by a professional publishing company? Well here are a few questions to ask yourself?

1. Do you want full rights to the book or are you willing to work with one company?

Most publishers will keep the rights to the book. They've invested time and money into your manuscript to create a book worth selling and they have a vested interest in that book. If you want total control you need to self-publish. There are companies that help you self-publish, but it's like having one foot in each door. They don't publish your book, but they want some of the rights to it. Be careful!

2. Do you want help along the way or are you confident you can research and tackle all the stuff that goes along with publishing?

It involves getting an ISBN, CIP, doing a sellable cover, getting your book proof read, layout of the book for the printer, finding a printer, looking for a distributor (unless you plan on selling your book one by one personally), and so on. Some companies that help 'self-publishers' or authors publish their own books will help with some or all of these

3. Are you willing to market this book or is it just a personal project?

If this is just a personal project, that you are not willing to actively market, you'll need to self-publish. A professional publisher wants to be sure the book gets sold, and it is up to the author to help with that process. Some publishers expect a marketing plan and budget written out by the author.

Publishers don't guarantee your book will sell. How can they be sure of that? It depends on far too many variables, but publishers can help with making it as marketable as possible.

Do we publish other books here at Sette Publishing? Not at this time. We are currently only publishing our own books, BUT....

We can help you with self-publising your own book. Constructive criticism, developing the cover, photography, layout, finding a proof reader, and printing the book.

Do you want help publishing your book? Contact us for more info on self-publishing.

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