Many of our clients at Izzard Ink wonder if self-publishing is profitable. Of course many people would love to be the next John Grisham or Stephen King, grossing millions every year. But that takes time — and usually the assistance of an agent.
So the answer is yes, self-publishing is profitable — but perhaps in ways that you may never have imagined.
- Self-publishing allows you to get a foot in the door. So much of the creative world is about being in the right place at the right time — in fact, that's what Sting said about the success of The Police. It's true that if your music, or art or book is not appealing to the masses, you will likely not be commercially successful. If you have not thus far been successful, the reason could just as easily be that not enough people have seen your work. Self-publishing your book gives you a chance to show people what you can do; and self-publishing with Izzard Ink gives you even more leverage, because we work with you on editing, design, and other aspects of improving your book to make it the best it can be.
- Self-publishing gives you more control over your product. At the outset, you may not realize how important this is. You may think that if you sign with a big publishing house and they demand lots of changes to your book that they are simply guiding you to make your book better. In a way, they are. But they also want your book to be profitable, because it will make them more money. So if they believe any part of your manuscript is too edgy or might not go over well with typical audiences, they might demand you remove it. If you refuse, they will not publish your book. That won't happen when you self-publish with Izzard Ink. We provide advice and guidance, but we don't make sweeping demands. We're your partner in publishing, not your boss.
- You can make money self-publishing. Mashable confirms it: some self-published authors are "actually" making a living. We like to be less cynical, but facts are facts: it can be done, but a lot depends on many factors — luck being one of them. Some self-published authors become phenoms seemingly out of nowhere, others spend years doing painstaking research to turn out a quality book. Marketing is an ingredient in the recipe for success that, while not 100% necessary, can improve your odds greatly. That's because people can't buy your book if they have never heard of it or seen it. At Izzard Ink, we provide important marketing and distribution services to help improve your chances of success. Plus, when you self-publish, your royalty shares are much higher than they are with a publishing house, so even your initial success is moderate, you reap more of the benefits.
Some authors ask themselves, "Is self-publishing worth it?" In return, we ask, "Versus what? Not trying?" You'll never gain what you haven't ventured.
Contact Izzard Ink today and set up a free consultation to talk about your book and to find out more about how we can help you with self-publishing.
