Self-Publishing vs. Traditional Publishing

self-publishing vs. traditional publishing
When you have a book idea, you may internally debate which is better — self-publishing vs. traditional publishing — before you decide what route to take. Here at Izzard Ink, we have been in the self-publishing business for close to 10 years, and our authors trust our experience and expertise.

Self-Publishing Gives Authors More Control

When you sign a book deal with a traditional publishing house, you give up a lot of the control over what the final published version of your book looks like. A traditional publishing house has a lot of power and clout. Not unlike a movie studio, they don’t want to take chances on an unproven concept. They want to do all they can to assure a good return on their investment. For that reason, they may want to make changes to your book to make it more commercially viable (in their opinion). While book editors at a traditional publishing house can definitely help you improve your manuscript, some authors complain that they take it too far, asking for changes to the storyline, characters, etc. When you self-publish a book, you don’t even need to use an editor if you don’t want to. You can self-publish your book as is.

Self-Publishing Allows You to Keep More of the Profits

With a traditional publishing house, you may get an advance from them while you are working on finishing your book. But especially if it’s your first book, it’s hard to tell how much of a success it’s going to be, so it may not be clear how much more money you will receive. Traditional publishing houses take a larger percentage of the profits your book generates than a self-publishing company. When you self-publish a book, you may opt to spend money on editing or marketing, but it isn’t required.

Izzard Ink: The Best of Both Worlds

You’ll find a lot of differences in the way self-publishing companies do business. Some, known as “vanity presses,” simply print your book without even reading it. Others put more effort in, but may not have the experience or connections to make much difference. At Izzard Ink, we do not simply publish your book. We meet with authors and accept the projects we think will be successful. We encourage authors to use our editing, designing, illustrating and marketing services in order to have the best chance at success. We’re in the self-publishing business because we want to help authors get their books seen and read. We’re a small (but mighty) operation that gives you the best of both worlds: the experience you want behind you, and the control you want to have over your own book. Have a great idea for a book? Contact Izzard Ink today for a free consultation. Our self-publishing company will help you realize your dreams.

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