Good Idea, Chap: ‘Vanity’ Self- Publishing

I woke up with the clear idea that I had nothing to write about today which, I must admit, got me a bit down as it was, rather ‘conveniently’, coupled with a deliciously devious combination of lack of sleep and abundance of nightmares.

Whilst I was having my unbelievably healthy breakfast (hand to God!), however, and doing my usual morning ten- minute browse, I stumbled upon an advertisement on my Facebook page which asked me whether I had ever thought about ‘self- publishing’.

As a genuinely interested person, I clicked on the banner, knowing that curiousity could not kill my cat simply because I didn’t have one.

The website I was on was telling me about how awesome it would be for me to publish my own works without having to rely on publishing houses.

‘How utterly vain…’ I thought as my own vanity crept up my face and formed what seemed like an overly keen grin.

The more I kept reading, the more sense it made to me. Several points, among many, stood out, namely, self- publishing:

• Lets you keep all of the profits; that’s right- no commission! You simply pay a one- off lump sum. For instance, if you want to publish a hundred copies, you simply pay the company £ 1200- £ 1500.

• Eliminates the need to continuously pester publishing houses with samples of your work. Getting rejected by various publishing houses tends to be quite depressing and might potentially lead to your doubting your writing abilities which can prove disastrous in the long- run.

• Helps split the cost between the author and the publisher. The publishing industry is going through a metamorphosis, i.e. Books vs Kindle. The current economic climate is not helping the industry either. But if you, as an author contribute financially, it would take some burden off the publisher’s shoulders.

• Can give you a Hell of a kick- start. If you sell your initial two hundred copies, albeit at a loss, you might seem like a lucrative investment to a publishing house. Remember: sad as it is, businesses (even publishing) think in terms of profit and not talent margin.

• Gives you a sense of accomplishment. And, no, this has nothing to do with vanity; rather, it boosts your confidence which, in turn, results in greater productivity.

• Helps you fulfil a dream. Overstatement? Come on; you know I’m right. Every single one of us has wanted to publish a book and share his experience and ideas with the world. Go on, treat yourself.

Self- publishing has been around for ages; since the early eighties, in fact. It has, however, never achieved a great deal of popularity mainly because of the fact that individuals have never been as good as publishing houses in terms of marketing and advertising.

Nowadays, the tables have turned; individuals can easily do their own marketing campaign through various online social mediums- Facebook, Blogger, Google +, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, you name it!

So why not give it a shot?

To conclude, we all have something important to say; we simply have to find the right audience through the right medium.

Write that down.

Now self- publish it.

I know I might.