Writers today are faced with more publishing options than ever before. You could go the traditional route and try for a book deal at a large publishing house. Or you could go the opposite route and self-publish your work, either in print or in the form of an eBook.
If you’re thinking about self-publishing an eBook, there are a few key questions you should ask yourself before diving in. Are you an entrepreneur? Do you crave total control over your work? Can you hire a professional team? Is making money critical? Do you have the time and energy to take on a project like this? Finally, what are your true goals? And this may be the most important question of all:
David Gaugran, indie author and blogger, says, “Writers get so obsessed with finding an agent that representation becomes the goal. They forget that’s just the first hurdle.” After that, your book gets passed to editors, marketing teams, sales teams and booksellers — and there’s a good chance your book may fail at any of those crossroads. If you need an agent and a traditional publishing house, rather than readers (and yourself) to verify your awesomeness, are you writing for the right reasons? Gaugran urges writers to consider, “why don’t you pick yourself, instead of waiting to be picked?”
For more tips, including how to have an effective marketing strategy, read: Do Self-Published eBooks Help or Hurt Your Career?
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