In my recent self-publishing blog posts, we have been looking at both the advantages and disadvantages of assisted publishing. In this blog post, we will be turning to one of the other options that is available to authors, DIY self-publishing. We will consider what the benefits of this method are for you, as writer and publisher, and how it can help your book.
First of all, let’s recap what the two options we’re considering are. The first, which we have already examined, is assisted publishing. This is where you pay for a company to deal with all the production services needed to make your book ready for publication and printing. The exact services carried out will vary from company to company and you may also have the option of different packages.
This means that you don’t have to deal with each individual requirement of publishing and can instead leave this to someone else, freeing up more time for you and making self-publishing easier. However, you have to check any company you choose to use very carefully to ensure their service is not a scam and that their work is of high quality.
The other option is DIY self-publishing, which means that you personally deal with each individual requirement for your book. This does not literally mean that you do each task, although you may decide to for some parts, depending on your skillset. Rather, you are responsible for ensuring each production requirement is met.
This can be achieved by doing some yourself, but it is far more likely that you will decide to hire some professionals in each area to carry out specific tasks. For example, you might get a graphic designer to do the cover artwork and layout, or a formatter to design the inside of your book.
You will work with all of these individual people, rather than one company that offers all these services. You will also be in charge of organising the timescale and making sure everything is completed by the deadline, rather than just giving a date to the assisted publishing company.
Cheaper
One clear advantage of DIY self-publishing is that it is cheaper than assisted publishing. Obviously, you are still paying for all of the services you need, such as editing and cover design, but you would also be paying a premium with assisted publishing for the same thing. This is fair enough, as this premium should be covering the fact that you don’t have to find a professional offering each individual service or deal with organising everything in time for a deadline.
However, if you do have enough time and are prepared to invest a lot of energy into DIY self-publishing, you will save money by arranging all of this yourself. How important this point is will obviously depend on your budget, but if you are happy to organise all the individual services on top of doing any marketing and building an online presence, it can be a very cost-effective option. You should have a choice of services from an assisted publisher, but if you only want a couple of things it may be easier to just find professionals for these yourself.
Higher Profits
In addition, DIY self-publishing can reap better rewards than assisted publishing. Of course, this does depend on your DIY book being of a similar quality and standard as an assisted publishing one, but if you haven’t spent as much you should have a higher profit per unit sold.
There is also the fact that there is no chance you will need to pay royalties with DIY, whereas some assisted publishers do require this. Be careful to read any contract with an assisted publisher carefully to see what you are signing away. If there are any royalties, they should be for a fixed-term period, not indefinitely.
More Control
A further advantage of DIY self-publishing is that you retain more control over the process. You can discuss any issues with the individual professionals, rather than having to go through a company to talk to them. You can also negotiate costs with them directly, so you can decide what points you might be willing to compromise on for a cheaper price.
You can also choose the professionals you will work with, rather than the assisted publisher assigning one to your book. Of course, this does mean that you have to research each individual, rather than just the company, but it does allow you more control.
You are the Publisher
Finally, you are your own publisher. This means that it will be your name that appears when people look for this information, not that of an assisted publishing company. How important this is to you will depend on your exact situation, but this does come with other benefits. For example, some bookshops will refuse to stock books from certain publishers, giving you a better chance of selling your book this way if you use your own name.
Being the publisher also makes it easier from a business point of view, as you can set up separate bank accounts for the book and claim some tax deductions. It may also make it simpler if you plan to publish more books, as a lot of the preparation will already be done.
Wrapping Up
I hope that you understand some of the benefits of DIY self-publishing a bit better now. In my next blog post, we will be looking at some of the downsides of this method, so do stop by in two weeks to read that!
Want help proofreading your work? Contact Carmine Proofreading for a friendly, professional service from a qualified proofreader.
Email: CarmineProofreading@gmail.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CarmineProofed
Carmine Proofreading 
3 thoughts on “Assisted Publishing or DIY Self-Publishing? – Advantages of DIY Self-Publishing”