Should You Publish Your Own Book?

Choosing to self-publish your book is a big decision. By self-publishing, you take on the responsibilities of the author and the publisher. So before you decide whether you should publish your own book, it’s important to understand what self-publishing involves.

Self-publishing for the right reasons will help you make the commitment to producing and promoting an exceptional book. Before we dig into the process and great reasons to self-publish, let’s look at a few poor reasons to choose independent publication.​

This article focuses on reasons you might choose self-publishing over traditional publishing. For a refresher on the differences between independent and traditional publication, check out this breakdown of the types of publishing.

Bad Reasons to Publish Your Own Book

1. It’s easy.

First of all, it’s not—or rather, it shouldn’t be. Yes, the act of pressing “publish” on Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) is simple and free. But the publication process requires a lot more than that.

Remember, indie authors are their own publisher. That means they’re responsible for all of the editing, book design, and marketing. If you’re self-publishing because it’s “easy” and “free,” you’re probably skipping those steps (or trying to do them all yourself). 

Pressing “publish” on KDP does not make your manuscript a book. Editing and book design do. So if you skip those steps, you aren’t publishing a book. You’re publishing a draft.

2. Publishers rejected my book.

Self-publishing is often seen as a backup plan. Authors query agents or submit to publishers, and if that fails, they toss the book up on Amazon just to get it out there.

This one does require a few caveats, because publishing independently after failing to succeed through the traditional route is not inherently a bad idea. However, there are two important questions to ask yourself before you do so.

Was this book rejected for a reason?​

There are many reasons a querying or submission process may not result in an offer. Maybe the market was saturated with your genre or subject matter. Maybe someone just acquired a similar book. Maybe it’s genre-blending in a way that’s hard to sell.

But it’s also likely that the book just isn’t up to snuff. Like most authors, I’m glad that some of my earlier work was rejected. It wasn’t ready—it’s as simple as that.

With self-publishing, you have to be your own gatekeeper. Look at your work as objectively as possible and ask yourself if you will be proud to have your name on this. I recommend taking some time away from the book. Get it out of your mind, and then go back to it with fresh eyes.

Am I fully invested in independent publication?

If you first planned to publish traditionally, take stock of your goals before moving forward with independent publication. If you are not totally invested in the process, you won’t be successful. Self-publishing is a lot of work, and if you do it halfway, you’ll wind up with the same issues as folks who self-publish because they think it’s easy.

This also ties in with ensuring the book is something you’re proud of. If you don’t truly feel the manuscript is your best work—if you’re not excited about it—you’re going to be much more hesitant to invest the time and money into self-publishing a strong book. By hedging your bets, you’re setting yourself up for failure.​

TL;DR: Make sure you’re all in before you self-publish.

Great Reasons to Publish Your Own Book

If you’re considering independent publication for the reasons above, you may want to take a step back and reevaluate your goals. But if the reasons below sound familiar, you’re probably on the right path with self-publishing.​

1. I want full creative control.

One of the major benefits of publishing independently is that you, the author, have the final say on every aspect of the process. Professionals you hire answer only to you, whereas if you publish traditionally, the publisher has the final word.

If you have a specific vision for your book and you don’t want to see that vision tarnished for the sake of marketability, independent publication may be the best route for you.

2. I would rather invest money than time.

Let’s not mince words. Traditional publication takes forever.

You can query agents for years before getting that “yes.” Then you revise with your agent before going on submission. The submission process can take a year, and there’s no guarantee it will be successful. If it’s not, you go through the process with a new book. If it is, the publication process can take another couple of years.

Some authors are not ready to sink that much time with no guarantees, especially if they’re more concerned with this book than with their long-term writing career.

If you would rather invest financially, independent publication is likely the best route. You’ll have to pay for the services that a publisher would traditionally handle, but the process won’t take nearly as long. And you won’t have to deal with the uncertain outcomes.

3. My book isn’t the most marketable.

Publishing is a business. Agents and publishing houses take on manuscripts they believe will sell and make money. Their first priority is marketability.

But authors have other priorities. We want to see the book published. We want to walk in a coffee shop and see someone with their nose buried in our book. We want our story to be let loose into the world.

If you’re book isn’t mainstream enough or marketable enough for publishers to take a chance on it but you still want to publish it (and do it right), you might think about self-publishing. If you invest in quality editing and design and devote the necessary time to promoting the book, you may still make a modest profit.

Also, some genres do better on self-publishing platforms. For these reasons, some authors also choose the hybrid route: publishing some books independently and others traditionally.

Before you publish your own book, make sure you’re all in.

Whether you choose independent or traditional publication, it won’t work if you aren’t fully committed. Before you begin pursuing either type of publication, do your homework. Make sure you have chosen the route that is the best fit for your goals.

And of course, be certain you’re committed to publishing a book you are proud of. Whether you’re querying or self-publishing, you don’t want to look back in five years and see something you did halfway.

You put your whole heart into your book. Approach the publication process with the same no-holds-barred attitude. Go all in so you can be proud of the result. Then, once you’ve determined self-publishing is your best option, you can go about learning how to publish your own book.