Self-Publish or Not, That's The Question
By Library Romp - 11:56 AM
What Are We Reading? Fairy Books of course...
Rainbow Magic: The Ocean Fairies - They're seven books in this series each representing different areas of the Ocean. A mix of fairyland and our world, where the fairies have to make sure the Ocean animals are safe and happy.
My Writer Question
Do I go the traditional publishing route or self publish with my book series? There's pros and cons of both so I'm hoping jotting them down will help me decide.
Self-Publishing
When you self publish you are the publisher. You proofread, edit, come up with the artwork, providing the funds for it all. The author is responsible for marketing and distributing the book, filling orders, and running advertising campaigns. In the past, the author had to decide on the number of copies to print, sometimes resulting in stacks of unsold books gathering dust in the garage! Fortunately, the Print on Demand (POD) technology now used by some self-publishing companies means that authors can have fewer copies printed—only as many as they need, in fact.
Or Traditional Publishing
If I go through traditional publishing, then now that my manuscript is ready all I have to do is finish the query letter. Then start the submittals to publishing houses or literary agents. From there it's accepted where they buy the rights or not. The later being rejected and you keep submitting to other publishers.
?
So do I self-publish and pay thousands of dollars or wait for traditional publishers to pay me in advance? I am pretty good at self marketing and have the resources to edit, design, and advertise. I think it comes down to this. Do I go for quick turn around and control my manuscript? Or do I wait to earn an advance from a large publisher house?
Things You May Not Know
There more libraries than Mc Donald's and they offer more than just books.
Music & Movies
You think Netflix, Pandora, and Hulu are cool? Well, your library has its own version, only you don't pay one cent to stream the titles. You just need to install the apps, and have a current library card. The most popular one right now is called Hoopla. It's awesome.
Forms & More
As well as the post office and larger grocery stores, libraries have a full stock of the most popular tax forms in the runup to the April deadline. They also have the tax instructions booklets at hand as well. And while librarians are not qualified tax accountants, some will offer you basic advice.
Audio Books
You are most likely aware of the massive array of books on CD, tape, and MP3 players at your library. They have both fiction and nonfiction titles. But did you know you can stream audio books over your smartphone?
Movies
As well as a having thousands of older movies, libraries stock the latest releases on both DVD and Blu-ray. Of course, there are some savvy library users who know this, and reserve them months ahead of time. That's me ;-)
Passes & Some
The next time you want to visit the museum, take a trip to your local library. Many libraries are now participating in the museum pass program, which pairs them up with local museums. Our library often gives out tickets to local sporting events and more.
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