February 10, 2023

162: Should You Self-Publish? (Part One)

43 minutes

Should you self-publish? This is a big debate among aspiring authors, and there is no one right answer. Today I’m sharing my take on the three main publishing options you have to get a book into the world:

Self-publishing (including direct-to-ebook or audiobook) where you hire your own team of specialists along the way.

Hybrid where you partner with an established publisher, while fronting the costs as an author (for the team they assemble and either print-on-demand or funding a larger print run), and

Traditional publishing with one of the “Big Five” publishing houses, where they give you an advance, and you get the cache of making it through the “gatekeeper” gauntlet.

🌟6 Key Considerations:

Cash Flow

Your Business Model

Quality

Speed

Team & Process

Platform size, connections, and “know that I tried”

📝Permission: Take one small next step towards publishing your book. Remember, you are a messenger. When you get overwhelmed, return to asking, “What is in the highest good for all involved? How can I move forward with ease and joy?”

✅Do (or Delegate) This Next: Check out the Author Toolkit, then draft a one-page query email highlighting the answers to: why me, why now, why this book, and your platform stats.

📘Books Mentioned:

Free Time: Lose The Busywork, Love Your Business

Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One

Life After College

Published.: The Proven Path From Blank Page To 10,000 Copies Sold by Chandler Bolt

Write Useful Books: A Modern Approach to Designing and Refining Recommendable Nonfiction by Rob Fitzpatrick

Write a Must-Read: Craft a Book That Changes Lives—Including Your Own by A.J. Harper

🔗Resources Mentioned:

Free Time’s Author Toolkit

Article: New York Times’ How to Get Published—One Book’s Journey

Related Podcasts: Self Publishing School, The Creative Penn Podcast

Publishers: Page Two, Running Press Publishing, Portfolio Publishing, Ideapress Publishing, Amazon CreateSpace

Audiobook Publishing: ACX, Findaway Voices

🎧Related Podcast Episodes:

103: How to Land a Literary Agent and Publisher with David Moldawer (Part One)

105: “Don’t write the wrong book!” with David Moldawer (Part Two)

077: Happy Launch Day! Antonio Neves Guest Hosts (Part 1)

079: Behind the Launch with Antonio Neves (Part 2)

096: Book Sales Stats—One Month Post-Launch 🎉

028: When the Financial Tides Recede

045: Behind the Free Time Brand with Adam Chaloeicheep

158: How to Decide on a Book (or Big Idea) Topic—10 Filters

070: Rough Drafts vs. The Writers Room

035: The Long Game with Dorie Clark

💻 Access Free Time episode transcripts on Podscribe »

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By Jenny Blake

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