Thursday, April 20, 2017

Inside the World of Self-Publishing



        So I finally self-published my first work under the imprint ToyShelf 
Publishing. It wasn't my dream to have an imprint. I would rather be 
traditionally published with a team behind me to edit, promote and 
market my books. However, what I have found is the peace in being your 
own boss is irreplaceable.
        Yes, it is extremely hard work being self-published. You are your own 
book production team. You are responsible for every aspect of the 
creation of your own book from writing the first word to creating the 
first promotional ad. Self-publishing is not for the faint of heart. 
You have to be in the know about the publishing industry and be ready 
to spend money on your vision.
        Sales may be slow, so you have to crank out some creative ways to 
promote and market your book. You will need to learn how to turn 
social media followers into buyers. Also, before the final product is 
ready for sale, you will need to hire editors to turn your masterpiece 
into a readable entity.
        There are so many steps involved in being self-published. The good 
thing about them all is it all depends on you and what you want out of 
life as an author. No longer is there a stigmatization attached to 
being self-published. So if you think you have the work ethic to do 
it, then do it.