Why Self-Publish
Why Self-Publish? How to Choose Your Publishing Route
Self-publishing is the right choice for many authors and the wrong one for some. The decision comes down to what you want from the book, what you are prepared to pay and do, and how soon you want it out. This page compares the three main routes so you can choose with your eyes open.
- Straight answers, including when self-publishing is not the right fit
- Editing, design and publishing support in-house
- Use us for one stage or the whole book
- Every book quoted with its own timeline
The question
Start with what you want the book to do
Authors publish for different reasons: to reach as many readers as possible, to build authority in a profession, to support a business, to leave a family history, or to start a career as a novelist. Each goal points towards a different route. A consultant who wants a book to hand to clients next quarter and a debut novelist hoping to see their book in airport shops are not making the same decision.
So before comparing publishers and platforms, write down three things: who the book is for, what success looks like to you, and your deadline, if you have one. Most of the decision follows from those answers.
The routes
Self, traditional and hybrid publishing compared
Self-publishing
You are the publisher. You keep the rights, pay for production, set the price and choose the date, and receive a large share of each sale through platforms like Amazon KDP. Marketing and distribution decisions are yours.
Traditional publishing
A publisher buys the rights, usually through a literary agent, pays you an advance against royalties and covers production and bookshop distribution. You give up control of cover, price and timing, and the process is slow and selective.
Hybrid and assisted publishing
You pay a company to produce and distribute your book, often under its imprint. Terms vary enormously, from fair services to contracts that take rights or charge for very little. Read every contract carefully.
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Self-publishing
When self-publishing is the better choice
Self-publishing suits authors who have, or can build, a way to reach their readers. A professional with clients, a speaker with audiences, an expert with a following or a genre novelist willing to learn online marketing can all reach readers without a publisher's distribution. It also suits books with a clear but small audience, which traditional publishers often cannot justify taking on.
Timing is the other common reason. Traditional deals commonly take a year or more from contract to publication, after months or years spent finding an agent and a publisher. If a book has to exist by a particular date, for a launch, an event or a business plan, self-publishing is often the only realistic route.
And it suits authors who want control. If keeping your rights, choosing your own cover or setting your own price matters to you, self-publishing is the route that secures those things, because no one else is making the decisions.
Traditional publishing
When it is worth pursuing a traditional deal
If your main goal is wide bookshop presence, prizes and review coverage that favour traditionally published books, or an advance paid before publication, a traditional deal offers things self-publishing struggles to match. Literary fiction, children's picture books aimed at bookshops and schools, and big-idea non-fiction by authors with a strong platform are areas where many authors still try the traditional route first.
The cost is time and control. Querying agents can take many months, most submissions are declined, and once a deal is signed the publisher makes the final call on title, cover and release date. Some authors query for a set period and self-publish if nothing comes of it, which is a reasonable plan.
Hybrid publishing
Questions to ask any paid publishing service, including us
If you are paying someone to help publish your book, these answers tell you whether the arrangement is fair.
- Do I keep all rights to my book, and can I leave and take the book elsewhere?
- Will I receive the final print and ebook files, and the cover files, to keep?
- Whose name and ISBN will appear as the publisher?
- What exactly is included in the price, and what costs extra?
- Who pays me royalties, how often, and do you take a share of them?
- Who does the editing and design, and can I see examples of their work?
- Are any sales, rankings or reviews promised? If so, how?
Working with us
How we fit into this
We are a self-publishing support service: our in-house team does the editing, design, formatting, setup and marketing work, and you remain the publisher of your book. If, after talking through your goals, a traditional route seems a better fit, we will say so, and we can still help you prepare a strong manuscript and submission materials. Each book is quoted with its own timeline after we see it.
Free proposal
Tell us the goal. We’ll send the plan.
Share your requirements and a strategist gets back to you within 24 hours with scope, timeline and a fixed price. No obligation, no sales pressure.
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Response within 24 hours
Usually much sooner during business hours.
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Talk to a strategist
Not a call centre — the person who scopes your work.
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Fixed pricing upfront
You approve the number before anything starts.
Prefer to talk?
[email protected]Questions
Questions about choosing to self-publish
Still unsure about something? Talk to a specialist — no script, no sales pitch.
Neither is better for every author. Self-publishing gives control, speed and a higher share per sale, but you pay costs and handle marketing. Traditional publishing pays an advance and provides bookshop distribution, but it is slow, selective and takes control away. Your goals for the book should decide.
Not in itself. Agents and publishers mainly look at the new manuscript you are submitting. Strong sales of a self-published book can help, and some authors have moved from self-publishing to traditional deals. Publishers are generally less interested in republishing a book that is already available unless it has sold well.
Hybrid publishing describes companies that charge authors to publish, usually in exchange for a higher royalty share than traditional publishing. Some are reputable and selective; others are vanity presses that charge heavily and deliver little. The contract terms on rights, files and royalties matter more than the label.
No. Agents mainly sell books to traditional publishers and negotiate those contracts. When you self-publish, you sign up directly with platforms such as Amazon KDP and handle production yourself or through a service. Some agents do represent successful self-published authors for subsidiary rights such as translation or film.
Authors who want bookshop distribution as their main measure of success, who do not want to spend money up front, or who have no interest in marketing are often happier pursuing a traditional deal. Self-publishing works best for authors willing to treat the book as a project they manage.
Yes. Major self-publishing platforms accept authors from many countries and sell into many marketplaces. Rules on ISBNs, tax forms and payments vary by country, so check the requirements where you live. In many countries ISBNs come from a national agency rather than Bowker. We work with authors in several countries.
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Benefits of Self-Publishing
Each advantage explained, with its honest trade-off.
Learn moreDiving Into Self-Publishing
How self-publishing works and the terms you will meet.
Learn moreManuscript Submissions
Send us your manuscript to review and quote.
Learn morePublishing Packages
Compare our self-publishing packages.
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