Advice

My Advice for Self-Publishers

Authors who are anticipating publishing their own books are following in a long line of authors, both famous and forgotten.  It can seem like a daunting task, and it can be.  As one who has (1) been involved in the Christian publishing industry for over twenty years, (2) worked with many, many authors who have published their own books, (3) published my own works, and (4) had my work published by traditional royalty publishers, I think I can offer some valuable advice for those who are facing that daunting task of publishing their own book.  So here goes!

Self-publishing means you are paying the costs of publication.  It can be a sizable investment with no certainty you will ever make a profit.  Count the cost!

Here’s the good news.  Your book can have a lasting impact on people’s lives. A book has the potential to reach far beyond your congregation, classroom, or Bible study group. In fact, it can outlast your ministry and lifetime, leaving a legacy for future generations.

Here’s the reality. Very few self-published books make a profit.  You must do most of the marketing and the selling.  Don’t be fooled by the claims of some self-publishers (really book printers).  They make their money from selling their services to you, not by selling your book to customers.  True, most will put your book on their Web site, but this generates few if any sales.  Your best bet for sales comes from personal contacts.  The self-published authors who do best are those with a broad sphere of influence—pastors (especially of larger churches), public speakers, missionaries, etc.  This doesn’t mean a “nobody” has no chance of selling books, but it does mean he or she has to work harder at it. 

Here’s my bottom-line advice.  Do not look at your book as a means of income.  You will very likely be disappointed, not to mention poorer for your efforts.  If you look at your book as an investment in ministry—a means of extending your ministry to others—and you can afford financially to make such an investment, you will find satisfaction in the end.  You may indeed be poorer financially but much richer for the experience. 

If you have the motivation and the money to invest, do not scrimp on quality.  Your book can look and read just as professional as any book on the market, but it will take some time and—yes—money.

Here’s the good news.  There are many publishers or printers willing to work with self-publishing authors, and they can produce a very professional-looking book.  They are plentiful on the Internet, and they offer various packages.  Study and compare carefully, and try to contact other authors who have published their books with these companies.  They can tell you far more than the company Web site can.  But the point here is that there are many options for printing your book with a very attractive cover and overall appearance.

There are also many people who can help you with the actual writing, editing, and formatting of your book.  Again, talking to other authors can help.  But editors are available for whatever you need.

Here’s the reality.  Book publishers/printers, as well as editorial assistance, cost money. The tendency is to scrimp on editing services.  Some authors turn to a spouse or friend for advice and help.  That’s never a bad idea—the more people who can critically (in a good way) read your book before publication, the better.  But most people are limited in their knowledge of grammar, sentence structure, and style.  Why trust something you’ve worked so long and hard on to an amateur?

The quality of your book is a reflection on you and your ministry. A poorly written book filled with grammatical, spelling, and factual errors is not something that will enhance your ministry.  A book that people find hard to understand or follow will not honor the Lord as much as it otherwise would. 

Here’s my bottom-line advice.  Don’t even think about submitting your manuscript to a printer without having it professionally edited.  While this may sound self-serving, it is advice I follow myself.  It seems we all (even us editors) suffer from the same blindness to errors in our own work.  It’s amazing what someone else can find that we never saw. Yes, a good editor will cost you a tidy sum of money, but the investment will be well worth it in the end, when you can open the book you wrote and find a clear, well-written, and attractive book that you can be proud of and that indeed extends your ministry beyond the walls of your home or church.