An Alternative To Print

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I’m writing to you in this golden age of technology to offer you an alternative to the struggles of traditional publishing. 

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It is becoming increasingly difficult to be backed by a publishing company, especially as a new

writer. The market is saturated with books new and old, and applying for a publisher can sometimes take dozens of attempts, multiple heartbreaks, and endless months or even years of waiting to get a promising reply. Is this 

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I'll tell you now, self-publishing is not always easy, nor is it cheap – at least, not if you want to make it big. Self-pub can take a lot of time, energy and investment, as well as a whole lot of learning. You're not only writing your own book, but there is much more involved with producing a book than just typing words into a document and selling it. Of course there are easy/cheap ways and more complex but more rewarding ways to produce, distribute and sell a book.

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The affordable solution for editing and publication

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Cover art, book design, editing, printing, marketing, distribution... These are all duties and expenses that a publisher will have on their shoulders if they are convinced they will make a profit by selling your book. And with saturated global markets, both publishers and literary agents have become extremely selective over whose book they invest in.

 

Self-publishing means that you yourself invest in the costs of getting your book published, however it will also be you who reaps the rewards of successfully doing so. Established publishers have a lot of experience in all these areas, and so they can be seen as both the 'easy' and the 'cheap' option if you manage to land a contract with a good one. But, in return, they take a good fair chunk of the profits the book makes, which is not unfair considering the risk of the investment they take on.

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And while the publishing process can be complicated, time-consuming and expensive, there are also cheaper, simpler options available as well. In publication, most of the difficult, expensive and contact-dependent processes are associated with producing and distributing a physical copy of the book, which also takes on stock risk (printing more books than you can sell). In digital form, however, you don't need to produce any physical product, and you can technically even produce a book without any professional editing or a decent book cover. However, without an edited manuscript, attractive cover and an effective marketing strategy, it's unlikely that many people will read your book at all.

 

So what's the minimum amount you'd have to invest into becoming a successful author? That is rarely something clear-cut, and it may depend on your own skills and knowledge as well as the type and content of your book. There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to books, but we may be able to help you get an idea of what might be required in your self-publishing journey.

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So why should I look for a book editor?

 

If you have tried and failed at submitting to a publisher or literary agent, perhaps you should try something new. The Book Editor can help you deliver your book to your target audience; offering you not only cheap proofreading services, but the means to publish your book online at a very affordable price.

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Even if you intend on doing the publishing yourself, any published author, any literary agent, any publisher or experienced writer will tell you to seek out professional book editing services. A story will never reach its full potential without a book editor trimming down and shaping up your novel. An editor is a one-time cost for a book, and an investment in your own writing. Even the best authors need editors, as they want to be able to produce and sell the best book they possibly can. Even if you've decided not to involve yourself with agents, publishers, printers, distributors and fancy book designers, a good editor can be worth their weight in gold. 

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What are the benefits of digital self-publishing?

 

As you may well be aware, it has now become a relatively simple process to upload your book onto the Internet, where people can directly purchase your book from anywhere in the world, and even get it individually printed and sent to them for a very reasonable price.

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The top 100 best-selling print books have been dwarfed by the sales of top 100 e-books, which accounted for over 60% of daily sales. Needless to say, this is the new way things are being done; and not only is it practical, but generally it is cheap, fast, fairly easy to sell, and you as the author reap a much, much larger share of the royalties.

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Distribution is one of the most difficult aspects of publishing, as it can require contacts in the publishing industry in order to get your book stocked in some bookstore chains. Printing is also likely to be the biggest expense in book production, and both of these require ongoing costs and communication. With digital, you don't need to print and you don't need to move physical objects. You're not limited by physical space or distance, only the way you produce your book and market it. While it's becoming increasingly difficult to have your book found in a vast ocean of other books, the risk and complication are still always dramatically lower than physical publication.