Self-publishing

Self-publishing is the publication of media by its author at their own cost, without the involvement of a publisher. The term usually refers to written media, such as books and magazines, either as an ebook or as a physical copy using print on demand technology. It may also apply to albums, pamphlets, brochures, games, video content, artwork, and zines. Web fiction is also a major medium for self-publishing.

For book building by artisans for collectors and patrons, see Private press.

Definitions[edit]

Although self-publishing is not a new phenomenon, dating back to the 18th century, it has transformed during the internet age with new technologies and services providing increasing alternatives to traditional publishing, becoming a $1 billion market.^[1] However, with the increased ease of publishing and the range of services available, confusion has arisen as to what constitutes self-publishing. In 2022, the Society of Authors and the Writers Guild of Great Britain produced a free downloadable guide to the various distinct types of publishing currently available.^[2]

(where the publisher and author collaborate and share costs and risks. In return, the author may be required to surrender some control and/or rights in return for the publisher's financial and other contribution) OR

hybrid publishing

(where the author pays for the cost of all services, but also signs a restrictive contract which usually involves surrendering significant rights).

vanity publishing

In self publishing, authors publish their own book. It is possible for an author to single-handedly carry out the whole process. However increasingly, authors are recognizing that to compete effectively, they need to produce a high quality product, and they are engaging professionals for specific services as needed (such as editors or cover designers).^[3] A growing number of companies offer a one-stop shop where an author can source a whole range of services required to self-publish a book (sometimes called "Assisted Self-publishing Providers" or "Self-publishing Service Providers").^[4]

Not to be confused with

It has been suggested that the best test for whether a company offers "Assisted Self-publishing Services" or "Hybrid/vanity publishing" is to apply a variant of "Yog's Law",^[5] which states the following:

Therefore if a company offers services to the author without claiming any rights, and allows the author to control the entire process, they are assisting the author to self-publish. Whereas if the company takes some rights, and/or takes control of artistic decisions, they are a hybrid publisher or a vanity publisher, depending on the degree of involvement.

by E.L. James was originally published online as Twilight fan-fiction before the author decided to self-publish it as an e-book and print on demand.^[40]

Fifty Shades of Grey

The science fiction novel , by Andy Weir, was originally released as chapters on his personal blog, and then self-published as an eBook in 2011.^[41] The rights were purchased by Crown Publishing which re-released it in 2014; the novel went on to become a bestseller and then a major motion picture starring Matt Damon.^[42]^[43]

The Martian

Blogger 's self-published book The Revolution Was Televised became an instant hit, winning a prominent review within two weeks of publication by critic Michiko Kakutani in The New York Times.^[44] Sepinwall hired an editor and spent roughly $2,500 on services to get his book ready for publication.^[44]

Alan Sepinwall

Minnesota social worker uploaded several books in 2010 and sold a few dozen copies. She published several more manuscripts and within a few months was making enough money to quit her daytime job.^[45] She later won a deal with Macmillan publishers, and went to being a millionaire in a year.^[45] She sold her series to St. Martin's Press in 2011 for two million dollars.^[39]

Amanda Hocking

Swedish author wrote a book in 2010 which helped get children to go to sleep; his The Rabbit Who Wants to Fall Asleep title featured amateurish illustrations with "clunky prose" and a monotonous storyline, but parents bought it for the catchy subtitle of "A new way of getting children to sleep".^[46] He released it on CreateSpace and it became a bestseller.^[46]

Carl-Johan Forssen Ehrlin

Erotic romance author Meredith Wild sold 1.4 million digital and print copies of her books, and founded her own publishing company called Waterhouse Press; she founded the firm in part because she felt that her novels were "not being taken seriously" as an indie author. An advantage of having her own imprint is that it is easier to get books into chainstores and big-box retailers.^[39]

[39]

While most self-published books do not make much money,^[37] there are self-published authors who have achieved success, particularly in the early years of online self-publishing.^[38] The number of authors who had sold more than one million e-books on Amazon from 2011 to 2016 was 40, according to one estimate.^[39]