The self-publishing industry in India is complicated and at this point, you should be cautious while choosing a publisher for your book. One wrong step can turn your writing dreams into regret. Usually, authors who have completed their manuscript and don’t want to wait for 1-2 years to get their book published should opt for self-publishing. As the name suggests, self-publishing means you spend money and publish your book rather than depending on traditional publishing houses. One of the major reasons why many authors prefer self-publishing is that they exercise more control over their work.
Things to keep in mind while choosing a self-publisher for your book:
There are 19,000+ self-publishers in India out of which only a handful of them are genuine. Many of the self-publishing houses are started by authors who just want to generate passive income from this business. Such publishing houses have no guarantee of working in the long run, they are usually shut down which leads to the loss of all the authors published by them. Self-publishing houses are put on sale frequently. To avoid being a victim of this trap, you should go ahead with the publishers who are actually serious about their business else your money and time will be wasted.
Note: Your self-publisher must have a minimum experience of 5 to 6 years.
Things to keep in mind while choosing a Self-publisher
Read at least 5 to 10 positive and negative reviews about that self-publisher on Google. Then try to find authors on social media who have published their books with them, ask about their experience, and the package that they have bought. Some self-publishers pay more attention to authors who have taken costly packages.
Check the Amazon account of the publisher or the books published by them on Amazon and look at their shipping charges. If the shipping charges are more than 60 Rs then beware. No reader wants to pay more shipping charges for any book. Once you become the victim of such self-publishing traps, it will cost you a lot, so make sure to think properly while making a decision.
Purchasing large packages won’t sell more copies for you. Self-publishing houses are still good at providing services related to publishing but they can't provide good results to you and help you in marketing your book.
Spending thousands on marketing will also not result in direct sales. You need to invest both time and money in marketing your book. Marketing should be according to your budget.
Self-publishing packages that are available in India:
Basic Packages:5,000 to 30,000 Rs. Many publishing houses also have a package that starts from 15,000 Rs.
Important services in self-publishing:
Editing: Don't trust self-publishing houses to edit your book. They will charge you for editing your book but they will proofread your manuscript in the pretext of editing it. Proofreading is less costly and it can't level up the content in your book. You can take book editing services from individual companies or freelancers who work dedicatedly for it.
Book cover and formatting: Book covers designed by self-publishing houses are not that creative as they usually use stock images. You can take cover designing services from a dedicated company or a freelancer in your network. Most of the self-publishers are good at book formatting, so you can take this from them without much stress.
When you have already taken three important services for your book i.e. editing, cover designing, and formatting you can take DIY (Do It Yourself) packages for your book which cost around 5 to 10 thousand rupees. After choosing a publisher, you should focus on your book's marketing and selling.
Many debut authors regret because of the quick decisions they took while choosing a self-publisher so be wise while choosing a self-publisher for your book.
If you need any quality services for your book such as editing, cover designing, or marketing you can contact us at www.rollingauthors.com
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