Should you Professionally Publish or Self-Publish?

Let's say you have done the work to write your book and now you are trying to figure out how to publish. What is the benefit of professionally publishing your book versus going the self-publishing route? There are pros and cons to both routes.

People who self publish usually do so because they would like to have more control of their work. You submit your manuscript to a vanity publisher for a nominal fee and they create books for you. The nice thing is that you can always order more and you make more money off of each book. (This is because usually they will only charge a small fee for each published book. The rest is yours).

The challenge to going this route is that you have to do all the marketing work yourself. You often buy a few copies of your book and peddle them at book signings or at your speaking engagements. The success or failure of your book solely relies on you. You are responsible for getting it on Amazon or getting it featured in magazines or radio shows. For people who don't know all the avenues where they can market a book, they will spend a great deal of time learning the ropes and maybe only getting so far.

Professionally publishing a book has some perks. As an author who has sold their book to a publisher, you look more professional. You gain a bit of notoriety even if your book does not make it to the best seller list. To be honest, I think new authors should have a realistic view on their book. You are not likely going to make it to the best seller list. However, you can sell a few books with the help of the publisher and have that professional clout that self-publishing does not offer.

One of the challenges with professionally publishing is that you have to find someone who will buy your book. If they do buy it, they will take a majority of the money while you make closer to 10% or less of each book. If you are a professional, a good place to shop for a publisher is within your own professional field. I submitted by book proposals to a publisher that solely publishes books for other mental health professionals. It's a small company, but it is easier to get a book deal with a publisher that works in your field.

My publisher did do a lot of work to market my book. They put it in amazon for me. They took out a page ad in Psychology Today. They gave me specific ideas for how I could market the book within my own region. They helped me copy edit and the end result is a fabulous, professional looking book. You can see it here, "Pre-Marital Counseling: A Guide for Clinicians." While they do take more money off the top, they work for it.

Ultimately, you have to decide what route is best for you. I have enjoyed my experience enough to professionally publish two books now, but ultimately the decision is yours.

Angela Skurtu, M.Ed., LMFT is owner of St. Louis Marriage Therapy and author of the books, "Pre-Marital Counseling: A Guide for Clinicians," and "Helping Couples Overcome Infidelity: A Therapist's Manual," (Coming 2018). To join her workshop on how to write a book, visit the following link "How to Write Your Book! A Writing Workshop for Non-Fiction/Self-Help Books."