Self-publishing is not needed because you don’t want to hassle with a publishing house. It’s for authors who want speed, flexibility, and higher royalties. Eventually, many authors who want to self-publish come to the question, “Which platform should you publish on?” Why not all of them?
An author should have their e-book in multiple formats and on multiple platforms. This is to increase reach and targeted audiences since there are various benefits to doing so. While there is no “guaranteed success,” you as an author should try all venues to promote your e-book globally.
What To Consider When Choosing A Publishing Platform?
Once, publishing houses were the only way for an author to print, distribute, and sell their works. But in today’s age, Amazon Kindle and Barnes & Noble have introduced self-publishing, which has become a great alternative and a personal one at that. With digital publishing and print-on-demand, authors can know focus on writing their best materials and simply putting it online for audiences to read.
Now, there are several platforms besides the two mentioned above. Each platform brings its own reach and user base, which is something to consider. While spreading your e-book to all platforms is an excellent choice, some provide you with more benefits and reach than others. This is why it’s important to explore your options and key factors before making your decision.
Your Options And Key Reasons
With so many options available to an author in the digital age, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. This is why you should consider key reasons before choosing your next platform or your first platform to publish your e-book.
Platform’s Marketing Potential
Marketing can be a “make or break” point in your author’s journey. It’s an essential component to ensure your targeted audiences learn and become interested in your work. The right platform can give you those benefits and save you time and energy to market on your own.
For example, Amazon Kindle has an awe-inspiring global reach. Without needing to visit a particular store, readers can log in to their account and read hundreds and thousands of books on-demand or on their Kindle. Another example is IngramSpark, which connects retailers and self-publishing authors together. With their massive reach of 45,000+ retailers and libraries, you can reach a wider audience.
Feedback From Readers And Reviewers
With a pre-existing user base, many platforms can provide added benefits of critical feedback from readers and reviewers. This can also be a shortcoming of the publishing house, where you might not necessarily get any reliable feedback. Whereas, in self-publishing and online platforms, you can make improvements on the go and deliver improved material to your readers. Furthermore, there many platforms that offer beta reading services as well.
Essential Writing Services
As a self-publisher and author, you are normally in charge of your own editing, proofreading, and other formatting duties. However, there are services and platforms that offer formatting services that would typically handled by publishing houses. These can be included in packages or perks of publishing onto their platforms, such as;
- Professional Editing
- Beta Reader Services
- Formatting Templates
- Formatting Assistance
- Cover Design Templates
- Custom Cover Design
- Marketing Guides
- Social Media Promotion Tools
- Email Marketing Tools
Keep in mind, that these services can be costly or require subscribing to the platform. Moreover, the authors should study the platform and its pricing and royalties policies before publishing it.
Control Over Distribution And Royalties
Career and notoriety aside, one of the main goals of an author is to successfully sell and earn from their e-book through royalties. Many platforms offer print-on-demand services for the convenience of the readers and authors. If a reader is interested in owning a physical copy of your work they can issue a print, through which an author will earn royalties.
This can also be an effective distribution method without consulting a publishing house or any other contract-based service. This gives authors the necessary freedom and control over their e-book publications. However, it’s important to keep in mind the limitations of your platform of choice. For example, Amazon offers its print-on-demand service to only its users, while IngramSpark offers it to a wider network of retailers and libraries.
Cover Design And Art Liberties
Cover design is highly important in the success of a book or any other material. As the design not only attracts the readers but provides a teaser into the inner workings of the e-book. This is why it’s necessary for the author to have control over work’s art and cover design to deliver the best work.
Many platforms offer a multitude of customization options, including;
- E-Book formats
- Audiobook
- Cover design, size, and finish
- Font and typography
- Layout and design
- Image Placement
Benefits And Drawbacks Of Self-Publishing On Multiple Platforms
Among the various benefits of self-publishing on different platforms, there are also a few drawbacks.
The Benefits Include:
- Self-publishing on multiple platforms means increasing your reach and your e-book’s visibility to a wider audience.
- Each platform brings its own unique user base, which helps you increase your audience pool.
- The more readers you reach, the higher the chances for your e-book’s success.
- Self-publishing your e-book on different sites opens you to more sales opportunities.
- Having your e-book available on multiple platforms will allow you to cater to a wider range of buyers.
And The Drawback Are:
- Even self-publishing on different platforms does not guarantee success or sales.
- With different platforms offering different perks and rates, success on one platform over another does not mean higher revenue.
- Your e-book’s success also depends on various other factors, such as marketing, quality of writing, genre of storytelling, user base, and niche.
Allow Us At Roosevelt Publishers To Assist Your E-Book’s Success
Roosevelt Publishers is a massive group of talented writers, designers, and marketers who assist authors in successfully self-publishing their e-books. With our decades of experience in the publishing industry, we know the best practices and inner workings of readers’ minds. We will help you reach your targeted audience and earn high royalties.
Increase your reach and your influence as a writer with our amazing self-publishing services. Contact us at Roosevelt Publishers today or visit our site for more information.
