1. What is the difference between self-publishing and traditional publishing?
The benefits of self-publishing your book are that you can get your book out really quickly, often within months, through online book launches, events, and social media. This process is much faster than traditional publishing, which can take one to three years from contract signing to publication.
If a traditional publisher offers you a book deal, or advance, you must sign their publishing contract. This contract grants the publisher exclusive rights to publish your book for a specified term and territory, and they will pay you a lower royalty percentage (typically 5% to 15% of the book's retail or net price). This low royalty is because the publisher absorbs all the production costs (editing, cover design, printing, warehousing, marketing, and distribution). Bookshops and online retailers (e.g., Amazon) will also take their percentage from the sale.
The primary benefit of traditional publishing is their investment in offset printing (large print runs) and established sales teams to ensure your book is stocked on physical shelves in bookstores worldwide.
Self-publishing primarily uses Print-on-Demand (POD). POD facilities will print exactly the number of copies that has been ordered by an online buyer, wholesaler, or distributor. This model allows you to sell your print book worldwide without inventory risk or warehousing costs for the author. However, bookstores rarely stock POD books, so sales are mostly driven by online demand and the author's marketing efforts.
Nowadays, many authors prefer to start with self-publishing to build a readership and demonstrate proven sales and buyer demand for their books. This often gives them more leverage in negotiations with a traditional publisher later on. Accepting a big advance from a traditional publisher will lead to more pressure on you that your book must perform well in sales to "earn out" that advance.
With self-publishing, there is less pressure on you to earn back an advance. Self-publishing is fast, but professionally formatting, converting, and uploading files is tricky and time-consuming, and it is advisable to seek expert assistance for professional layout, so that all your book formats appear neat and presentable to readers. We can assist you with formatting and converting book files.
✅ How real traditional publishing works
With a legitimate traditional publisher:
You do NOT pay for:
editing
proofreading
cover design
printing
distribution
marketing plans
Instead, the publisher pays you in the form of:
Traditional = they invest in you.
❌ If someone asks you to pay, that is NOT traditional publishing
If a “publisher” asks you for money to:
publish your book
edit your book
print your book
advertise your book
…then they are a vanity press or hybrid press, not a real traditional publisher.
Examples of red flags:
“Pay €3,000 and we’ll publish your book.”
“We love your book! Please pay for printing.”
“You must buy X copies yourself.”
“We charge submission fees.”
“You keep all the rights, but you pay for our services.”
Traditional publishers NEVER take author money.
✅ Traditional publishers make money by selling your book — not by charging you.
Major traditional publishers include:
Penguin Random House
HarperCollins
Hachette
Simon & Schuster
Macmillan
These publishers:
Summary
If a publisher asks you:
“Please pay us to publish your book”
Then it is not traditional — run away.
If a publisher says:
“We will invest in your book, and we will pay you an advance”
Then it is legitimate traditional publishing.
2. Can I earn a higher percentage of royalties if I self-publish?
Yes, that is true. Self-publishing offers the author a much higher royalty percentage because the author is managing the sales directly.
For ebooks, self-published authors can earn up to 70% royalties of the retail price on major platforms like Amazon KDP (when priced between $2.99 and $9.99). Traditional publishers usually offer the author a lower percentage, typically 25% of the net receipts (the money the publisher receives from the retailer).
For print books, self-published authors retain the profit after the retailer's fee and the high Print-on-Demand (POD) printing cost are deducted. This results in a higher percentage of profit than the 5% to 15% of the retail price usually offered by traditional publishers.
With self-publishing, you are in control of the pricing and you can see all your earnings online in real-time with sales data and reports for global distribution channels. You can quickly update your books and adjust pricing in tandem with your new campaigns and promotions. Traditional publishers, by comparison, typically provide a comprehensive royalty statement only every six months.
3. What is Print-on-demand?
Many writers fail to realise that the uploading and listing of books and e-books on major websites like Amazon KDP is free (zero upfront listing fee). However, a professional, marketable self-published book still requires the author to invest in professional editing and cover design.
Print-on-Demand (POD) is a fulfillment service that makes life much easier for independent authors. If you're an author using On-Demand, you don't have to manage inventory or shipping. When a book is ordered, specialized factories in various countries are automatically assigned to print your book, and it is then shipped directly to buyers, bookstores, and libraries—on your behalf.
The author earns a higher royalty percentage per sale compared to traditional publishing. The final payment to you is the retail price minus the retailer's share and the POD printing cost. The lion's share of the profit accrues to you. This means you don't need to print thousands of copies of your book, nor sign contracts that transfer your publishing rights.
Self-publishing and On-Demand generate a higher percentage of profit per book sold than traditional publishing. For example, e-book self-publishing typically earns 35% to 70% of the retail price, while traditional publishing usually earns the author 25%. For print, the author's percentage is also significantly higher, calculated after the print cost is removed. Traditional publishers require you to sign a contract, which grants them the right to publish and market your work in exchange for a lower royalty rate.
4. How do I reach the 39,000 booksellers in 220 countries/territories?
By utilizing major distribution networks, your book can be made available for order by booksellers, libraries, and online retailers worldwide.
We recommend using key distribution services (e.g., KDP Amazon, IngramSpark, Draft2Digital/Smashwords, Google Play) that link your book to the global ordering systems used by:
Online retailers (like Amazon and Apple iBooks).
Wholesalers (like Ingram, which serves thousands of physical bookstores, libraries, and schools).
All major e-reader shops (including Kindle, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble Nook).
Your book is thus globally available, though its appearance on physical bookstore shelves depends on the bookstore manager placing an order—which usually requires the author's focused marketing efforts.
Retailers (e.g., Amazon) take a percentage of the sales price, which is standard regardless of whether you are self-published or traditionally published. New books are advertised to the trade via daily or weekly catalogues and email alerts from the major distributors.
5. How do I get an ISBN?
The ISBN (International Standard Book Number) is crucial for identifying and tracking your book for sales and ordering. You will need a different ISBN for each book format (e.g., ebook, paperback, and hardcover).
The ISBN does not grant or protect your copyright; it is purely a business identifier.
Authors usually source their ISBNs from the designated national agency within their own country or region of residence (e.g., Bowker in the U.S.). ISBN prices vary greatly by region; in some EU countries, you can buy a block of $10$ ISBNs for approximately $\text{€100}-\text{€150}$.
Some distribution websites (like Amazon KDP) can also provide ISBNs for free. However, when you use a free ISBN, the platform (e.g., Amazon) is listed as the Publisher of Record, which can limit your distribution options outside that specific platform.
6. Which book distribution websites should I use for self-publishing?
You should always self-publish your book via safe, multichannel distribution websites to maximize reach and retain copyright (provided your work is original and you own the ISBN, if purchased).
Safe and highly recommended book distribution websites include:
KDP/Amazon/Kindle: (Print-on-Demand & eBooks) – Best for reaching the largest single retailer.
IngramSpark: (Print-on-Demand & eBooks) – Best for reaching bookstores, libraries, and the global wholesale market.
Smashwords/Draft2Digital/Apple: (eBooks) – Recommended for widespread distribution to all major e-book platforms (Apple, Kobo, Nook, etc.).
Google Play Store/Android: (eBooks)
Amazon ACX/Audible/Spotify: (Audiobooks) – ACX is the primary platform for Amazon's Audible.
7. Should I “opt out” for Kindle on Draft2Digital?
Yes, it is best practice to opt out of Amazon distribution on third-party aggregators like Draft2Digital.
If you want to sell a Kindle ebook, it is better to submit your book directly to Amazon Kindle. They will pay you the full 70% royalty (when eligible). You might be paid less if you go through a third-party distributor, as they take a fee from that 70% to cover their service.
8. What is DRM and Kindle Select?
DRM (Digital Rights Management): When publishing with Kindle, Amazon gives you the option to opt-in or opt-out of DRM. DRM is a technical tool designed to stop unauthorized copying or redistribution of your e-book file.
Kindle Select: Checking the box for Kindle Select enrolls your e-book in the Kindle Unlimited lending program. In exchange for this benefit, you grant Amazon exclusive rights to distribute your ebook for the 90-day enrollment period. This means you cannot sell or distribute your ebook on any other retailer platforms, such as Apple iBooks or Google Play, during that time. Carefully weigh the pros and cons before enrolling.
9. How do I price a book?
It is often advised that your ebook price ends with a trailing cents amount (i.e., $2.99, $4.99, etc.).
For Amazon Kindle, the optimal price range is $2.99 to $9.99. Kindle pays the maximum 70% commission on ebooks priced within that range. They pay only 35% on ebooks priced more than $9.99 or less than $2.99.
10. Should I change the book's price or cover image to improve sales?
If you experience low sales, you should definitely consider changing the book's cover design or adjusting the price. Many people do, in fact, judge a book by its cover or price. Investing in a professional cover design can make a huge difference to your sales.
11. Can I publish a book for iPhone and Android users?
Yes. If you publish via aggregators like Smashwords or Draft2Digital, your book will be available on the Apple iBooks Store (for iPhone/iPad users). Likewise, distributing via Google Play makes your e-book available to Android users. Providing more options for readers makes your book more accessible.
12. How do I promote/market my book?
a) Gather Reviews: Request honest reviews from contacts and readers in your network. Direct message (DM) friends on social media or email all your contacts a link to your book on their relevant Amazon marketplace (e.g., amazon.co.uk or .com). Book reviews from strangers are very helpful. You can offer free advance review copies (ARCs) to promoters, journalists, bloggers, and influencers in exchange for an honest review.
b) Paid Advertising: When you have accumulated enough positive reviews on Amazon, you can start running targeted advertising campaigns using Amazon Ads (via your KDP publishing account or the dedicated AMS advertising account). You can also purchase promotional spots in trade catalogs (like Ingram's) to be seen by bookstore owners.
c) Media Outreach: Write a professional press release about your book and send it to book journalists and relevant industry bloggers. You can also publish the release on free distribution sites like prlog.org. Set up Google Alerts for keywords related to your book to find relevant journalists and bloggers. Also, register for services like HARO (Help a Reporter Out) to receive daily email queries from reporters looking for expert sources.
d) Author Events: Promote your book through virtual or in-person book launches, seminars, and tours (including online webinars and blog tours). Use your Amazon Author Central profile to upload videos about your book or add blog content.
e) Create Demand: Encourage contacts to go into local bookstores and request the book by name from the manager. This sends a signal to the store that there is local demand, which may prompt them to order copies via their distributor.
f) Audiobooks: Consider creating an audiobook later to reach a wider audience on platforms like Audible and Spotify. Google Play Books offers free AI-generated voice conversions of your ebook, and you can submit your finished audiobook via aggregators like Draft2Digital (or their partner Findaway Voices).
