Self-publishing is the new revolution!

Self-publishing has revolutionised the book industry. It’s growing in popularity and allows a greater deal of freedom for authors far and wide. Self-publishing refers to an author completing the entire publishing process independently or with their own resources. This includes editing, proofreading, formatting, printing, cover design and marketing. It’s a LOT more affordable than you may think and offers hard-to-ignore benefits.

Did you know that…

• With more people at home during the pandemic, it has increased the number of people reaching for printed books, e-books and audiobooks.
• When some bookstores and print distributors closed due to the pandemic, self-publishing became the answer to shakeups in the book world.
• In 2018 alone, more than 1.67 million books were self-published. If we fast forward to now, that number continues to evolve, become professionally recognised and continue to grow.
• Self-publishing is usually a much quicker way to publish a book than commercially publishing it; you can work within the timeline of your choice.

One of the world’s BIGGEST book trilogies started as self-published. The first 50 Shades of Grey book was self-published before being picked up by a big publisher.

What are the TOP 10 reasons to self-publish:

• Complete design and content control – we’re here to hold your hand during the entire process, but in the end, YOU get to decide what goes in your book!
• You control the schedule – when you’re in control of each part of the process, you can also control the timeline. Many traditionally published books take 6-9 months. I’ve even heard horror stories of up to 3 years from signing a contract. Typically, we publish books in 4-12 weeks, depending on the stage you’re up to.
• Longevity and availability – take control of how you promote, how often you promote, where you sell and manage your printing so it’s always in print.
• Alterations – we can very quickly make alterations or new editions. You can come back to us, go elsewhere, or do it yourself… it’s completely up to you to define how and when these are done.
• More money – you receive ALL the royalties from your book! Traditional publishing is 10-15% of the proceeds of the sales of your book.
• Pricing – You can easily change the pricing of your book whenever you like!
• Go Global – You can get your book into countries all over the world, from day one.
• Control of foreign rights – If your book is a success, you may be contacted by foreign rights publishers. You can then decide if you want to go this route.
• Data – Traditional publishers will give you sales data a couple of times a year. When you self-publish, you can log into your accounts and check sales data whenever you like.
• Flexibility – you control how your book is sold. You can order author copies and sell them at any price via your own opportunities. You can make deals with organisations and offer bulk rates.

What are the downsides of self-publishing:

• Less visibility – of course, traditional publishers will offer a bigger audience. The resources utilised by traditional publishing will also increase the likelihood of literary prizes and critical acclaim.
• Higher costs – a traditional publishing house will cover expenses during the setup phase of your book, hence the reason they take a large portion of your profit margins.
• No support system – here’s where Turtle Publishing can come and offer you support. If you’re going it alone – we offer mentoring and support services that can really give you the best of both worlds… you have complete control of the process, with our knowledge and expertise.
• Difficult print distribution – traditional publishers earn their money by selling your book and often have deals with major bookstores. It can be hard to get into physical stores on your own, so be prepared to put in some work.

At Turtle Publishing, we completely understand that the idea of self-publishing is appealing, but fear and time may be holding you back. We’re here to help you navigate this world. We know what to do, and how to get it done in a very timely manner. There’s a steep learning curve, but we’ve done the hard work and are ready to make it easy for you. Book a 30 minute free consult with us, and let’s see how we can help your book dream come true.

Kathy Shanks

Turtle Publishing was founded in 2020 by self-employed designer and happily married mother of two, Kathy Shanks. With 20 years of design experience and having created her own journal in 2019, where she subsequently believes that the ‘universe started throwing books at her’, Kathy is passionate about creating designs that convey the right emotion and ‘vibe’ to the right audience and specialises in budget friendly publishing solutions.