Skip the Slush Pile: The Advantages of Self-Publishing

When you send your manuscript to a publishing company for consideration, it goes into a pile with thousands of other unsolicited manuscripts. Publishers call this stack the “slush pile,” which says a great deal about the chances of your manuscript getting noticed and, more importantly, getting published. The slush pile is just one reason why many struggle to get their book published the traditional way and have realized the advantages of self-publishing.

There have been a number of self-publishing success stories in the last few years, including E.L. James with her hugely popular 50 Shades of Grey. The so-called “mommy porn” series, which started in the e-book and print-on-demand arena, has been a large part of removing the stigma of self-publishing and putting the disadvantages of traditional publishing, slush piles included, in the spotlight.

While publishing companies will cover the up-front costs to publish your book and do most of the work, the downsides of the industry are many:

• It is extremely difficult to get your manuscript accepted.
• You many not retain the rights to your book.
• You have little to no influence over the publishing process.
• Your royalties are often a fraction of the book profits.
• Many publishers require you have a literary agent.
• The publisher has the final say in all creative decision-making.

To avoid these unsavory parts of traditional publishing, self-publishers cover the expenses of publishing and do the work of marketing and selling their books themselves. It is hard work, but the advantages of self-publishing are many:

• You retain the copyright to your book.
• You control all decisions related to production and marketing.
• You don’t need a literary agent to self-publish.
• You will not receive rejection letters.
• You have the final say in all creative decision-making.
• Your book will be published faster.
• You set the sales price of your book.
• It is possible for a publishing house to pick up your book later.
• Anyone can self-publish.

Self-publishing isn’t for everyone, but companies like NWA Publishing offer the services that many authors need to successfully self-publish their novels without having to go through the slush pile first.