It is difficult to address the advantages and disadvantages of self-publishing in the abstract.  There is a gamut of self-publishing options just as there is a range of publishing services.

Publishing companies generally offer all or some of the following services:

• Editorial
  • Manuscript review
  • Revision and rewrite input
  • Copyediting
• Production
  • Design
  • Format selection(s)
  • Scheduling and implementation
• Marketing, sales and distribution
  • Definition of target audience
  • Sales and distribution channel selection
  • Marketing plan and rollout
  • Distribution agreements (bricks and mortar outlets, online for print and digital, international opportunities)
• Product management
  • Publishing agreement as to services and revenue split
  • Copyright protection (collective licensing, permissions)
  • Timing of print formats (if multiples used), digital release and lifecycle management

In self-publishing, the author needs to address most of these items and often with none of the established processes and contacts available. In an intensely competitive and volatile marketplace though many publishing houses are getting more minimalist in their service offerings.

Pros to Self-Publishing:

The technology today has exponentially expanded the self-publishing options.  Not only is the author not dependent on the opinions of product acquisition editors but is able to publish without meeting the base level financial models – price, volume, profit.  In theory, the self-publisher is not required to “share” revenue, an author with a publisher receiving only 10-25% royalty on net sales.  The self-publisher will have complete control of deliverables and deadlines.

Cons to Self-Publishing:

Many of the cons to self-publishing align exactly with my comments on publishing services.

An author looking at self-publishing from ground zero may have no editorial insight as part of the writing process.  However, there are clearly skills that can be developed to self-edit effectively.  This would particularly be the case for non-fictional writing.

Financial investment may be necessary.  Production today requires technological expertise.  An author can buy that service without tying it to the overall success of the publishing venture.

What about promoting and distributing the published work?  This requires an understanding of the classification of works (e.g. study the organization of titles on the likes of an Amazon).  It requires an understanding of the distribution system.  How do you attract attention and how do you manage sales?  Here is another area where financial investment may be required to buy the service.

If the objectives of the self-published author are to be the next J.K. Rowling then a tremendous amount of energy needs to be devoted to personal websites, search engine optimization, push emails, social media like FaceBook and Twitter, pricing and selling models.  The author will need to develop contacts with potential reviewers.

New challenges for self-publishers are legislative.  There is new privacy legislation pending federally and provincial privacy legislation does not necessarily align.  There are new spam laws that seriously curtail push advertising without the consent of the recipient.  Liability for failing to comply, in both cases, is severe.

Licensing and permission requests need to be addressed if the work is successful.

Decision?

How much of this work do you want to do?  A publisher is not a perfect solution even for top authors.  If you choose a publisher that cannot meet your expectations – the wrong market, the wrong interest, a poor portfolio in the same sphere as your work – then all your efforts will be for naught.  Putting the time and effort into a first work that opens the path to an established publisher may be the perfect strategy.

Anecdotally

A colleague was determined he was going to be a writer.  He took a year out of his academic and professional career to pursue his writing.  His conclusion at the end of the time period was that he didn’t have the discipline or self-critical capability to complete a work.

A friend of my son’s wrote a children’s book, illustrated by a colleague.  He went to the book fairs, created a website, organized competitions promoted through children’s associations.  He devoted hundreds and hundreds of hours to the effort.  At the end of the day the work was a success.  He entered into a co-venture with an established publisher for sequels where the publisher managed all of the promotion effort so that he and his illustrator partner could devote their time to the product.  Several years later, they have an established brand and range of product – an apparent success.

Is a publisher always the solution?  As a legal publisher, I signed a project a number of years ago that was only peripherally legal (although related to legal transactions).  I assumed that the publishing house’s standard sales and marketing strategies would have the flexibility to deliver an appropriate sales, marketing and distribution plan for this title.  They did not.  The book did not succeed.  Who knows would a better aligned publishing house have done better?

Would I try self-publishing?  Yes, I would try but recognize that the author commitment required to be a self-published success cannot be understated.