Sally Owen, bookseller

The best way to publish your book might be through self publishing. You may not be aware of it, but self publishing actually has several advantages.

First, and most important, self publishing places you firmly in control of your book. When someone else is paying you to publish your book then they make many decisions regarding the editing of the manuscript, the cover, the title and the marketing that can impact not only how well your book will sell but also how it will be received by the reading public.

Another plus of self publishing is that it's faster than traditional publishing. It could take years before you can find a publisher who is interested in buying your work and before you can settle on a contract, it would take more time. All in all, it's a long time to wait.

With self publishing, you will also be allowed to retain all the profits from your endeavor. Depending on the method you use to self publish your book, you may have to put some money up front but to see the income as a result, you will not have to wait for months or years. Once or twice a year, most publishers will pay royalties but then those royalties are only a small percentage of the price of the book. Once you have covered any publication costs, then everything you earn is pure profit when you self publish your book.

Finally, it cannot be overlooked that self publishing offers you an opportunity to break into print that might not be otherwise available. It's a fact that traditional publishing is highly competitive and a lot of worthwhile authors and manuscripts can't find a publishing home but still, there may well be a receptive and eager audience for that book.

You need to realize that self publishing may not suit everyone's needs. If you are still struggling with your writing and voice, or your manuscript still needs polishing, then you should continue to work on your book and perhaps bring in the assistance of a critique group or professional editor. A costly mistake would be self publishing a book that is not yet ready for publication. But you should at least consider self publishing your book if your manuscript has been polished and is well received by several critical readers.

Besides offering you the advantages of complete control, faster publication, and higher profits, self publishing is also easier and less expensive than it has ever been before and it's all thanks to modern technology. Your big break as a writer could be self publishing.