What is Self-Publishing?

What is self-publishing? In the most basic sense of the word, self-publishing takes place when an author pays for publishing, editing, printing, distribution, etc. Some people may assume that if you choose to have a company do these things for you, such as Mill City Press, then you are not really self-publishing. This is not true.

Authors who are traditionally published do not pay for these services. They are paid by the actual publishing company, and they, as the author, receive a percentage of royalties when their book is sold. However, the differences aren’t as cut-and-dried as they may seem, for there are a couple different types of self-published authors.

The first of these authors are those who choose to self-publish their book independently. This means that they take on all the responsibilities of publishing, including editing, design, marketing, and distribution. Sometimes called independent publishers, these authors either have the skills to do these tasks on their own or find somebody to do the work for them (which is not the same as hiring a company for the entire process). Authors who decide to self-publish independently typically have in-depth knowledge of the publishing industry and a full commitment to the process.

The next type of self-published authors are those who choose to hire a self-publishing company, like Mill City Press, to assist them in the different phases of publishing. As stated before, this is still considered self-publishing because the author is financing the project on his or her own. Besides well-known services like editing, self-publishing companies can also supply the author with ISBNs, Copyrights, author websites, social media sites, etc.

It is extremely important that authors who wish to use the services of a self-publishing company do their homework. They should read through all of the terms and conditions before they purchase anything so they know precisely what they are getting themselves into. Unfortunately, there are self-publishing companies out there who care more about making money than helping their authors publish the best books possible.

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