Why Self-Publish?

You may be wondering why I've decided to go down the self-publishing route. At first, I tried to get No Going Back published the traditional way. However, it kept getting rejected. I did get offered a few contracts, but these were so-called 'contributory contracts' where you have to part-fund the book's publication. In the end, I decided to try self-publishing No Going Back. It may be an uphill climb and it may be the harder way to make money, but at least people are reading what I've written.

Below are some pros and cons of self-publishing:

Pros

• You can publish whatever you want; you're in complete control of your material

• You're free to release e-books whenever you want; there's no schedule imposed on you

• You're in charge of every aspect of the self-publication process, which can feel very rewarding when it's complete

• You don't have to answer to anyone else about anything

Cons

• The e-book market is very crowded and standing out is hard, even if your material is unique

• Promotions can be costly, and not always that effective

• Completing every aspect of the self-publication process can be time-consuming if you're not good with computers

• It can take a while to build up a decent reader base
  

Is Self-Publishing Worthwhile?

At the time of writing (September 2021), I'm still yet to break even. Though I'm not making money yet, I still very much enjoy the self-publication process and would definitely recommend it. Having said that, it's not for everyone; some prefer putting their book into the hands of others and letting them work the magic. Do consider self-publishing, just expect a long slog if you're going to achieve any sort of commercial success.