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Few writers actually finish writing a complete manuscript. So if you’ve achieved that, congratulations. There are now two options available to you: Do you try and get it published traditionally? Or do you go the self-publishing route?

In this article I am going to argue that it’s better to just go ahead and self-publish because it’s a great way to get your book quickly onto the market and build up your name.

There are quite a few self-published authors who met with success and were later picked up by traditional publishers. Just think of e-book millionaire John Locke who first self-published with iUniverse Publishing, or Amanda Brown who self-published Legally Blonde with AuthorHouse Publishing.

Building a name for yourself through self-publishing

Attracting the attention of a traditional publisher is a bit like trying to win on American Idol. Thousands apply but only one wins. Just try googling ‘famous author rejection letters’ to see how tough the business is. Getting a publisher can take years.

Traditional publishers basically want someone who:

• has a killer book
• isn’t a pain to deal with
• understands the publishing industry
• understands book marketing
• already has a name for themselves

By self-publishing you can begin to fulfill these requirements.

You will learn that writing and publishing isn’t an art, but a hard paced business. Even if your book is the best book ever written there ain’t nobody, nowhere who is going to buy it if they ain’t never heard of it – in other words you’ll learn the importance of book marketing. 

During your marketing activities you will probably learn that like all businesses, being polite, professional and communicative is the best way to get results.

If you have taken self-publishing seriously and have a decent quality book there’s no reason why you can’t sell a few copies. You might not strike it rich but you have already begun to make a name for yourself.

‘Every journey begins with the first step’ as the saying goes.

How self-publishing gets you noticed

Yeah I know writing is all about creativity and art, but let me tell you a fact: there ain’t an editor anywhere whose attention won’t be pricked by an author who is shifting books.

Imagine writing a query letter in which you can state: “I self-published my last book and it sold several thousand copies and I’ve written an even better one which I would like to offer to you first. With your production expertise and my marketing efforts I think we can make this book work.” Nice.

Imagine you’re a commissioning editor and you have two equally great books on your desk. Who are you going to choose? The self-publisher who knows the marketing game, is tweeting and blogging and has a few sales behind him. Or the new writer with no credentials. It’s a no brainer.

If you have great sales then probably the traditional publishers will be chasing you. This is what happened to John Locke and Amanda Hockings.

So I thoroughly encourage you to get out there and self-publish. You learn the industry. Practice the skills. You continue to perfect your writing craft. In no time you have built yourself a reputation to build a writing career.

Anyway, there are quite a few self-publishing businesses out there who will help you to edit your book to professional standards and design quality covers. They can also assist you getting the book listed on Amazon. Two of the best are iUniverse Publishing and AuthorHouse.

PS Sorry about the double negatives and all the ain’ts… Just in that mood. And Technorati asked me to post this: WEZC82JY7ATK