In the last few years, the world of digital publishing has exploded. Now, more than ever, people are looking for ways to self-publish or to find literary success where they live. Thanks to the rise of E-books, social media, and online review sites, the market for short stories, novellas, and non-fiction books has never been greater. If you’re looking to get your work out into the world, where should you be doing it? What features should you be looking for in a publishing platform? Let’s dive into the good, the bad, and the ugly of online publishing to figure out which platforms are worth your time and effort.
Paid vs. Free Publishings
One of the first things you’ll need to decide is whether you want to go the paid or the free route when it comes to publishing your work. The cost of maintaining a publishing platform is nothing compared to the money you’ll make from selling and gaining new readers with a subscription or with a one-time purchase of an e-book. However, there are several disadvantages to paid publishing. First, you’ll need to build up a large audience among readers before you can expect to make any money from your work. This can be highly competitive, especially if you’re a new author trying to break into the market. It can also be very time-consuming. Once you have your paid audience, you can then work on monetizing your content through selling and running ads. Building a large audience and subsequently making a profit from your work is considerably more difficult if you opt for a free publishing platform. Third, you won’t be able to control how your work is marketed. Once your work is live on a free platform, it’s open season for marketers and advertisers to come in and take over. They may try to sell you products related to your niche or they may even try and trick people into thinking your work is popular simply because it’s free. In short, you’ll need to be prepared to let Google, Amazon, and the other major players in the digital publishing world determine how you’re perceived by the public.
The Good
While there are several disadvantages to paid publishing, there are some definite perks. For one, you’ll be able to publish whenever you want. If you have a manuscript ready to go, you can simply send it out to publishers and hope for the best. Sometimes you can even get lucky and have a few accepted before you know it. This is a great advantage if you’re in a bit of a hurry to get your content out there. If, however, you’re not in a rush and you want to make sure your work is of the highest quality, you’ll have to go the traditional route and hire an editor. Even then, it’s not always easy getting an editor to take a look at your work. However, there are several advantages to the traditional route. One, you’ll be able to take your time with the editing process. Hiring an editor is usually a one-time thing, but you can go back and revise your work as many times as you want until it’s perfect. Two, you’ll be able to see how your work looks when published. With the exception of e-books, most publishers will send you a physical copy of your book. This, however, can be cumbersome if you want to revise it a bit. The last advantage of going the traditional route is that you’ll be able to take advantage of all the marketing opportunities that come with having a physical book. You’ll be able to send out press releases, participate in book signings, and engage with potential readers via social media. All of this can be incredibly useful in spreading the word about your work and gaining readership.
The Bad
While there are several advantages to paid publishing, it certainly has its share of drawbacks. First, you’ll need to be prepared to spend a decent chunk of change just to get your work published. The good news is you can start small and work your way up. A few years ago, someone just starting out would have had to shell out a few thousand dollars to have their work published on a major site. Now, with all the promotions and the cutbacks, anyone can get their work out into the world for free. You’ll just need to know where to look. The other significant disadvantage to paid publishing is that it can be incredibly competitive. Even if you do end up getting accepted, you’ll still have to work hard to get people to actually buy your book. Finally, and most importantly, you’ll lose all control over how your work is received once you go the paid route. You won’t be able to tell whether people are actually reading your work or whether they’re just skimming it for a fun adventure or because it’s trendy to like what you’re writing about.
The Ugly
This is quite the ugly section, but it’s also one of the most important. You’ll need to put in the work to build up a decent following before you can start making money from your work. Building a following among regular readers can be quite difficult. Unless you have a sizeable social media following, you’ll most likely end up being at the mercy of the major players in the publishing game. Even then, you’ll still need to work hard to get people to actually purchase your book. In the end, it comes down to money. If you don’t have enough to spend on ads, you’ll most likely have to go the free route. Otherwise, you’ll end up having to shell out thousands of dollars to have your work published.
At the end of the day, it’s all about money. If you want to get paid, you’ll most likely have to go with the paid route. However, it’s also about following your heart. If you truly believe that what you’re writing is good, it won’t hurt to try and find a way to make money from it. At the same time, you shouldn’t do it just to make money. Find a way to make some money while also satisfying your desire to write. If your heart is in the right place and you’re doing it for the right reasons, you’ll be able to find a way to make it work for you.
Now that you know where to publish your writing online, you can start your search for the perfect platform. This is where all your successes and failures will be determined. Make sure to keep all the information above in mind as you search for the best solution. With a little bit of luck, you might just land on a platform that will help you find your literary voice and allow you to become the best writer you can be. Good luck out there.