The self-publishing industry has boomed in recent years, and for very good reason; there are few better ways to get your work in front of a wide audience more cost-effectively, or in a way that enables you to retain control.

Despite this, there are a few myths about self-publishing that do their level best to put off would-be successful authors. And we don’t think that’s right. So, we’re going to dispel them today in this handy, bite-sized blog post!

Myth 1: Self-publishing is expensive

It’s true that you’ll need to spend some money in order to get your book published, and with self-publishing it’s easy to assume the costs will mount up quickly.

There’s the editing, cover design, formatting and marketing efforts to take care of, but if you’re smart, much of that can be diverted away from cash expenditure and into your own time.

Self-publishing services will usually offer reasonably-priced editing and proofreading services, and who’s to say you can’t have a go at the cover design yourself? Better still, if you have a friend or family member who’s handy with a digital pen, you could probably get them on board to help out.

Self-publishing is about being smart with your time in order to bring the costs down; it doesn’t have to cost a fortune and the time required will actually be much less than the time it takes to constantly chase a traditional publishing deal.

Myth 2: Self-publishing is the second choice

You might have heard it suggested that self-publishing is purely for people who can’t get themselves a traditional book deal.

This really isn’t the case. Self-publishing isn’t a last resort if you’ve tried and failed to go down what is perceived as the ‘obvious’ route. Some of the biggest names in literature now self-publish because of the control and creative freedom it gives them.

Myth 3: Self-publishing can’t be a sustainable career

Can you make money self-publishing your own book? More importantly, can you make enough to call it a job, and one which supports your lifestyle and family?

Absolutely! Remember - the secret to success as an author lies in your work. No matter how you choose to publish your book, if it isn’t a page turner, few people will buy it, and those that do probably won’t be inclined to leave favourable reviews for you online.

More importantly, if you choose the self-publishing route, you’ll actually get to keep more of the profit. Some traditional publishers will keep as much as 90% of the sales you generate - and that’s why you get all the editing, proofreading and marketing ‘thrown in’!

Self-publishing can be very profitable indeed, but it still needs a brilliant, captivating story to be successful.

Myth 4: Self-published books are usually poor quality

We’ll finish on perhaps our biggest bugbear and the worst self-publishing myth of them all.

Just because a book has been self-published, that doesn’t mean it is in some way inferior. Remember myth 3; it’s the quality that matters, and quality has no relation to the publishing method.

New Generation Publishing authors are some of the most experienced and best writers the UK has to offer, and all of their work has been self-published. If you’ve avoided buying self-published books in the belief they won’t be up to much, you’re missing out, big time!

If you’re thinking about going down the self-publishing route for your next novel - go for it. You won’t regret the decision!