SELF PUBLISHING
Self-publishing success
Navigate the self-publishing process with expert and up-to-date advice from John Sailing of the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain, who explains why the trade union has launched a free guide to self-publishing
John Sailing
I
ndependentauthors are a growing breed but there are perilous pitfalls as well as plenty of opportunities they increasingly have to navigate.
Independent authors are changing the face of publishing with figures suggesting they now make up around a third of ebook sales in the largest English-language markets. According to recent statistics, there are more than 750,000 self-published books in the UK and the last five years saw a 68% growth in self-published ebooks.
While this offers unparalleled opportunities for authors, there are also many pitfalls along the way when it comes to writers protecting their intellectual property rights and potential revenues. According to the recent Is it a steal? report from WGGB and the Society of Authors, which examined the practices of hybrid/vanity publishers, 94% of writers who had paid to have their book published lost money, typically in the thousands, with many authors experiencing aggressive marketing tactics, manipulative sales approaches, unclear contracts, and publishing processes and services that fell far short of expectations and value.
As a caseworker for the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain, I routinely see the fallout of this, in my work providing legal advice and support to our members. Indeed, over the past few years, the number of authors asking for help with their self-publishing contracts has risen exponentially. Fortunately, as a trade union with over 60 years’ experience in the industry, we are able to help prevent our members from falling into the online traps laid by disreputable companies, while at the same time ensuring they are armed with the knowledge they need to help them thrive and not just survive.