Publishing a book in India can be a daunting task if not followed properly. Failing to which might result in a huge number of unsold copies. Various authors have chosen various ways to publish their written works depending on their suitable needs. This may range from publishing them themselves or publishing them through the various book publishers of India. With passing time, there has been an evolution in the entire publishing industry.
Starting from Traditional methods of writing manuscripts to Self-Publishing, the publishing industry has had gone through a tremendously productive transition.
Four different ways to publish a Book in India
To publish a book, an author can choose and decide among the four available options:
Via Traditional Publishers-
There are many traditional book publishers in India where you can get in touch to publish your work. Various publishers follow various rules and methodologies depending on their regulations and policies. Most cases require the need to submit the manuscript and wait for getting selected by the publishers. The follow-up regarding the same always is time-consuming. It may range from 2 months to even up to a year. This results in a lot of writers no opting for this option.
Via Traditional Publishers through Agents-
Contacting and following up with various publishers can be a tough and tedious job. Many authors opt to hire a publishing agent to carry out these periodic follow-ups. Including identifying proper channels to expedite the submission in special cases. Evaluating a suitable publishing agent is as difficult as writing itself. With a good publishing agent comes good involvement of finances as well.
Publishing Independently or Self-Publishing
Authors can publish their work independently. There is absolutely no involvement of any sort of third party or agent but instead, the author has all the nitty-gritty completely under control. In order to opt for this method, the author should have the skills to carry out all the pre-production as well as post-production elements. He should have an intricate knowledge of aesthetics, technical as well as marketing skills and knowledge of distribution. This process requires an interim understanding and working skill-set to be present in the author completely enabling unanimous control on its piece.
Self-Publishing via Professional Platforms
With the new-age advent in technology and thought processes, there has been a rise in online solutions. Professional online platforms provide 24/7 assistance to the author regarding the work. The is professional assistance for the author regarding all the aspects of pre-production as well as distribution channels, promotion and etc. There are various layouts present on the professional platforms depending on the need and the budget of the author.
Self-Publishing: The latest go-to element for New-age Writers and Authors in India
Due to its rigorous and broad structure, the traditional methodology of publishing through the book publisher in India has been majorly affected. The fast pace, modern technology and the power of accessibility have made new-age writers rethink these processes and come up with their personalized method of publishing. Self-Publishing is the process where it is completely upon the writer or author to cover all the aspects of publishing, both preproduction as well as post-production.
There are various professional online platforms that provide complete assistance in self-publishing. With services like proof-reading the manuscript, designing its cover, marketing strategies to promotional launch, Self-Publishing has been a major choice of writers and authors. Every element is made into packages, keeping the budget and the need in mind. This gives all-in-all assistance in publishing the piece.
The Benefits of Self-Publishing in India
Self-Publishing in India is as thrilling and enticing as it looks but also has a few nugatory elements to it. The following list consists of the advantage, or PROs of Self-Publishing, are as follows:
Self-Publishing opens up a wider range of avenues to upcoming and new writers and authors which is unavailable traditionally.
Complete control over the creative part of the piece. No third party would interfere in its creative aspect.
The process is more time-effective than compared to the traditional methods. It is not a lengthy process involving regular follow-ups, rather is a quick process involving fewer hours.
The pricing of the book is completely depending on the author and no other person can intervene.
The monetary process is transparent in nature enabling the maximization of profit as well as information.
The Disadvantage of Self-Publishing in India
With the advantages lined up, there are still a few points that Self-Publishing has problems with. The biggest of them being marketing. Without a proper marketing and promotional process, the book might end up among a lot of self-published books out there on the net. There are a few other disadvantages or CONs of Self-Publishing, which are as follows:
The marketing is completely depending on the author. The marketing of the book is directly proportional to the amounts of people the author can reach out to.
Getting a proper and genuine review might be difficult to obtain. People who already know you might be biased while reviewing your work.
Most self-publishing houses in India do not the paperbacks in the book store, limiting the distribution of the book. Unlike this, in the traditional method, the book publishers in India take care of the distribution completely increasing it.
Print-on demand is an expensive procedure rather than traditionally printed ones. The books printed by the book publishers in India have a desired Maximum Retail Price or MRP which is lesser than compared to the ones that are print-on-demand.
After a careful understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of Self-Publishing and understanding of the various methods of publishing a book, it can be concluded that Self-Publishing is at par with the traditional methods of publishing in India.
The pandemic that has hit the world has comparatively changed the market for everyone. Keeping this in mind, there has been a huge drop in books being published traditionally but via online platforms and through Self-Publishing. This pandemic has tipped the scale towards the fact that Self-Publishing is indeed a threat to the traditional book publishers in India.