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When it comes to self-publishing, it’s essential to be aware of your options and what platforms are available to you. Let’s talk about the companies available for self-publishers and discuss the pros and cons of the top eight.
Suggested: Publishing on Amazon with MindStir Media
When it comes to writing and being an author, one of the first questions to ask yourself should be, “What is the type of influence I desire through this book?” Many companies that offer to publish your work for you have their own agenda. For example, they may have a single opinion that they want to spread or a specific item that they want to gain, like a political campaign or easy money. Because of this, it’s important to realize that these are often the reasons a company tries to publish your book, and it’s why they don’t suggest that you be self-sufficient. Self-publishing creates a safer environment for an author to be real, challenging, and imaginative.
Those are many of the goals writers have, whether that be by crafting a mystery novel for adults, a simple teen-guide, or a highly researched nonfiction book. So in this guide, we will explain the benefits of each company and honestly describe the downsides of them, just as any useful review does. The key to success for one who wants their book published by themselves is to seek ways to do it efficiently. As you analyze these facts, you will be more able to decide which of the 13 companies are most worth your time, outreach, and hard work.
Before getting into the top platforms, it’s critical to know the types of available companies. There are many types of publishing companies that stick to a specific method of transforming a simple transcript. One may take your uploaded book and send it to dozens of outlets such as book apps or online reading libraries. These are called aggregators. Another way to publish your writing is to go straight to a retailer that will ensure that your book is only sold in their store. This can be an online store, physical building, or both. There are also publishing companies that don’t sell books, but simply prepare the soil of your publishing by providing valuable advice and information before and during the publishing process. This idea is called Publishing Education. Lastly, for a more hands-on and detailed approach for self-publishing, many people rely on Author Services, which will perform specific tasks along the publishing journey such as editing and adjusting the layouts of books and covers. Since Self-Published Author Services provide multiple services, they don’t typically label themselves as a publishing company.
Here are the top thirteen publishing services available to those who are just beginning their publishing journey as well as the seasoned professional.
We’re just going to take a quick look at the top eight platforms. As you’ll come to see, certain choices are highly recommended and well-reviewed, while others might not be the best option for you.
MindStir Media is an award-winning self-publishing company, endorsed by Kevin Harrington and ranked #1 by Penny Matters, BestTechie, CBS, Fox34 and others for best self-publishing website. While many companies only have one or two routes for the process, MindStir Media serves as an aggregator, retailer, provider of publishing education, and Author Services. This is all possible because MindStir Media provides a guide that can be downloaded and printed, multiple packages that cater to how an author wants to get publishing done, and marketing strategies to reach various outlets, including social media. Any author has the ability to see their book sold on MindStir Media’s bookstore for other authors and curious buyers to enjoy.
MindStir offers a vast spectrum of services and has rightfully earned its title as the best option for fresh, new, self-publishing authors. They provide customized help, multiple resources, and prices that vary according to the author’s desire. You can rest easy knowing that your publishing company serves every purpose needed for a smooth publishing journey.
Have a specific writing genre? Midstir will assist all types of authors who write children’s books, various styles within the fiction realm, nonfiction of many viewpoints, and religious or philosophical texts.
There are many more benefits that come with choosing MindStir Media, but if MindStir doesn’t appeal to you, there are plenty of other options that may be better suited for your company.
Kindle Direct Publishing is part of Amazon’s business and serves as its self-publishing company and book retailer. Authors can publish their books on Amazon’s direct publishing platform and gain vast influence and popularity. KDP is a retailer that aims to reach masses of people of different demographics. The company also has a Select Program that allows for more benefits available to the author, such as an increase in monetary earnings, depending on the amount of reading Amazon Prime members do. KDP’s most valuable resources are the vast array of people available to the author and the many financial benefits.
However, some things might make KDP less appealing to a self-publisher. Kindle Direct does have a requirement that mandates a self-published author must maintain loyalty to Amazon’s company alone for a specific amount of time. This does have the potential to harm a new author’s earnings or visibility because of the fact that while the company does make sure the books are seen by thousands and thousands of people, there could be an even higher spread to readers if the retailer didn’t demand to utilize only their company. The details in agreements are many, and the outcome is not secure for any author when genuinely considering them. In the end, Kindle Direct Publishing is still an excellent way to start expanding your reach for readers, but any author must weigh the pros and cons for themselves.
Barnes & Noble was once merely a bookstore but has now expanded its coverage to publishing tasks. They serve as both a retailer and a publisher. A new author’s work could be seen on their shelves or in their online store. One downside of publishing with Barnes and Noble concern of how difficult it is to get your book into a physical store. Because the company is a retailer, they do not allow the published books to be sold elsewhere. Barnes & Noble Press also provides self-publishing
Services for new authors so that as you publish your book, you will have access to various types of assistance and resources from other companies working with and under Barnes & Noble Press. The company offers a wide range of prices that will help any author discover the best options for them. However, there are no guarantees of success because the company is not aiding with marketing or reaching many outlets as the primary objective. Overall, Barnes & Noble is easy to use and will get the job done.
Kobo is a company based out of Rakuten for readers to buy ebooks. Kobo receives books from aggregators, or in simpler words, they receive texts from other sources and put them out there for others to enjoy. Ultimately, Kobo is a place for self-publishing authors to take advantage of Kobo’s wisdom and resources to learn how to publish. The main benefit an author might see from Kobo is that they reach readers globally to help an author’s audience expand and reach more people. However, since it is a retailer, they only sell on their platform. This means that there is less access among other companies for an author.
As time goes by, Apple Books is becoming a popular tool for book publishing. However, the guidelines and restrictions they demanded are numerous and taxing. For example, only certain countries are able to have iBook authors, and the type of technology one owns will determine their publishing capabilities. So while they are a popular option in the bookselling community, Apple Books might not be the best choice for publishing.
The Self-Publishing School isn’t technically considered a company, but a learning course. Along with others, they take any author through the steps of publishing a book. There are many benefits of working with the Self-Publishing School. These might include their fast and easy 90-day program and the fact that the company is used and enjoyed by thousands. However, this also means that after the 90 days, there is no further assistance offered during the author’s career unless they pay for more courses. Another downside is that they, similar to Barnes and Noble, do not help with marketing. However, if you want a reliable source for learning and getting through the publishing steps in a small amount of time, this is a good option.
While Reedsy does not distribute published books in any stores or online and do not sell any books themselves, they act as a publishing educator and provider of many publishing services. This way, an author can get plenty of help with their publishing, and can still be hands-on instead of distanced from their own project. However, one downside is that Reedsy only functions as an online program, so it is difficult to get authentic feedback from helpers that may be provided. Many profiles for the service providers are reliable, but they are not well known.
Smashwords is a very well known platform for accessing free online reading, as well as buying books online. Many authors publish on this website, but it is complex, aged, and not always reliable. If you are willing to use Smashwords, there are still some benefits to it. For example, you can earn a decent royalty, and because they are an aggregator, they help published books be seen on many other platforms or websites.
In conclusion, there are many, many options available to aspiring self-publishing authors. However, there are pros and cons to each that you, as the author, will have to sift through to ensure you’re getting the best option. However, MindStir offers the most substantial amount of benefits with the least amount of downsides. When you choose MindStir Media for your self-publishing journey, you’ll know that you are in the best hands and will be working alongside the most effective team to accomplish your goals and see your dreams become realities.
