Are you considering self publishing as an option for your book but aren’t sure if your format is going to work? The self publishing industry has come a long way in recent years and there’s almost limitless possibilities for what you can do without having to go through a traditional publisher. Here are what types of books you can self publish!
What types of books can you self publish?
The short answer to this question is: any kind! Fiction, non-fiction, novels, poetry, cookbooks, autobiographies, short stories, and children’s books can all be self published.
Self publishing enables authors to publish books without the help, or restrictions, of a traditional publishing house. That means there’s even less rules about what can and can’t be self published. If you’re an author thinking about writing and self publishing, don’t let the type and style of book you want to release deter you from your publishing dreams.
Self publishing a novel
Novels are by far the easiest way to enter the market as a self published author. When you go to self publish they usually require minimal formatting. Often, novels are the most inexpensive way to get into self publishing, too.
Novels are divided into different genres like romance, mystery, science fiction, fantasy, historical fiction, comedy, and young adult.
Self publish a children’s book
Children’s books are popular in the self publishing industry because a lot of traditional publishers are reluctant to accept them. If you’re an artist it can be really simple to bring your vision to an actual book through self publishing. Some websites have dedicated software to format your children’s book and even offer Adobe Illustrator plugins.
If you have an idea for a children’s book but don’t have an illustrator on board, self publishing makes this more tricky. Where traditional publishers sometimes help with this, you’ll be on your own figuring out how to bring your self published children’s book to life.
Can you self publish a cookbook?
Cookbooks are a growing trend in self publishing! This is a popular option for established chefs and food bloggers, but anyone with a passion for recipes or cooking can create a cookbook.
The trickiest part with self publishing a cookbook is getting the formatting right and having great photos of your finished recipes.
Self publishing a photo book
A photo book is similar to a photo album except the pictures are printed on the pages rather than printer then inserted. If you only want personal copies, most photo printing businesses offer self publishing services for photo books.
Photo books can also be sold as self published books, though. Photographers can include their best work on each page, and add descriptions, poetry, or other supplementary information alongside. A major upside to self publishing a photo book is that you get to retain the copyright for your images.
Can you self publish a poetry book?
Poetry is another book type that publishers are reluctant to purchase from authors. Unfortunately, one of the reasons for this is that poetry books don’t sell as well as other genres. A lot of poets opt to publish their work so it can be shared with others or to give copies to their local libraries.
With self publishing you can format your poetry book in any way you like. Depending on your own style this can mean taking advantage of page layout to add an extra artistic element to your work.
Self publishing your autobiography
If you think your life’s story should be shared with the world then writing an autobiography is a great way to do that. Publishers will accept compelling stories but there are still reasons to publish your autobiography on your own.
First of all, you’ll stay in control over how your book is promoted. Second, you don’t have to worry about an editor changing your words or worse, embellishing the truth. This book is a reflection of you so image is important.
Self publish a short story or novella
Unless it’s part of a compilation, most publishing houses won’t even look at short stories and novellas. Especially from an unknown author. Short stories cost almost as much to produce and promote, but can’t be sold at the same prices as a full length book.
A story should only be as long as it needs to be, and sometimes that length is a short story. Don’t let that stop you from self publishing. eBooks offer the perfect solution to selling your short story. In fact, there’s a whole market for value-priced short stories in the eBook world!
Can I self publish my book an eBook?
eBooks are the easiest and most cost effective way to enter the self publishing market. For a long time, only certain types of books could be published in the eBook format. As technology improves, though, more and more options become available for authors.
Alongside novels, children’s books, photo books, poetry, cookbooks, non-fiction, and workbooks can all be self published as eBooks. Now that e readers usually have coloured screens, you don’t have to sacrifice quality when creating eBooks full of picture rich content. There’s also additional features enabled on smart devices, like internal and external links within the eBook, that allow you to better organize and supplement information.
Can you self publish hardcover books?
Yes, hardcover, trade paperback, and softcover books can all be printed with self publishing. Some self published book printers will require a minimum order amount to print your book, others offer print on demand services. The biggest barrier here is cost.
Hardcover books are the most expensive self publishing format, but are also sold at the highest price. Some authors opt to sell their book in paperback first then release a hardcover version, others prefer to release their book in hardcover only. Cookbooks, photo books, and children’s books do especially well with hardcovers.
Self publishing is for everyone
Almost anyone creating any type of book can become a published author through self publishing. Thanks to increasing technology, eBooks can handle almost any book format you can dream up. For print books, self publishing houses will work with authors to realize their vision on paper for a fee.
Thanks to this, there’s close to unlimited options when it comes to what types of books you can self publish.