📸 Photograph of my new book, “Storytelling for Humans”, on the shelf in a bookshop
“Shall I self-publish, or should I try to get a publishing deal?”
I get asked this ALL the time. Ten years ago, when I wrote my first book, I was desperate for a publishing deal. Thirty-three rejection letters, until eventually, one person said yes.
My book ended up stocked in a bookshop at Rusden Lakes Magazine Heaven , and at the time, that meant so much to me. I felt like a proper author. Since then I've sold them in batches a cross multiple sectors.
Ten years on and four books later, when I'm asked the question shall I self publish, I look at it very differently.
If you have an enormous platforms, global recognition and millions of potential readers already waiting. Yes, go get an advanced to write your book.
Barack and Michelle Obama’s joint publishing deal was reportedly worth around $65 million. And Michelle Obama’s Becoming has now sold more than 18 million copies worldwide. If nobody is knocking down your door begging you to write your book then you’ll probably need to self fund, bootstrap and invest in yourself.
I have only sold my books this way. And it absolutely works. My biggest or has been 100 but I often get orders for 20 copies for a leadership team or 80 for an event. The sales add up and my book gets into the hands of the people who it’s written for.
So my question to the average author is: What exactly are you waiting for a publisher to give you? Is it distribution or credibility?
Or is there a little part of you that believes having a publishing house’s name on the spine will make you feel like a “proper author”?
If you have something worth saying AND you already know the people who need to hear it, self-publishing gives you the opportunity to start getting it into their hands now.
I have literally stood outside with books in a bag and my SumUp machine ready to take payment. I knew I had written something that could help somebody. That’s the bit I think we sometimes miss.
Writing the book is part one. Getting the book into the hands of the people who need it is the part of being an author.
If you’ve written a book because you want to be able to say, “I’m an author”, then perhaps getting a publishing deal feels incredibly important. But if you’ve written a book because there is a message inside you that you believe people need, don’t spend years waiting for somebody else to give you permission to share it.
P.S. I still have one of my rejection letters from Hay House. And it is possibly the most beautiful rejection letter I’ve ever received. I think I’ll share that next. It’s in a folder 📁 under my bed. Ok
You can order via my product page https://ifethomas.com/collections/products/products/storytelling-for-humans
