Write Your Book in Under 30 Days: Self-Publishing vs. Formal Publishing

Differences Between Publishing Formats

As you write your book, you should know there are some big differences when you self-publish or engage in a hybrid publishing model, compared to traditional publishing.

Let's review some important distinctions and differences between writing your own book and working with a publishing house.

If you write and publish your own book, you can:

1. Control the content, including all creative control, including cover design.

2. Control the format, appearance, book size, and even the physical feel.

3. Reuse the content as you like.

4. Keep all the royalties.

5. You can print copies cheaply to send to your network.

6. You don’t need to push your book any more than you want to. And you never have to sell it anywhere. You can give it away, since paperback copies are cheap when you own the rights.

7. You can share free copies of your digital book file whenever you like.

Potential Limitations When Writing With a Traditional Publisher

Aside from the need to put together an entire book proposal, there are other restrictions when you write a book with a traditional publisher.

If you write the book for a publishing house, it’s likely:

1. They will control the format of the content.

2. They will control the appearance and the feel.

3. They will limit your use of the content you wrote.

4. You will only get 5% of the retail price of every book you sell.

5. You can pay full wholesale price (50% off retail) or something close to it if you want to buy in bulk to share with your network.

6. You will be pushed to promote the book and encouraged to sell it at lectures and other times.

7. You cannot share free copies of your books with leaders, the media, your clients, or even your family!

Being Your Own Publisher

Although a lot of people think that writing their own book can just take the form of self-publishing, the truth is there is a hybrid model you can adopt as well.

In fact, this is exactly what I use at Prestige Professional Publishing.

Rather than just publish a book as “Jason Schenker,” I created my own publishing firm, the documents of which were initially filed in 2009. The organization and corporate form is a limited liability company (LLC) in the state of Texas.

In my opinion, having this kind of publishing firm has a few advantages.

First, it allows you to better track and deduct your expenses.

Second, it allows you to create separate bank accounts for the funds related to your royalties.

Third, if you end up re-licensing your content with other publishers, which is something I have done overseas, this gives you an entity that can legally sign documents and engage in forms of international commerce and licensing deals.

And finally, this also gives your books a more professional feel and aura of authenticity.

The Value of Brand

Having the name of a publishing company on your book — and behind your content — reduces the skepticism about the fact that you wrote your own book by following your own rules.

In any case, whether you decide to self-publish or publish by creating your own publishing firm and imprint, you will be able to move at a much quicker pace than traditional, established firms with layers of approvals, bureaucracy, and limiting conditions.

The truth is that the biggest value proposition in writing and publishing by yourself is that you can produce fast content.

You can be right on top of the Zeitgeist — instead of showing up late with the most topical content by “going traditional.”

The future of publishing is highly democratized and in the hands of agile, quick-moving individuals. And you are one of those individuals, so don’t waste your time on book proposals — get writing.

Write the Future — Previous Articles

In case you are writing along this month with me, here are the articles I've shared so far to help you write your book in under 30 days:

• Writing Schedule on Day 1 — https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/how-write-your-book-under-30-days-writing-schedule-day-jason-schenker/
• Publication Schedule on Days 2 to 5 — https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/write-your-book-under-30-days-publication-schedule-2-5-jason-schenker/
• Identifying Your Audience — https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/write-your-book-under-30-days-identifying-audience-jason-schenker/
• The Audience of One — https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/write-your-book-under-30-days-audience-one-jason-schenker/
• The Secret Formula — https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/how-write-your-book-under-30-days-secret-formula-jason-schenker/
• Picking a Book Cover and Title — https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/write-your-book-under-30-days-picking-cover-title-jason-schenker/
• How Can a 30 Day Book Not be Junk? — https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/write-your-book-under-30-days-how-can-day-junk-jason-schenker/
• Building a Team with a Hype Man — https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/write-your-book-under-30-days-building-team-hype-man-jason-schenker/
• Outlining Your Book — https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/write-your-book-under-30-days-outlining-jason-schenker/
• A Sample Book Outline — https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/write-your-book-under-30-days-sample-outline-jason-schenker/
• Publication Schedule on Days 6 to 10 — https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/write-your-book-under-30-days-publication-schedule-6-10-schenker/
• You Will be Wrong — https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/write-your-book-under-30-days-you-wrong-jason-schenker/
• Fonts, Font Size, and White Space — https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/write-your-book-under-30-days-fonts-font-size-white-space-schenker
• Perspectives and Priorities — https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/write-your-book-under-30-days-perspectives-priorities-jason-schenker/
• The First Rule of Writing a Book — https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/write-your-book-under-30-days-first-rule-writing-jason-schenker/
• The Secret of Second Editions — https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/write-your-book-under-30-days-secret-second-editions-jason-schenker/
• Publication Schedule on Days 11 to 19 — https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/write-your-book-under-30-days-publication-schedule-11-jason-schenker/
• Footnotes, Endnotes, and Citations — https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/write-your-book-under-30-days-footnotes-endnotes-jason-schenker/
• Set Reasonable Goals — https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/write-your-book-under-30-days-set-reasonable-goals-jason-schenker/
• Mental Real Estate — https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/write-your-book-under-30-days-mental-real-estate-jason-schenker/
• Writing as a Futurist — https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/write-your-book-under-30-days-writing-futurist-jason-schenker/
• Value From Your Book by Speaking on the Lecture Circuit— https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/write-your-book-under-30-days-value-from-speaking-lecture-schenker/
• Using Your Book as a Business Card — https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/write-your-book-under-30-days-using-business-card-jason-schenker/

These articles draw on content from Jason Schenker's book Write the Future, which was released on 24 June 2020.

Write the Future is online here: www.WriteTheFutureBook.com

Jason Schenker is one of the world's leading futurists. He is the Chairman of The Futurist Institute and the President of Prestige Economics. Jason is also an instructor for LinkedIn Learning.

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