7 Reasons to Self-Publish Your Book (2026): Benefits vs Traditional Publishing

Prefer a walkthrough? See our step-by-step self-publishing guide.

Wondering whether to self-publish or go the traditional route? Self-publishing gives authors control, speed, and better royalties — which is why thousands of writers now choose it over traditional publishing. Here are 7 clear reasons why you should self-publish your book, plus what to expect from the process.

Before the introduction of the ability to self-publish, authors had to visit publishing companies with printed manuscripts to ensure that their books are published.

Some of the problems experienced by authors and publishers included inconvenience in moving about, which was a major problem due to the wear or tear of manuscripts, and the issue of distrust.

The existence of distrust was common among publishers and authors, due to possibilities of book theft and so on.

The problem stated above had been a major setback to the traditional publishing era, but not anymore.

Before we speak on how and why the problems stated above will no longer affect publishing, let us understand briefly what self-publishing and traditional publishing are, and their respective differences.

What Traditional Publishing Entails

When Traditional publishing is mentioned, what comes to your mind? Is it the publishing of books with crude tools? Or something other than that?

Not at all, traditional publishing simply refers to the publishing of books with the aid of physical equipment, such as printers, and so on.

Books which are published through this process do not have soft copies unless the specific book is revisited or revised by the author.

When you decide to publish your book traditionally, you submit a copy of your typed or written manuscript to multiple agents and await their judgement and decision.

Most times, manuscripts get rejected, or accepted all boils down to the worth, budget, and relevance of your project.

Once your manuscript gets accepted, it is then submitted to a publisher by the agent who accepted the project.

Once the manuscript has been submitted to the agent, it undergoes further scrutinizing; hence, it could either be accepted or rejected.

Immediately the publisher accepts and signs the manuscript, it undergoes further editing and proofreading before it gets published.

Let’s briefly check out some major setbacks associated with traditional publishing.

The Problems with Traditional Publishing

• Little or No Marketing Help

Excuses such as The large number of authors with the same genre of books or who are publishing, is a major excuse most agents and publishers give as reasons for poor book promotion.

This single act leaves authors with no choice but to self-market their books. Luckily, there are platforms which handle such activities at a reasonable cost, but that also puts a strain on the pockets of the author.

• Little or No Creative Control

On signing with a traditional publisher, you lose all forms of creative control over your content, cover design, etc.

Suggesting that it is one major setback involved in traditional publishing.

A lot of times writers complain about their book designs and contents not being up to standard, and this has stopped a lot of people from pursuing their dream of writing books.

• Poor Royalty Rates

Whenever you sell a book, a certain percentage is always given to the author of the book.

These royalties are usually paid after total costs accrued from book sales have been removed.

The minimum royalty received by an author from a traditional publisher is about 7% while the maximum lays between 25% and 30%.

These rates differ by the format of each publication, and do not come quickly or as per weekly.

Authors who use the service of a traditional publisher usually expect royalties some three to six months at a time.

Sometimes, these rates are not properly calculated; it’s either you are short-changed or money gotten from royalties has a deficit of about as little as 5%.

• A Very Slow Process

The process of traditionally publishing any book is really slow. Since manuscripts have to go through rigorous tests, grammar checks, and so on.

Writing and publishing wouldn’t take much time for you to carry out. Looking for the right agent and finding the right publishing company is the major problem.

After finding a company which will help you publish your book, it might take another six months for your book to get launched.

What Self-Publishing Entails

The internet has grown, and is also bringing other industries along with it. The publishing industry has also been carried along.

Since the inception of technology, lives and processes have been made easier. With the aid of technology, books are able to be easily marketed and distributed.

A person who chooses self-publishing over traditional publishing is sure to enjoy the services of a self-publishing company. Now, you might ask, what is self-publishing?

Self-publishing should not be confused with indie publishing. Self-publishing involves publishing your book yourself or through a self-publishing company as a hobby.

When you self-publish, you are assured of many benefits which will be discussed later in this article. Self-publishing allows you to maintain control over your work and the entire publishing process. The flexibility of self-publishing means you can adapt your book to fit your vision.

Indie publishing or independent publishing, on the other hand, refers to working with other freelance authors in publishing a book. All still falls back to self-publishing.

Although self-publishing is not free, it is very good for authors who want to make it big with their first project. When you self-publish a book, all the proceeds, books, copyrights, and so on are your sole property.

Except your handler indicates that they have a certain percentage in the amount of sales. Most times, this percentage collected by the self-publisher is not much, with the maximum being 10%.

Self-publishing exposes you as a writer to different benefits you wouldn’t enjoy when you publish with a traditional publishing company, and they are listed below.

7 Reasons Why You Should Self-Publish

So! Finally we’re here. After going through the origins of self-publishing and traditional publishing, here are 7 good reasons why you should self-publish.

• Higher Profit Margin

When you choose self-publishing over traditional publishing, you gain full control of all profits generated. As a writer, you have full copyright over all your books published.

When you self-publish with a reliable company such as Harmony Publishing, you are issued your own ISBN.

All actions are carried out according to your instructions and decisions. Self-publishing also allows you to take control of all expenses made during and after publishing.

• Timeliness

The chances of your manuscript being selected by publishers and agents is under 20%. The process of you being picked is rigorous, and you also need to write the book they are looking for.

So assuming you write a book tomorrow, and you immediately get an agent, you would have to effectively draft a proposal; which would entail marketing plans that the agent would use to draw the publisher into signing you.

The possibility of your agent getting an offer right away also is one in ten. Sometimes some author’s manuscripts sit on the publisher's table for at least a year.

Let’s move on to the scene where your book gets accepted, you get signed, and editing, as well as proofreading processes begin.

An estimated one year is required to put your manuscript through thorough editing and cover design; the one year also entails various reviews from experts and other forms of surveys.

So, an estimated two years is required for your book to be published traditionally. On the other hand, self-publishing allows authors to release their books to the public and also instantly make profit within at least two hours of the book being released.

So self-publishing reduces the time taken in publishing books, making it a preferable option for many authors.

• Ease In Marketing

When you decide on publishing your great books with self-publishing companies such as Harmony Publishing, your marketing process is guaranteed.

Most other companies might just leave you to market your book alone, but Harmony Publishing takes care of your marketing whenever you select one of our packages with marketing included.

Harmony Publishing has you in mind; your comfort is one of the things we care about. The self-publishing experience we offer ensures that your book reaches its audience effectively.

To get more knowledge on our publishing packages, click here.

• Constant revisions at little or No cost

When you choose to publish with a self-publishing company such as Harmony Publishing, you are entitled to constant revision of your articles, which will be added to your book.

This service comes at little or no cost. This feature of a self-publishing company is not something you will enjoy when you work with a traditional publisher; due to the number of books the company will have to publish.

Even if your book revision or review gets accepted, the amount of money and time that will be consumed before your book gets published is really large.

• Cover Design & Additional Help

Aside from the main features of a self-publishing company, Harmony Publishing also aids authors who are indecisive on the cover design and other design aspects such as titles and summaries of their books to come up with great solutions.

Harmony Publishing also provides advice and solutions to other problems that you might encounter while trying to write or complete your book.

• You have 100% Creative control over content and Design

All the above-mentioned attributes of self-publishing cannot be achieved without your consent. That is a major benefit of choosing self-publishing over traditional publishing.

One thing about Traditional Publishing is that once you have been signed by a traditional publishing company, you forfeit all rights of control to the publishing company.

Self-publishing companies, on the other hand, give you complete control over all published books. When you self-publish, you get to choose your editor and decide what you would like to edit.

Most authors constantly complain of their books not being up to standard whenever they publish through traditional means.

Get your standards met by publishing with a self-publishing company, and you are guaranteed the best results. The self-publishing route ensures your vision is realized.

Click here for more info on self-publishing.

• Enjoy Discounts

Enjoy massive discounts whenever you self-publish two or more books with Harmony Publishing. Discounts include publishing of multiple hard-copy versions of your book when the need arises.

Other discounts include proofreading and other major services that a self-publishing company can offer. The benefits of self-publishing are numerous, and they truly empower authors to take charge of their creative destinies.

Related: our step-by-step self-publishing guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

self publishing

Self-publishing allows authors to retain control over their work, from content to cover design. It also provides the opportunity to reach readers directly without the constraints of traditional publishing houses.

self publish

To self-publish, you can use various platforms that offer tools for formatting, distributing, and selling your book. This process empowers you to manage your book's production and marketing on your own terms.

self-publishing

Self-publishing is the process of publishing your book independently, bypassing traditional publishing routes. It enables you to make all creative decisions and potentially earn higher royalties.

self publisher

A self-publisher is an author who takes on the responsibility of publishing their own work. This includes everything from editing and design to marketing and distribution.

self-publish

To self-publish, you typically choose a platform, prepare your manuscript, and follow their guidelines for publication. Many authors appreciate the freedom and flexibility that self-publishing offers.

self pub

Self-pub is a shorthand term for self-publishing, where authors independently publish their books. It’s a growing trend that allows for creative freedom and direct connection with readers.