Hearing the phrase “self-publishing” may put a certain idea in your head. Perhaps you envision a solo process in which you write, edit and upload your book to a major retailer’s website, where it never makes a splash. Or maybe you think of it as a vanity project, paying loads of money to have your book published by a company interested in profits — and that’s it.
At Cherish Editions, we offer a hybrid process that we think gives our clients the best of both worlds. You get the freedom of self-publishing alongside guidance from a team of publishing professionals who have a passion for every project that lands on their desks.
You’ve probably read that on other pages of our website, though. What you want to know is, how will self-publishing benefit you? And why should you go down this path with us rather than going it alone or seeking out a traditional publisher?
Here are the six major reasons why you should consider self-publishing with Cherish Editions.
1. You’ll Have Your Published Book Sooner
Do you know how long it takes to publish a book the traditional way? It can take months to agree to the contract alone — and that’s only the beginning.
In most cases, the traditional publishing process will take 18 months from start to finish. If you’re ready to have your book in your hands sooner than that, then you may want to consider self-publishing.
Publishing with Cherish means you can have your book in hand in as little as six months’ time. In some cases, we can expedite the process further. So, if you’d like your book published on a significant date or during a particular month of awareness, for example, we can do our best to speed up publication for you.
2. You’ll Steer the Creative Direction of Your Book
Signing with a traditional publisher often means you are handing over the reins of your project. They may want to reconfigure your manuscript or cut out parts of it that are non-negotiables to you. But once you sign a contract, you don’t have many options for contesting these types of changes.
When you self-publish with us, you remain in majority control of your book’s creative direction. We will copy-edit your book and work with you to decide which changes should be made. Sometimes, the editor will make creative suggestions on top of the grammatical ones, but again, you will have a say in what goes into your manuscript.
3. Your Book Will Give Back
Self-publishing with Cherish means that your book will serve a bigger purpose. Not only will it get your story out there — and we’re sure to publish mental health and wellbeing-related books that could help our readers — but the proceeds from every sale will be used in an important way.
Namely, we funnel a portion of our profits to Shawmind, a charity that strives to give everyone the tools they need to talk about and care for their mental health. One of their most successful projects thus far has been Headucation, a campaign that successfully petitioned for mental health education to be taught in UK schools.
So, in self-publishing your book, you will also be supporting Shawmind’s vital work in the mental health field. A traditional publisher — or simply self-publishing via Amazon — can’t offer you the same in return.
4. Marketing’s Handled by the Pros
Now, let’s say you’re weighing up the difference between Cherish Editions and a bare-bones self-publishing package. It might be a bit cheaper than what we have to offer, but it probably doesn’t give you the added benefit of marketing for your book.
Our publishing packages include a marketing campaign from Literally PR, who are proven pros when it comes to promoting books — and boosting sales. Along with their help, you’ll receive a personalised press release, social media graphics, Amazon ads and social media shout-outs from us and the Trigger Hub, which will inform even more people about your book.
A pay-to-publish option will get your words out there, but it won’t give you the tools to market your book properly — and ensure people read what you have to say. So, our PR and advertising sets Cherish apart from other self-publishing options.
5. You’ll Earn More Royalties
How much money do you earn from each sale of your book? That will depend on if you publish with a traditional publisher or if you go with Cherish.
Most traditional publishers will give you 20 to 30 per cent of the profit every time your book is sold. At Cherish, though, you’ll always get 50 per cent. And the amount you earn stays the same regardless of where your book is sold, whether that’s via the Trigger Hub, at a bookstore, or even on Amazon.
Keep in mind, too, that you’ll always earn the same amount with each book sold. So, if we run a discount to boost book sales, you’ll still make as much as you did when our catalogue was set to full price.
And, as a final bonus, we funnel half of our 50 percent into Shawmind. So, half of your profits go to you, a quarter of them go to charity, and a quarter of them go to Cherish — and we think that’s a deal you can feel good about.
6. You Could Become a Trigger Author
Self-publishing is a great way to prove to a traditional publisher that you’re worthy of their time and financial investment. The same goes with publication via Cherish.
A successful author on our list could very easily be picked up by Trigger, our parent publisher. And, with them backing you, you could go the traditional route for your next publishing deal.
•••
These are just six of the benefits that self-publishing with Cherish has to offer you. Are you ready to talk specifics? Email us at [email protected] today.