Google returned about 240,000,000 results in 0.62 seconds when I searched “Benefits of Self-Publishing Your Book.” As I sit down to write a post on the topic, that result is daunting. What can I possibly share with you that you can’t find elsewhere via Google?

Maybe this: insight from self-published authors.

Aside from the stat in the first sentence, I’m not going to bore you with facts and figures. If you’re interested in that, clearly, Google can help you. What I am going to share are the responses of several of our past and present self-published clients to the following:

What was the number one reason you self-published your book, or the greatest benefit you found in doing so?

Additional Credibility in the Marketplace

For many of the authors we’ve worked with, including those who traditionally publish, one of their primary goals in publishing a book is to gain credibility in their marketplace. This was true for Richard Greenberg, self-published author of Never Coach on an Empty Stomach: Bite-size Actions to Energize People and Teams, who says, “The book has led directly to more business and more clients and I’ve had a lot of fun participating on panels.”

Greater Autonomy and Control

When you self-publish, you retain control of many elements of the process. The two areas this is most evident are in being the sole decision-maker around the content of the book, as well as being able to determine the timeline for publication.

This was an important consideration for Diana Peterson-More, author of the newly self-published title, Consequential Communication in Turbulent Times: A Practical Guide to Leadership. Peterson-More sought advice from a trusted advisor and traditionally-published author whose “strong recommendation was to self-publish, allowing me to retain greater autonomy and control over the entire process.”

Paul Larsen, author of Find Your Voice as a Leader, had similar reasons for deciding to self-publish. He said, “I decided to self-publish as I wanted more control (and thus accountability) over the process. I am the sole-author of my message, via my book, and I did not want any other entity diluting that message and thus, the eventual impact with my target audience.”

Affordability in Publishing

For two-time self-published author, Beau Sides, cost was one of the driving factors in his decision to self-publish. His books, Lessons from China: A Westerner’s Cultural Education and Unseen Tears: The Challenges of Orphans and Orphanages in China, were published to support the work of his nonprofit, Global Partners in Life. Because the organization is a nonprofit, keeping costs as low as possible was an important consideration. By self-publishing through Amazon KDP, out-of-pocket costs are minimal and the print-on-demand platform means authors don’t have to print copies in advance, store inventory, or incur shipping costs.

Sharing Your Message

If you’re an author, it’s because you have a message that you want to share with the world. Danise DiStasi, self-published co-author of Love Like Louie: An Adventure of a Girl and a Lost Dog and author of Lead Like Louie: Leaders Who Love are Life-Changers, stated that she chose self-publishing for Love Like Louie because she “wanted to make it available to schools and nonprofits for a very reasonable price. Self-publishing allows me to offer the book either at cost or free.”

All of the Above

If you read between the lines of the responses from the authors above, you’ll see that each of these themes are woven together. Though their individual goals vary, the common threads of advancing their goals through sharing their message while maintaining control over the message itself and the delivery of it are seen throughout their responses.

If you’d like to learn more about the benefits of self-publishing, there are now 240,000,001 results on Google. You can also contact our team and we’ll be happy to help.

Amy Driehorst

Amy, Vice President of Operations, wife to one and mom of four. Amy’s first career was in retail management. After 20 years, she left to stay home full-time with her young children. Upon returning to the workforce in 2012, she joined Weaving Influence as a part time social media specialist and has fulfilled a variety of roles since then. Whether it’s a weekend in Michigan’s beautiful Upper Peninsula, or an extended trip to Hawaii, Amy’s favorite thing to do is to travel with her family.