Self Publishers Can Earn More Than Traditionally Published Authors! 

And that’s not just us saying it…

Research from both the Alliance of Independent Authors  (2023, UK) and Authors Guild (2023, US) income surveys back this up, along with the real life experiences shared by self published authors A.P. Beswick and Sacha Black at the London Book Fair 2025.

The growing popularity and credibility now being attached to being a successful self published author was evident in the standing-room-only popularity of the sessions for indie authors at the London Book Fair.

So if you’ve been dreaming of putting pen to paper, or voice into a dictation app (and please do give it a go. You’ve got nothing to lose!). And, here are 5 really good reasons to consider becoming an independent / self published author over chasing a traditional publishing deal.

5 Reasons to Self Publish

🚀 1. Guaranteed & Faster Time-to-Market

• There is no guarantee that a publisher will take you and your book on. And let’s face it, as an author, if you can’t get published, nothing else matters.
• And if they do, it could take 1-2 years to get a traditional publishing deal in place, whereas as a self publisher, you can publish your book within weeks or months.
• This speed allows you to capitalise on current trends and build momentum quickly.

🌟 2. Higher Royalties & Profits

• Self-published authors keep:
  • up to 70% of royalties for eBooks compared to 25% for eBooks with traditional publishers and 5-15% for print books.
  • 35-75% for audiobooks sales (depending on who you choose to distribute with) versus 10-15% if you go through a publisher
    
• You can set your own price points – this is especially important if you’d like to do offers or promote a non-fiction book that traditionally has a higher price tag.
• You can also monetise your book through direct sales, special editions, and other revenue streams without sharing profits.
  

⚡ 3. Creative Control & Flexibility

• You have total control over content, cover design, pricing, and marketing.
  
• Freedom to update or revise your book whenever you want, which is especially valuable for non-fiction that may require regular updates.
• Complete control over who you want to work with for aspects like editing / proofing, book cover design, narration of your audiobook etc
  

📣 4. Direct Access to Your Audience

• You can build and control your own email list and social media presence which means you have direct access to your own audience.
  
• You can communicate directly with your fans, gather feedback, and launch new projects with their help.
• And some of them will act as the best cheerleaders you could ever have hoped for.
  

💼 5. Ownership of Intellectual Property

• You retain all rights to your book, which means you can adapt it into an audiobook, courses, or other products without needing anyone’s permission, anywhere in the world.
  
• Traditional publishers often require authors to give up significant rights, limiting your ability to leverage your work fully and globally.

Self publishing has matured to such an extent that a whole industry has grown around helping you on your journey. As with most things, it does require effort and some upfront investment on your part. But, if you’re disciplined and methodical about it, there are plenty of examples of success stories and author communities that can serve as encouragement along the way. 

And the best part? There is no barrier to entry. Because you’re not waiting on someone else / a publisher to say yes before your work can see the light of day.

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We are Audiobooks For Self Publishers, part of Bengo Media, a super friendly, yet highly experienced, audio production company that specialises in creating Podcasts, Radio and Audiobooks. We take the stress out of creating an audiobook by guiding you through the whole process, helping you record and then doing all the editing and proofing for you. We’ll hand you back a completed, mastered audiobook that you can distribute anywhere you like 🙂 Please take the time to wonder around our website or join our Free Audiobook Members Club. And, if the mood takes you, grab yourself a ‘no strings attached’ audiobook production estimate.