If you search online for “eBook publishing” or “self-publishing,” you will find many helpful articles about how you can publish your own work. You will also find several websites created to help you to self-publish. Several new authors have taken the plunge and started selling their work in digital form. A good number of them have carved niches for themselves. Self-publishing started off slowly but then it exploded and traditional publishers did not react fast enough. Now they are struggling to get their share of the pie.

One of the most important benefits of self-publishing is the money that authors stand to make. Traditional publishers that are now selling books in digital form have to set prices that will enable them to make profits. However, they still have to compete with self-publishers in the process. Self-publishers can easily price their books lower than those of traditional publishers because they don’t have as many people to pay from the sales they make. The lower prices of self-published books are attracting customers from unexpected places. Some people who are used to paperbacks and eBooks from traditional publishers are now tempted to buy self-published books. The reason is simple. If a book seems like a bargain, it is definitely going to attract more buyers.

The competition going on in the digital realm frequently brings about the question of royalties. The difference between eBook prices and returns is mind boggling. For instance, authors who price their books $2.99 or higher enjoy 70% royalties. However, those that price their books lower have to contend with just 35% royalties. Judging by these figures, a single cent can be the difference between success and failure for an author. In the traditional publishing world, authors are paid an advance when they get book deals – a non-existent benefit in self-publishing. When a publisher has recouped the advance from sales, the publisher gives between 10 and 15% royalties to the author – still lower than eBook royalties.

So, who will eventually be the dominant force in the digital realm; is it the indie publisher or the traditional publisher? Success stories of self-published authors are still few and far between at this early stage of self-publishing. However, it is difficult to tell how the landscape will be in a decade or in 10 months. Many self-published authors are happy that they now have a way to sell their books even if they don’t get traditional publishing deals. Some authors decide to self-publish in order to avoid getting the short end of the stick when they take the traditional route. Of course authors want to have creative control in their writing and still make money so they go for self-publishing. Other authors don’t want to wait for their publishers to get through the red tape associated with book contracts. It is common for people who have done well in the self-publishing industry to get traditional book deals for their following books.

The eBook market is still not helping many new authors to make money. However, it is a good place for authors to get their names out there. It is unclear whether eBooks will eventually take over the publishing industry but until that time comes, the digital realm will remain the battleground it is now.