The Sharp Learning Curve of Self-Publishing | Tips on How to Get Your Research Published
The idea of self-publishing has raised a flurry of passionate opinions and valid arguments both pro and con. The reality is beyond debate, however. Self-publishing is booming, and authors of all kinds are taking advantage of this fact. This means, of course, that there is a large amount of questionable material flooding the market in both print and electronic media, but it also means that there are now many self-published books that are as well written and beautifully presented as the books produced by traditional publishers.
Among the millions of self-published books available to readers, even serious scholarship based on advanced research has found a place, but academics and scientists who decide to take the self-publishing route should be aware of exactly what is involved. Traditional scholarly publishers do a great deal to produce and promote the books they publish, and much of this may not be immediately apparent to the authors fortunate enough to have such attention dedicated to their writing. When an author decides to self-publish, all of this must be done by the author or by those he or she pays to perform the tasks essential to the publication of a high-quality book.
• Traditional scholarly publishers arrange for peer reviewers to assess the manuscripts they plan to publish and send advance copies of new books to experts for reviews to include on covers and in other promotional information. If you are publishing your own scholarship, you will need to solicit help from colleagues and mentors to provide critical feedback when you are completing your manuscript and positive comments for promoting your new book. Neither is strictly necessary of course, but the first will make the book better and the second will help you sell more copies.
• Traditional publishers provide the proofreaders who correct and polish the language of a manuscript. This is done for two main reasons: to ensure that the writing is free of errors and communicates clearly and accurately with the anticipated audience, and to conform to the editorial styles used by the press. When you self-publish, you will need to check and correct your own grammar, spelling and punctuation to ensure effective communication. Consulting publisher guidelines and style manuals will provide examples to emulate as you establish the styles for your book.
• Traditional publishers also format the manuscripts they accept, laying out text, tables, images and other elements for an attractive and accessible presentation. If successful, all this formatting is virtually invisible – it simply works for readers in a way that does not draw attention to itself. When self-publishing an author must attend to every detail on each page, ensuring precision and consistency for a layout that improves accessibility and enhances an understanding of the research reported.
These three essential aspects of publishing a book tend to take more time and effort to learn and perform than many authors who have not self-published might imagine. Scholars rarely have trouble with steep learning curves, of course, but time is a commodity that many academics and scientists lack, so it may prove helpful to engage the services of a professional proofreader or editor, ideally one who specialises in your discipline and subject area. Indeed, many a self-published book could benefit from the attention of an expert in language and formatting, and since you will be able to learn valuable techniques from such an expert, your investment will reap bountiful returns.
