Why You SHOULDN’T Self-Publish

• Self-publishing isn’t for the faint of heart. Go in with your eyes wide open and be prepared to hold yourself accountable; manage time, inventory, and shipping; and learn as you go.

• Before you commit to a full-length graphic novel or intensive board game, take a few smaller projects from sketch to sale. You’ll learn how to bring something to market and more importantly, how you handle being your own boss.

• Manage your expectations. We encourage learning by experience, but we also acknowledge that the quality of those first projects probably won’t attract millions of dollars in sales.

• Self-publishing means assuming the risk of a failed project. Don’t put more money into it than you can afford to lose, and mitigate risk by holding down a part- or full-time job while you work towards profitability.

• Know your audience and talk to them directly.

‍

SUMMARY: You should NOT self-publish if:

• Your product isn’t very unique or niche

• You can’t potentially wait years between starting your project and turning a profit

• You aren’t willing to risk not making a profit

• You aren’t willing to be your own boss and hold yourself to deadlines

• Your story or artwork aren’t professional (unless you’re trying to learn on the job, which we encourage, and not expecting huge results)

• You’re not prepared to manage inventory and shipping

• You’re afraid of spreadsheets

• You can’t identify your audience

• You don’t have a plan for where to sell your product

• You’re scared of what people will think

• You’re not okay with not knowing things and making mistakes

• Your project is perfect for traditional publishing (genres like current events, trending social issues, and biographies of popular historical figures thrive in mainstream publishing)

• You don’t have a support group