Why publish a book?
Gone are the days when publishing a book was only accessible to a select few. Fortunately, the way of doing things and technology have evolved and, nowadays, it is relatively easy to publish a book. But has this affected the quality of books? Read on to find out my perspective on this subject.
Even though a book is published, this does not mean that it is of quality. For me, as a mentor who guides people in writing and publishing their books, a work is of quality when these three criteria are evident: it maintains the essence of the author; the message is well-thought-out and creates a positive impact on the reader; and there is pride in the discourse. Looking at a book only from the point of view of whether it sells or not is extremely reductive. And this happens a lot.
Of course, with the mass adoption of self-publishing, there are cases where the quality of books leaves a lot to be desired. However, writers like Paul Young, author of “The Shack”, began their careers using this type of publishing. It is not the publication that defines whether the work has quality or not, but the way in which the entire process is carried out.
A dream come true for many
Many people have seen their dream of publishing a book come true because they have resorted to self-publishing. This is a determining factor. People have expressed their voice and have not had to rely solely on publishers.
Since it has become easier to publish a book, it has also become necessary to be more concerned about the quality of the works. It is not enough to publish a text “in a hurry” and say that we have published a book. There is a responsibility associated with it and we must take this issue very seriously.
I believe and defend that anyone, as long as they are well guided and value quality, can publish their book. Remember, we are all different. We all have a unique story and perspective. Therefore, it is not a question of whether or not you can publish, but how you will do it while maintaining your essence and the quality of your writing.
There are many advantages to publishing with a conventional publisher, but there are also many advantages to doing it through self-publishing. Both situations take you to a different level. All you have to do is choose how you want to position yourself. It's all up to you!
Accepting, then, that we all have the right and legitimacy to publish a book, why don't we do it?
This is another issue that has nothing to do with publishing, but rather with how you see yourself. In other words, with your self-image (which I will explore in another article).
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Photos: Debby Hudson (unsplash)