When authors get frustrated with the long time publishers take to decide whether to publish an unsolicited work, they often publish it on their own. But does self-publishing work? Is the book designed and produced well, adequately publicized and marketed? Is it a better job done than would have been by a professional publisher? The answer in nine cases out of ten is No: the author-publisher loses out in every way because the retail trade is interested in a continuing business relationship and not in one-off deals that don’t bring adequate returns for the time and energy spent in promoting a single off-beat title. But there are more fundamental reasons why self-publishing seldom takes off.

Most authors believe that publishing is just a matter of getting a book printed, that is, handing over the manuscript to a printer and telling him how many copies are to be printed and bound. But it isn’t as simple as that: publishing involves at least three basic functions.

First, editing or copy-editing, that is, checking facts and straightening inconsistencies. This makes the difference between a good and a shoddily produced work. Sadly, many believe theirs is the final word on the subject and nothing more needs to be done. There has never been a typescript that didn’t require a close second look, and the author, who is too involved to take a cold, clinical look, is not the best person to do so. It has to be an outsider who stands at a distance from the work.

Next come the production details, which have to be told to the printer. This involves clarifying the design and layout — the size of the finished book, the various type sizes, the quality of paper to be used, whether the book has to be paperbacked or hardbound. And whether the illustrations, if any, are in colour or black-and-white.

Finally, the acid test: marketing and sales. How well does the book sell and over what period of time — because sales and the rate of return is the final criterion of success. There is little point in producing an excellent work if it just sits on the shelves. Even publishers and their marketing teams hedge their bets after walking the streets for years on end. Sadly, many authors honestly believe that their book being the only one of its kind will “sell like hot cakes”. They don’t because the market is over-stocked and doesn’t want to take on un-branded titles. There are other factors as well: discounts, credit to be given, whether the unsold copies are returnable, and if so, after how long.

And that’s not all. Books in India are sold on credit, hardly ever against cash or current-dated cheques. Realization of dues is the biggest problem in a business that has little or no liquidity. That’s why many booksellers have a little notice above the sales counter: “In God we trust; rest (sic) strictly cash”. Authors should keep this homily in mind before they jump onto self-publishing.