What does self-publishing actually mean and is it really that easy? Our author Laura Rademacher did the experiment herself and published her bachelor's thesis on the Internet.
Self-publishing is New German for self-publishing, I know that much. But how exactly does it work? When researching online, it quickly becomes clear that there is not just one option for self-publishing, but at least ten times as many. Various platforms that offer aspiring authors like me the same, but also very different ways to take their own work into the vastness of the Internet. But they have one thing in common, they give me the feeling: This is easy, I can do it too!
I just need to decide where I want to publish. Since my bachelor's thesis clearly cannot be classified as fiction or entertainment literature, such platforms are out of the question for me. A scientific self-publishing website like grin.com would be more appropriate. At GRIN, students, but also professors and respected scientists make their theses, essays and studies available for purchase and, in some cases, for free download. My bachelor's thesis is in good hands there, especially because I can enter the grade, subject and university and thus offer interested buyers guidance. In addition, every work uploaded there is proofread again by an editor with regard to minimum academic standards. This is where academic self-publishing sites differ significantly from fiction sites.
The path to publication is really short: five minutes to register and upload the document; Then quickly decide whether I would like to receive ten euros once or whether I would like to receive a pro rata share of up to 40 percent of each sale. I choose option 2. That's it: I became an internet author. It then takes some time for GRIN to design a nice e-book from my boring Word document and check the quality. So I have to be patient. After about two weeks the time has come - you can now download my bachelor's thesis as an e-book.
Other platforms offer a little more flexibility. Those for fiction literature in particular are designed so that the author can change many things on an ongoing basis. From the text to the cover to the price. When it comes to my academic publications, I am somewhat more limited, but editing ensures a certain quality of the available work. Nevertheless, the process is much faster than in traditional book operations. In both the scientific and fiction sectors, it takes at least a year before a manuscript is in the store as a real book. Self-publishing is a good way to try out writing. Although the author is often on his own and cannot rely on the professional know-how of a publisher, he can give free rein to his ideas and perhaps earn some money at the same time. In the best case scenario, you can even gradually become an expert yourself.
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What does self-publishing actually mean and is it really that easy? Our author Laura Rademacher did the experiment herself and published her bachelor's thesis on the Internet. Self-publishing is New German for self-publishing, I know that much. But how exactly does it work? When researching online, it quickly becomes clear that there is not just one option for self-publishing, but at least
