The stats are out there. The numbers don’t lie. It doesn’t feel like self-publishing is worth it when millions of others are carving out their own space. Despite this, I still intend to self-publish in 2025. Here’s why:
1. The romance niche IS over-saturated 💔
This genre is still raking in revenue. Like in the billions of dollars. It’s no secret that the romance genre is one of top-dogs that brings in the money. There are so many subcategories that one can play in. Romance readers are out constantly consuming. As a reader of romance myself, I read at least two full-length novels a month. The wild thing is, there are a lot of readers out there that consume a book a week.
Naturally, I am going to write in the genre that I love. I want to join that community of authors and readers that keeps the romance cog turning. That being said, I don’t expect it to be easy. It’s going to be hard as hell, but I’m going to give it my shot.
2. Self-publishing is a demanding but fun business
And that’s how I like it…😉
When you self-publish, you are the jack of all trades. You are the marketer, editor, businessman or woman, and finally, the writer. 😵💫 It sounds terrifying, but I view it as a fun challenge and an opportunity to learn something. Because even if it fails, I’ll be smarter next time.
Few realize when you start this venture, treat it like a business first. Especially if you plan on making this a viable income stream.
The upfront investment can be as little or as much as you put into it. Once you start and you gain a following, keep feeding the beast.
I’ve invested in approx: $1k in my debut novella. This number is about to go even higher once I put out the ARCs. When everything is said and done, I’ll release my total investment and what I’ve earned.
While I haven’t published yet, I’ve learned so much about myself and this business that the lessons are translatable into my everyday life.
3. It’s still a viable income stream 💰
I am the type of person who is constantly searching and learning how to optimize my finances, happiness and quality of of life. My income goals are going to differ from the next author.
There are many of those who want to make this a full-time gig. There is nothing wrong with that.
My personal income goal for 2024: Keep my day job, drop to part-time and use my author income to build wealth and fund nice-to-haves.
I don’t like to keep all my eggs in one basket. Down the road, the extra-income will invest in other ventures in my quest to improve aspects of my life.
4. It’s going to be a blast 😎
I love to write stories and I love to write steamy romance stories. Why not see if others will like it too?
The process so far has been interesting, fun, frustrating, humbling, and I’ve run through more emotions than an emotional thesaurus.
TLDR:
It’s fun to do!
I believe there is still money and consumers in an over-saturated genre.
This is a fun business to learn and grow by doing what you love.
It has the potential to be a viable income stream for my personal goals.
