TO SELF-PUBLISH OR NOT TO SELF-PUBLISH, THAT IS THE QUESTION

(This was written to be assessed as part of my Journalism course. This was in Semester 2 of Level 4 and was for my Introduction to Digital Publishing module, where we were tasked with writing three blog posts and designing a website. This was one of the posts I wrote, and each had to detail distinct aspects of the Journalism Industry

The target audience was: Journalists- an informed audience, aimed at Millenials (26-41)/ Get Z (Get Z are aged 10-25, but I was aiming it at the 20+ section of this), based on the language used in the blog posts)

It is without question that Journalism is changing as the digital world is growing; there is more competition for fewer jobs and there are more and more names out there, making it easier for you, as a journalist, to fall to the bottom of the digital pile.

However, you can fight against the competition by being independent. Self-publishing your journalistic work allows you to network, and grow your audience, without being constrained by a publication. Sites like Wix and WordPress allow you to write your own stories on your own timetable and publicise them however you want.

Advantages of self-publishing:

• You promote your own work, this means you can tailor it to your chosen audience

If you are a music journalist, and you wanted to submit your pieces to music blogs or magazines which accept work from external sources, you can. You are also able to write to your audience- for example, if you

• You can still submit your work to be published by other publications, which gets your name out there and expands your audience

With being able to submit to multiple publications as well as publishing your articles yourself, you expand your audience, as their audience has the potential to become yours. If you engage with other outlets and can get your work featured by them, you can then gain readership through them. This can then become a part of your audience, as if they like your work, they will continue to read it, as well as follow you on social media to see when you’re posting things. This can lead to them subscribing to your website so they get updated when you write- which when used effectively can lead to monetisation, and therefore income.

• You have complete control over what you write- you can write things that interest you

So often, social media is filled with articles about politics and the economy, big events that are happening in the world. Most editors will make you write about things even when you may not want to cover them- but by self-publishing you control what you put out there, if you want to write about a dog show while there is a housing crisis that is taking priority, you can do that on your own website, but not in a major newspaper or most magazines.

• People can find you and want your work

As previously mentioned, you can build up your own readership based on what you choose to talk about. People can subscribe to your website, and follow you across social media and you are then able to form relationships with your readers and engage with them, in ways you wouldn’t if you weren’t working independently. This also forms a community, as you can encourage conversation and debate in your comment sections.

• Work from home and choose your own hours

You don’t have the constraints you would working in an office with a team of journalists. You choose when and where you work, customising your workspace however suits you best- this could be with plants or pets, or maybe your best work comes to you at 2 am. It doesn’t matter, because working as your own publication allows you to make your work, work for you. It also allows you to consider your own commitments, children and family, hobbies and classes can all fit in as you work to your timetable.

• You are on your own time.

Particularly useful when it to feature writing- you do not have deadlines set by other people. This makes your schedule far more flexible- if you have time set aside to write and an important situation comes up and you have to reschedule, you can. You don't have the flexibility when you work for someone else that you have when you work for yourself, and so long as the article you are writing isn't news, it often doesn't have to be written there and then.

If you notice a missed typo or a source gives you updated information or you have published something generally inaccurate, you can change it whenever and wherever you are. There are also apps for these sites (Wix and WordPress etc), so you can make swift adjustments from your mobile devices, rather than using a laptop.

• People can leave comments and you can engage with your audience more

Engagement is key when growing a platform on social media- something you have to do to increase readership (if you don't grow your social media no one is going to find your website). By people commenting on your posts on social media, it boosts you in Instagram and Twitter's algorithm, so ultimately more people see you. It also allows you to build a rapport with your audience, speaking to them about your thoughts and ideas builds a relationship, so they will want to interact with your writing more.

• Very quick and easy to set up, don't need much technical knowledge

Content management systems have countless templates to choose from and customise, allowing you to design your website with immense ease. By doing this, you can make it fit the subject- for example, if you enter financial journalism, your website would require a more professional feel. However, as you do learn and develop your skills, you can use them to gain an extra income- blog designing and blog consultancy are some of these options. You can also develop your understanding of the digital world, exploring keywords and how you can use these to your advantage. There are plenty of resources which help you do this, for example, Google's Keyword planner which helps you see new keywords, and plan for the future based on google trends.

Disadvantages of self-publishing:

• You don’t have the weight of a publication behind you

This can make it harder to get interviews and find people to speak to and you have a smaller network, so everything you do, you have to do through your own means. Some see this as an advantage, as it means you are in control, but it can be very overwhelming trying to do everything on your own. Working for The Guardian or the Daily Mail, or any other news organisation, you have people subscribe to the whole site. They will see your work, and your name gets out there, but with your own website, if you aren't constantly pushing your brand, no one will know you are out there and as a result, you will have a smaller readership.

• You have to do everything yourself

As previously mentioned, you are in charge of everything- answering emails, social media, writing, updating the site, even just learning how to be your own boss. You also have any expenses to cover yourself, such as upgrading to a better package if you're using a CMS such as Wix, and then additional costs such as a domain name and promoting a post on Instagram, and any advertisements you may want to place. The costs also increase as you grow- you may one day have to employ someone to help you, and from that, your expenses only increase.

• It isn’t always steady pay

When you go to work for a big publication, you know how much you are going to earn, but as an independent? Constant unpredictability. You may be able to monetise your website, but this could take months if not years, and it may not be for much in return. You will likely need another job as well as your site, which reduces your free time significantly.

Overall, there are more advantages than disadvantages when it comes to self-publishing, mainly because it is up to you- regularity, length, time frames etc. It is entirely your choice on when you write and how much, but it can rarely be something you do full time, as there is less money in it.