Planning for retirement these days isn’t exactly straightforward or easy…but what if it could be? Most people think of investing in stocks or collecting a hard-earned pension, but these retirement strategies come with a lot of strings attached. Publishing, on the other hand, puts you 100% in charge. In this blog post, we’ll cover 6 reasons why self-publishing can help you retire early (or whenever you want). 

Skip ahead to the blueprint! Visit our self-publishing webinar and get automatic access to the exact plan for making royalties that set you up for life! Yes, even as a total beginner with zero tech or writing experience. 

Fact #1: Self-Publishing Can Bring In Passive Income

The majority of side hustles these days are either A) total scams or B) just not worth it. Who wants to deal with thousands of dollars of inventory or put thousands of miles on their car for meager returns? Self-publishing doesn’t work like that. 

Unlike traditional publishing, where royalties are often a small percentage of sales, self-publishing gives you greater control and a higher share of the profits. With platforms like Kindle Direct Publishing, you can earn up to 70% in royalties. And you don’t have to deal with any of the shipping, inventory management, or returns. Once you put in the work to publish a book, it’s live forever. So, hypothetically, a book you create today can bring you returns for the rest of your life without any additional work. 

Benefits of Self-Publishing:

• Higher Royalties: Traditional publishing offers 7-25%, while self-publishing can offer up to 70%.
• Control over Pricing: You set the prices and can adjust them for promotions.
• Frequent Payouts: Monthly payouts keep your income stream flowing.

Fact #2: Self-Publishing Doesn't Require a Massive Upfront Investment

When you decide to start self-publishing, you might be concerned about the costs involved. However, self-publishing doesn't have to be a financial burden on your path to retirement. You can publish your work with minimal upfront expenses and scale your publishing business as you get more comfortable with things like Amazon ads and Facebook ads. 

At the start, you might encounter costs associated with:

• Editing: You can offset these costs by using spellcheck and free software like Grammarly. 
• Cover design: You can offset these costs by using free software like Canva or partnering with new designers on platforms like Fiverr who are looking to get more experience. 
• ISBN: Purchasing an ISBN is necessary for distribution, but it's a manageable one-time cost. And if you’re only looking to publish your book on Amazon, they’ll even provide one for free for each book!

A big advantage of self-publishing is the ability to keep overhead costs low. You can find editors, writers, designers, and book formatters that fit within your own budget. And with the rise of eBook platforms, you can publish electronically at little to no cost, significantly cutting down on traditional printing and distribution expenses. This also means your initial investment can be recouped more quickly, making self-publishing a viable method to contribute to your retirement savings.

Fact #3: With Self-Publishing, There's Long-term Earning Potential

When you choose the self-publishing route, your books can generate income over an extended period. Unlike traditional publishing contracts with finite royalty periods, your self-published works remain on the market indefinitely. This means that with consistent marketing and updating your content, you can sustain (and potentially even increase) your book's earnings as part of your retirement plan.

• Control Over Pricing: You decide the price of your book. Flexible pricing allows you to adjust during promotions, which can lead to increased sales over time.
• Perpetual Sales: Books can continue to sell for years, creating a passive income stream.

With platforms like Amazon KDP, you're in charge of your time and income. And even better—your earning potential doesn't retire when you do. Your books can continue to be a source of income, contributing to the financial stability of your golden years.

Fact #4: With Self-Publishing, You Have Control Over Your Own Work & Time

When you choose to self-publish, the creative control rests squarely in your hands. This means you're in charge of every aspect of your book, from the initial draft to the final product on the shelf.

Here's what you control:

• Content: You get to decide what goes into your book. From the writing style to the characters, plot, and voice, your book is purely your vision.
• Design: Your cover design and book layout are up to you. You can hire designers or use the tools provided by self-publishing platforms to create a professional look that matches your content.
• Pricing: You set the price for your work. Analyzing the market and adjusting the price gives you the flexibility to maximize your earnings.
• Rights: Retaining the rights to your book means you can explore other avenues, such as audiobooks or adaptation rights, at your discretion.
• Marketing: You devise and implement your marketing strategy. Self-publishing platforms offer tools and resources to help you market your book, but ultimately, it's up to you to connect with your audience.
• Time: Self-publishing gives you time and location freedom. in fact, it is one of the best remote jobs for seniors.

Fact #5: With Self-Publishing, You Have Access to a Global Market

When you choose to self-publish, you're not confining your work to your local bookstore or country. In fact, you have the opportunity to tap into the international book market, ensuring that readers around the world can access your work around the clock. 

• Distribution Platforms: You can use platforms like Draft2Digital to make your book available in numerous countries.
• Foreign Rights Sales: You can explore selling your book’s foreign rights, potentially increasing your revenue.
• Marketing Strategies: Implement targeted marketing strategies to connect with international audiences.

Fact #6: With Self-Publishing, You Can Leverage All Your Life Experience

Self-publishing offers a unique opportunity to turn the wealth of knowledge and experience you’ve accumulated over the years into a source of income for your retirement. Whether it's your professional expertise, personal hobbies, or lessons learned, all can become valuable content for your book.

• Expertise: You've spent years in your field. Whether it's carpentry, education, or personal finance, your professional insights can help others—and generate sales.
• Personal Stories: Your life stories resonate because they are real. Anecdotes about successes and failures, parenting, or traveling can offer both entertainment and life lessons to readers.
• Hobbies and Passions: Books about hobbies, from gardening to coding, tap into niche markets. Your passion can fuel the passion of others while also providing a steady income stream.

Pro Tip: All this being said, you certainly DON’T have to be an expert to publish a book on a niche subject as long as you know how to conduct thorough research. And if you ARE an expert, you don’t have to publish under your legal name. You can use a pen name to protect your identity!

How Can Consistent Income From Self-Publishing Contribute to a Stable Retirement Plan?

Consistent income from self-publishing can supplement your pension or savings, potentially covering monthly expenses and providing financial security. This can lead to a more comfortable retirement.

How Does the Income from Self-Publishing Compare to Traditional Retirement Savings?

Some people might argue that self-publishing income can be less predictable than traditional retirement savings because the income from self-publishing can fluctuate, but that’s not necessarily painting the whole picture. If the stock market crashes, you can lose your retirement savings overnight. 

If just one book in your whole library doesn’t make any sales for a month or two, the rest of your books can still be bringing in thousands of dollars. And people will buy books in any market or economy because people will always have problems they want to solve. The same can’t be said for buying stocks.

Can Self-Publishing Serve as a Primary Source of Retirement Income?

Self-publishing helped this busy couple retire in their 40’s, so it’s definitely possible! 

Listen to their story here: 

Need a Better Retirement Plan? Start Publishing Today!

Let’s get the excuses out of the way. Here are some of the most common reasons people think self-publishing can’t work for them…

• I’m too old 
• I’m really bad with tech 
• I don’t have anything to invest
• I don’t even know what to write about 

Any of this sound familiar? 

The thing is, our community of students has proven time and again that the system works for those who work it. This is NOT a get-rich-quick scheme, and you can’t just hit a button to retire. But the initial work you put in CAN go on to pay you more rewards than you ever thought possible. 

Not convinced? Listen to this proud grandma talk about how she almost gave up but instead pushed through and how it was the best decision of her life: