Self-Publishing: The side-hustle that you never knew existed

As a result, the nation’s leading memoir-writing service, StoryTerrace, sees a 200% increase in projects since 2019

The cost of living continues to impact the nation, with modern-day stresses and challenging economic times affecting our day-to-day lives. As Brits continue to tighten their purse strings in times of need, the literary sphere has been a space that continues to provide more than just a form of entertainment. The Alliance of Independent Authors reported that in 2022 the median revenue for independent authors stood at just over £10,000. Now a cultural phenomenon, Amazon’s services dominate this side of the literary market with 1.4 million self-published print titles being available on their site last year. StoryTerrace, the nation’s leading self-publishing platform for memoirs, has experienced a rise of more than 200% in the number of books entering the service since 2019, highlighting the growing appetite for self-publishing.

Now a viable option for novice to established authors, self-publishing offers potential returns that were previously unimaginable. It is now commonplace that authors wishing to take the conventional route using a publishing house won’t see as high return percentages compared with publishing independently. Coinciding with the emergence of smart devices, e-books, and online subscription models, this has transformed both the publishing landscape as well as the reading behaviour of readers. According to recent statistics, the UK saw a 68% growth in self-published e-books over the last five years.

In tandem with this, StoryTerrace saw a meteoric rise in the number of people turning to writing to document their own incredible stories. The memoir-writing service has seen more than a 200% rise in the number of projects entering the service over the last three years. Motivated by either the reading revolution or the search for a creative way to fill their time, StoryTerrace’s proprietary data shows that 30% of Brits feel proud of their life achievements and want to tell their story. Building a business that has now helped thousands of people tell their stories through memoir-writing, the CEO is able to speak about how writing can provide more than just entertainment. 

Rutger Bruining, Founder and CEO of StoryTerrace, comments on how self-publishing is a viable option for aspiring authors:

“There are many reasons why people decide to publish. First and foremost, publishing makes your story accessible: Complete strangers can pick up your book and be inspired, educated or entertained by your life experience. Self-publishing also puts you in the driver’s seat. You won’t have to deal with a complex contract, and you’ll have the final say when it comes to things like your book cover and title. Plus, you get to keep the royalties from every sale when you self-publish. Self-published authors take home 40–60% royalties per book. This is four to six times higher than what they would make with traditional publishing, where they get only 10–12% per book.

“Just a decade ago self-published books were almost unheard of, but in recent years self-publishing has been on the rise and it is something we see often at our service. At StoryTerrace, our mission is to help ordinary people tell their stories. In many cases our clients want to keep those stories private, sharing them only with friends and family. When someone does have a story they want to share with the wider world, though, our self-publishing service helps them do just that.

“At StoryTerrace we can help through the entire process, if the client wishes of course. As one of the largest memoir-writing organisations in the world, we’ve had a great deal of experience making beautiful books, and getting them out there into the hands of readers.”