Whether you're writing your own books or ghostwriting novels or memoirs for others, there's plenty of options for freelancers in books. In some cases, it’s possible to send your book proposals directly to a publishing house. Others require you to go through a literary agent.

A growing number of writers are skipping the publishing houses and agents altogether. It’s never been easier for a writer to self-publish and market their own material, using the same skills you’ll learn by reading this book. The rapid rise of user-friendly e-readers has opened the market wide and given writers the ability to self-publish without having to spend thousands of dollars on printing and fulfillment.

Though the gap narrows by the day, self-publishing still has its downsides. Most writers don’t have the expertise (or deep pockets) that publishers do, meaning that they either have to pay someone to handle things such as layout, formatting for print and eBook distribution, and cover creation, or learn to do these things themselves. Costs can add up quickly, cutting into whatever profits a book might earn. On the flip side, you can learn to do many of these things with advice freely available on the web.

Another option for writers is to involve yourself with companies that are storytelling in business. Telling business’ stories and creating marketing journeys from them. The learning curve can be frustrating, but if you spend some time now, you can save money later.

Another benefit traditional publishers have over self-publishers, is a wide distribution and promotion network which cannot only put your books into stores but publicize your book to millions of people. When you go the indie route, distribution and promotion are entirely up to you. Fortunately, print-on-demand and social media have made it easier than ever to compete with the “big boys.”