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No, an author does not have to buy back rights from a mainstream publisher if they self-published the book and retain the copyright .

If the author initially sold the publishing rights to a traditional publisher, they must secure the reversion of those rights back to themselves before republishing, but this does not involve buying the rights back from themselves.

If you self-published

You already own the rights: As a self-published author, you typically retain the copyright unless you explicitly transferred it in a contract.

You can republish anytime: If you hold the copyright, you are free to get a new edition published by a mainstream publisher at any time without having to buy back rights from yourself.

Check your ISBN: The original self-publisher's ISBN is tied to their publishing platform. A new publisher will assign their own ISBN for the new edition.

If a traditional publisher released the book

You must regain the rights: You cannot publish a new version of the book with another publisher until you have officially had the rights reverted from the original publisher.

Look for a reversion clause: Check your original publishing contract for a "reversion of rights" clause. This typically allows you to regain the rights if the book goes out of print or sales fall below a certain level.

Request reversion: If you can't find a clause, you can formally request the rights be reverted, especially if the publisher is not actively selling or promoting the book.

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Reddit How Do I Republish a Book? - Spoonbridge Press Jul 31, 2023 — The good news is that if you self-published your book (on your own or through a self-publishing company) and retain th... Spoonbridge Press DIY: Reversion of Rights Apr 4, 2015 — Authors can regain the rights to publish a book by claiming the out-of-print or reversion of rights clause in their con... Publishers Weekly