Introduction
You've written a book and are searching for ways to get it into the world. You've heard of traditional publishing, but you aren't sure if it's right for you. Maybe you want more control over your finished product than a traditional publisher can offer, or maybe you'd rather make money directly from book sales than rely on royalties. I know what you're thinking: "I just want to be an author! What do I need all this complicated stuff for?" I know, because that’s exactly how I feel now that I’m getting close to finishing my current work in process. I wrote my first book years ago with the intention of self-publishing because I just wanted to go for it. I wanted to put my story out there and have people read it, more as a way to validate my writing if nothing else. Whether or not that was the smartest thing to do or not, is a moot point. Do I regret it? Not at all. What I discovered was that there are readers who like my style, and of course there are readers who don’t. And I want to keep writing for that first group!
Choosing between self-publishing again and traditional publishing my next book is something that has been weighing on my mind. My first thought was to try the traditional method, and I even went so far as to submit it to several agents. Unfortunately, the rejection from that ordeal was enough to cause my dive into self-doubt and I let myself walk away from writing altogether for a while. (BTW, if you’re an writer/author, you’re probably familiar with this scenario.)
But I regress, so now that I’m over myself, and am back at writing and completing my next story, I need to think about what publishing route is best for me. If you’re in the same boat, Welcome Aboard! Come along with me and let's look at some pros and cons of each type of publishing option.
The goal of a traditional publisher is to sell books.
The goal of a traditional publisher is to sell books. That's it. They want to make money, and they'll do whatever it takes to make that happen—even if that means sacrificing quality, authors' visions and voices, even stories themselves. Sounds harsh, but it's just reality.
However, there are obvious benefits of traditional publishing.
You would have an agent or editor who will help refine your manuscript and make it more marketable before submitting it to publishers who specialize in certain genres.
You can also use their expertise when negotiating contracts with bookstores or online retailers like Amazon or Barnes & Noble or Apple Books so that they accept your book at retail price instead of discounted B&N/Amazon Price Matching rates which may not be appropriate for all books during this period where customers want everything at MSRP (manufacturer's suggested retail price), but we're still working on pricing models outside our comfort zone.
There are professional services available such as copyediting services, cover artworks creation etc., which cost money but they will ensure consistency across all versions published by different companies using multiple formats like hardback printings etc., which would otherwise take longer time if done manually by one person alone.
Traditional publishing is selective.
Another thing to know about traditional publishing is that it is very selective. If you want to get your book published by a traditional publisher, you need to show them you are serious about your book and have the talent and drive necessary to make it happen. You also need to prove that there's an audience for your work—and not just any audience, but one that will actually buy books in large enough numbers that the publisher can make money on them.
This usually means having some kind of track record: maybe as an author or editor or journalist; maybe as someone who has successfully run events or organized groups; maybe as someone who has worked with other authors or built up an audience through social media channels like Twitter or Facebook (or both). It doesn't matter how small these accomplishments may seem—what matters is their cumulative effect on demonstrating your ability to create something great out of nothing. It's not just about words printed on paper (or pixels displayed on screens), it's about the total package.
Indie publishing offers the author more control over the finished book and more profit from book sales.
Indie publishing offers the author more control over the finished book and more profit from book sales. With traditional publishing, you must abide by your publisher's guidelines for editing, cover art, title selection, and pricing. You must also allow them to market your book for you (which can be good or bad depending on how much say they have in marketing).
With indie publishing, there are fewer restrictions on these things:
Editing process
Cover Artwork
Marketing
Editing
When going the traditional route, editing comes with the contract, which means you have no say in who is going to be editing your book. Many authors find that this can be an invasive process, since they aren't able to vet the editor to feel comfortable that the heart of their story won't be changed to where it is no longer recognizable.
In self-publishing, indie authors can still benefit from an editor or proofreader, but it's up to the author to hire one, giving them the opportunity to interview possible editors and review some of their past work.
If you're not sure where to start, here are some places where you can look:
Fiverr (the most popular marketplace for freelancers)
Reedsy (a marketplace just for book professionals) or Upwork.
Cover Artwork
While book covers don't make or break a novel, they can help you stand out in the crowd. It's important that your cover design reflects the tone of your story, so it's best to hire a professional if you don't have graphic design experience or are unsure if you can do justice to your own cover art. However, many self-publishing platforms like Amazon KDP allow authors to create their own book covers using pre-made templates and stock photos. If this sounds like something up your alley—and who doesn't love editing photos?--then go ahead and give it a try!
But what if I'm not good at design? No problem! There are plenty of resources available online where non-designers can find free images for use on their covers (or even hire freelancers). One great place is DeviantArt; here, users post all sorts of images from which others may choose when designing their own covers.
Marketing
When you self-publish, it's up to you to promote your book. If you want to sell copies of your book, you have to do the legwork yourself. If you were published by a traditional publisher, they would take care of most of this for you: they'd hire an editor and cover designer; they'd make sure that their sales team was ready with advertising campaigns and promotional materials; they'd even help with distribution so that books could be sold in bookstores around the country or world! In short, there are a lot of things that traditional publishers do that can make marketing easier on authors—but at what cost?
When it comes down to it, traditional publishing houses don't care about authors as much as they care about making money off their books—which is why they charge such high fees in exchange for helping with those things listed above (editorial services, cover design). They're looking at everything from an economic standpoint: if they can get away with charging less money upfront while still making enough money later down the line through royalties or other revenue streams (like film adaptations), then why wouldn't they do it?
Traditional publishing houses have a lot of resources at their disposal when it comes to marketing books. They have teams dedicated to getting the word out about new releases and they also have access to big budgets that allow them to spend money on advertising. As an independent author, though, you'll likely be handling everything yourself—and that can seem like a pretty daunting task!
So how do you get started? Here are some tips that might work for you:
Find an audience that would be interested in reading your book and reach out to them directly. This can be as simple as sharing links on social media or sending emails out through email listservs or newsletters. If there are any relevant groups or organizations that might be interested in hearing about your book (for example, if you're writing about parenting), reach out there too!
Do some research into what other authors in your genre are doing with their marketing efforts—you can find this by searching "self-published author" on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or TikTok. Or check out their websites and seeing what they're posting about themselves. This can give you some ideas on what kinds of things might work well for you too!
Consider hiring someone who knows how to write good copy or design effective graphics (or both) so that they can help craft an eye-catching website or social media presence that will draw people in and keep them coming back for more information about your book (s).
Create a website where people can learn more about the book and buy copies if they want one (or even sign up for updates). You can also use this site as part of an email marketing campaign that promotes special sales or giveaways related to the book—just make sure any information shared here is accurate! It's important for readers.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are pros and cons to each of these publishing options. In the end, it all comes down to what works best for you as an author and your writing process. There's no right or wrong answer—just choose the one that makes sense for your career. As for me, I think I’ll finish rewriting my manuscript and get it in front of a few beta and ARC readers, then decide. Ah procrastination…just another one of those writer antics that we yield like a sword when faced with difficult decisions. Wish me luck, as I truly with you the same.
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