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Self-Publishing vs. Traditional Publishing

Writer's picture: Samantha ChristopherSamantha Christopher

Congratulations! You have written a book, or you're in the middle of writing one and looking ahead. I applaud you!


There is something I need to tell you -- Writing the book is just the beginning. I know. I know. That's not what you want to hear, but it's true.



Now comes the daunting subject of publishing. I really hope I can aid you with that a little bit because I know how overwhelming it can be.


Self-publishing? Indie? Traditional publishing? Agents? Hybrid? Querying???


You can find so much about publishing online, so I would like to share my personal experience that may help you decide between the main two: self-publishing and Traditional publishing. This comes from everything I learned over the course of querying for a year, hiring top editors to look at my work, attending a Writing Conference, starting the self-publishing process, and learning from indie authors. 



Let's start by asking what your goals are. Do you want to make a lot of money? Reach a wide audience? Or do you just want to get your book out there, hold it in your hand, and maybe have a few people read it?


If you don’t know what you want or if you're on the fence between self-publishing and traditional publishing, I say try to get an agent first. Unless your goal is the last option. In that case, make a fun cover on Canva, upload your book on Amazon, and call it a day! It can literally be that easy.


If you want to get an agent and try to publish traditionally, then you need a Query letter. When I first started querying agents, I told myself that the probability was really low, but why not shoot my shot? My goal is to reach a wide audience, and I can only reach so many people through self-publishing. For me, the possible rejection was worth it to at least try the traditional path. 



Here is my simplified Pros and Cons list of the two.


Self-publishing:

Pros:

  • You have total control of your work, what the cover looks like, how much editing goes into it, everything!

  • You can have fun with commissioning character art, sprayed edges, merch, page art, etc. The sky is the limit for what you can do for your book!

  • You get a huge chunk of your sales - the best royalties in the business.

  • Lots of options exist for print books and ebooks

  • Speed: if you want your book out in a few months, you can do it!


Cons:

  • There will always be a stigma about the quality of your writing. Anyone can self-publish.

  • Lots of upfront costs and no guarantee of a reward.

  • You can’t get attention for film rights or foreign rights.

  • It’s really hard to get into libraries and book fairs.

  • You’re invisible in the marketplace.

  • You have to do your own marketing in order not to be visible, but still– your reach is only so far.


Traditional Publishing:

Pros:

  • No upfront costs

  • Worldwide distribution to brick-and-mortar stores (B&N, Target, Walmart, etc.)

  • Wider audience

  • You can focus on writing instead of marketing and all the other things that come with self-publishing

  • Access to top editors of the industry

  • An agent to champion your work and help you every step of the way… forever! **A friend of mine who got an agent and sold her book ten years ago still receives royalties without doing anything. Her agent is still with her even though she hasn't written another book since. That's pretty amazing!


Cons:

  • VERY slow. From the time you get an agent, you still have two more years until it will actually be published.

  • You have very little control. You don’t get a say on the cover or even the title at times.

  • The payment is good at first, but later, you won’t make much from royalties. Everyone else pretty much takes everything.

  • Word count is really important and needs to fit industry standards.

  • It’s very subjective. Agents pick a book based on what they like and vibes.

  • The market is always changing. What you write has to be popular at the time.  

  • Even if you do get an agent, there’s still only a 50/50 chance a publisher will pick you up. 



Hybrid Publishing/ Indie Traditional Publishers:


Hybrid Publishers (also known as Vanity Publishers) are companies that you pay to publish your book. NEVER do this. Never pay anyone to publish your book. It is a scam. Anything they can do for you, you can do on your own.


Indie and small Publishers are Traditional publishing companies that you can submit to without needing a literary agent. You have to do your research if you want to go this route, and in a way, it’s the best of both worlds. You get all the traditional perks – depending on how big the company is – and you have more control over your work. However, if it’s a new or small company, you're best self-publishing because they have the same reach as you AND you have to give them part of the profit. Again, do your research! I almost went with a small publisher until I realized that the woman didn’t have any prior experience publishing or editing. (Technically, anyone can call themselves a publisher.)


Let me know if this is helpful! If you have any more questions, I plan on writing more blog posts on the topic, so sign up for my email list and follow me on social media to learn more.


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