Which is right for you?
Spoiler alert: there is no right way to publish. It might depend on the book, the timing, or the funds available to you. It could even depend on unforeseen circumstances unique to you. If you take away one thing from this article, I hope it’s the confidence to laugh at anyone who tries to dictate what the best way to publish is for you. If someone is telling you one way is better than the other, they’re either a scammer trying to sell you something, or they are just plain ignorant.
Luck plays a huge role too! So roll the dice, pick the path your gut leans toward, and try not to sweat it if your plans change along the way.
Self-Publishing (a.k.a. Indie Publishing)
Breakdown: Self-publishing is just what it sounds like. You’re the author and your own publisher. Everything that goes into publishing a book is commanded and controlled by you. You may hire or recruit people to your team, but ultimately, you have the final say on everything. It comes down to what connections and skills you have to get your book out there.
PROS
You’re in control of it all.
You can make your own deadlines and go at your own pace.
You don’t have to share the profits.
Quicker payouts without middlemen or contract terms.
You stand to earn a large income if luck is on your side and you have the funds to hit the ground running with your marketing!
All the rights belong to you. (Film, merchandise, special editions, translations, etc.)
CONS
You’re in control of it all… (It can be a lot.)
You have to wear all the hats. (Author, head editor, marketer, publisher, social media manager, etc.)
It can be pricey! If you’re doing it to grow your career and not to throw a half-edited book up on the internet, be prepared to sink anywhere from $3k to $25k into each book.
It can be isolating without a team to back you.
If you drop the ball, production halts.
There is major competition in the indie world. Close to 4 million books were self-published this year alone. Without unicorn-level luck or the funds to market yourself rigorously, you’re not going to stand out.
Traditional Publishing
Breakdown: I hate the name for this route of publishing. It makes it sound like it’s the best way. The orthodox way. The safest way with guaranteed success. But traditional publishing isn’t even close to all that. Traditional publishing is when an author is published by an existing publishing house. To get in front of the editors at publishing houses, you usually need an agent first, which requires the soul-draining task of querying and pitching yourself to the limited number of reputable agents in the world. If you can’t be bothered to get an agent first, you can always skip this part and query small presses or publishers that don’t require you to go through an agent. Of course, this limits the number of publishers you can reach out to, and it still requires you to pitch yourself and your manuscript.
PROS
You have a team to back you! Hallelujah!
It is no cost to you to query, pitch, or sign with a traditional publisher. (If you ever encounter a publisher that wants you to pay an upfront fee, these are known as vanity publishers, aka SCAMMERS.)
You get paid first! This is known as an advance and could be anywhere from $1k to over six figures depending on the current market and how in demand your book is.
You have the potential to make a lot of money depending on how much marketing power is behind you. (This all depends on what publisher you end up with and the luck of the draw.)
You have more ways to get in front of an audience. Marketing, touring, the hype of being with a well-known publisher, etc.
You have more connections with industry professionals, which could translate to more opportunities for your career. (More books, film, translations, high-end art and merchandise, etc.)
You have more time to focus on writing when a team takes care of the rest for you. (In theory… However, this is not always the case. Generally, you should have more time for being an author when you don’t have to wear every hat that a self-published author would.)
CONS
You have limited control of your book debut, and you have to play nice with others who may have a different vision for the direction your books and career go.
You may have fewer rights to your book(s). This depends on your contract.
Deadlines enforced by others can be difficult to meet.
You have to share the profit. Your agent gets a cut and the publisher gets a massive cut. After taxes, you might not be making as much as you hoped.
There are looooooooong wait times in traditional publishing. Getting an agent, selling your book to publishers, actually publishing, earning out, and even getting that first paycheck can all take YEARS.
You might still have to do some of your own marketing and other unpleasant things. Author mileage may vary, but most publishers require authors to do things a team ought to be doing for them to cut corners and save costs. Today’s landscape in the traditional publishing world isn’t as consistent as it should be.
You have to brave the hellscape known as querying and face constant, never-ending, soul-crushing rejections again and again and again just to get through the first hoop.
You then have to brave the hellscape known as submission, facing more constant and soul-crushing rejections from editors.
Bonus: Hybrid Publishing & Small Presses
Self and traditional are not your only options. If neither of those sound right for you, don’t lose hope!
Breakdown of Hybrid: This form of publishing is a blend of traditional and self-publishing. It’s different for everyone and comes down to what you want to negotiate, but it can be the best of both worlds if you’re savvy enough to navigate it. You will have to pay fees, but you may have a better footing with a team to help you out. Pay for what you want, and leave the rest!
Breakdown of Small Presses: Want to skip out on querying? You and me both… You can go straight to the publisher via small presses. Just like traditional publishing, you won’t pay a dime. The only difference is cutting out the agent middleman. However, a small press may not have the same power and resources to back you as a bigger publisher might. Also keep in mind that by cutting out the agent, you have to fight even harder for yourself to stand out to publishers, negotiate your own contract, and swim in much larger pools of desperate authors with no existing connections to editors.
So what the heck should I do?
We’ve only scratched the surface in this article, and I encourage you to research more about publishing routes that interest you. The publishing world is both a stubborn goat and a fast-paced machine that changes quicker than the wind. Some aspects will never change, but on the other hand, what was standard practice a year ago could be taboo now.
As you can see by now, there are drawbacks to every form of publishing. No way is without its flaws, and rarely do authors have the same experience. What they experience and accomplish may vary from author to author, or book to book. Market, luck, and so many other uncontrollable factors affect publishing.
So I’ll emphasize it again: there is no right way to publish, and luck plays a huge part in all of it.
You are not a sell-out if you go the self-publishing route, and you are not a gold digger/fame chaser if you gravitate toward the traditional way. You can switch any time, and it’s not going to kill your book’s chance.
Some people may tout that certain books are meant for traditional or self-publishing, but how can you know this if you don’t try both? It’s okay to experiment, fail, and experiment some more. It’s okay to not have a clue which way is best for you and your book.
Take a deep breath, trust your gut, and keep believing in the magic of your stories.
Bio
You can follow Aurora Rae and her work on Instagram @authoraurorarae.
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