Are you tossed between traditional publishing and independent publishing (aka self-publishing)? These days, there is no “right” way to publish. The path to choose depends on your motivations as an author and an entrepreneur. Here are 6 factors to consider:
1. Interest
The first step to publishing traditionally is getting a literary agent and then a publisher interested in your work, a process that requires a lot of effort and time. Even with the help of a literary agent—an invaluable asset in the traditional publishing world—finding a publisher who will acquire your manuscript can take years (and there’s never any guarantee that one will). And, as we all know, those dreaded rejection letters can prove to be discouraging after a while.
This is not to say that if a traditional publisher turns your book down that it isn’t worth publishing independently. Traditional publishers keep a very close and constant eye on what the market is doing. A publisher’s choice to decline your book may be an indication that, at the moment, they think your book has less of a chance at success than other titles they are considering, or it simply may not fit their vision. For a traditional publisher with paychecks and printing costs to cover, financial success is a primary concern.
2. Cost
It’s standard practice for traditional publishers to offer editorial, design, production, and marketing assistance as part of the deal when they acquire your work. Some offer an advance on royalties. Since this represents a considerable investment, the publisher then keeps a significant portion of the profits for that work. This really isn’t an unfair trade. Like a traditional publisher, an author who wants traditional-quality work needs to make a financial investment in the tasks normally handled by a publishing house and therefore keeps most of the profits. Either way, the market is fickle no matter which route you go, and neither choice guarantees a return on investment, much less profits.
3. A Matter of Time
For some authors, financial success and “notoriety” are not the goal; they just want to see their work in print and offer it to their already established audience. In traditional publishing, once a publisher signs on a book, they often have 18 months to 2 years to place it on the market.
With independent publishing, the author and the professionals they work with set the timeline for a book’s debut on the market. An author whose primary aspiration is to have his or her book in hand and available to consumers may find this path more appealing, simply because the transition from manuscript to bound book is much shorter.
4. The Final Say
Some authors want full creative control of their work. When you publish traditionally, the publisher generally makes the final call on things like subjective editorial changes, the book’s cover, and the interior layout. In self-publishing, the author retains greater creative publishing control, but this still require working with talented, knowledgeable professionals to create a quality product. This can be off-putting to authors who can’t necessarily afford the same kind of top-quality, professional assistance it takes to make a self-published work competitive in today’s market. This is why there are so many self-published works out there that have a great deal of potential, but that potential is hidden behind an unprofessional package.
5. Credibility
There’s no denying that when a book carries a publisher’s logo, there’s a certain credibility that comes with it. People seem to take it more seriously. This is partly because a reputable book publisher has spent years building a reputation for putting quality work on the market. Readers, reviewers, and brick-and-mortar booksellers are essentially assured that a whole team of experts had a hand in bringing that book to life.
6. Shelf Space
There’s nothing like running across your book on the shelf of your local bookstore, but this isn’t always going to be the case. This is because, for brick-and-mortar booksellers, shelf space is a major consideration when it comes to choosing which titles they carry. While it is possible to get a self-published book into a bookstore, book buyers for the stores will more likely choose traditionally published titles over self-published titles, because those booksellers often have an established relationship with traditional publishers and their sales associates. Any copies of a book the store orders must sell; otherwise, they will need to return them to the publisher or slash the prices significantly.
Self-published books, particularly those that do not have a well-known author behind them, represent a greater financial risk, so a brick-and-mortar bookseller will probably be less inclined to give shelf space to such a title over a traditionally published work. By contrast, online booksellers are comfortable carrying independently published titles along with traditionally published ones because digital shelf space is virtually limitless.
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No matter which option you choose, the work to transform your manuscript into a book doesn’t end with writing that manuscript. If you’re looking to publish without making too much of a financial investment, are willing to put in the time and effort, and want a publisher’s stamp of approval, aiming for a traditional publishing contract is likely the way you’ll want to go. If you’re more interested in making sure your book fits your creative vision and getting your book in hand as soon as you can, independent publishing is probably the choice you’ll make—as long as you’re willing to devote your time and resources to the project. Don’t let the negative aspects of either route discourage you from publishing your work. Simply be aware of your options, and decide which route you want to pursue—and then pursue it.
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