This is a question I get a lot from writers. I touched on it in a newsletter at one point, but I still get it I thought I’d tackle it on my blog. 🙂
First off, I wouldn’t dream of telling you one or the other, because each of them have their pros and cons. It really depends on the writer’s vision and preference for their book. Also, I’ve never self-published (also called “indie published” for independently published) so I’m certainly coming with a limited amount of opinion on this. There are a lot of authors who have self-published well and maybe I’ll try to get one of them on here someday to post about it. 🙂Â
But for now, here’s what I’ve got:
INDIE/SELF-PUBLISHING
Self-publishing allows a you to have complete control over the entire publishing process–from writing the book to picking a cover to formatting it to pricing, etc. This often means a greater percentage of profit on each book sale.
You don’t have to print on someone else’s schedule. You don’t have to wait a full year (or more) to give your readers the sequel to your book. You can publish a book every 6 months if you want, or ever 3 months, etc. This often equals happy readers.Â
However you  have to KNOW. EVERYTHING. (Or at least be willing to hire someone who knows everything. ? ) Instead of being just the writer, you also have to figure out how to get books printed, where to hire a cover designer, how to find a good editor, etc. Self-publishing also requires you to front the bill on all those things. So it’s important to take into account the financial aspect of doing all of this solo. Otherwise…
All of this can be overwhelming and self-publishing can be a complete flop if the author doesn’t take the time to educate him/herself on how do to those things properly.Â
So, for the author who wants complete control and doesn’t mind doing the whole enchilada…then self-publishing is a good fit.
TRADITIONAL PUBLISHING
I am more familiar with traditional publishing because that is how my Out of Time Series was published.
In short: Traditional publishing means submitting your story to a publishing house and they will basically do all the binding, formatting, editing, cover design, etc. for you. You just mainly have to write the book, apply their edits, and join in on marketing with them.
The author relinquishes control on a lot of things — such as having to figure out formatting, printing, etcetera, and the publisher assigns a cover designer, editor, etc. In my experience, the publisher welcomes and requests your opinions on these, so you’re not just along for the ride. They want you to be happy, too. Teamwork, baby.
Publishers have a lot of contacts–with bookstores, with sales, with designers, with other authors, etc. They tend to know the market much better than we do and can provide a lot of wisdom in this area. The larger publishing houses also often have some sort of marketing team or plan or publicist. They can help get your books in front of audiences that you can’t reach.Â
Smaller royalties rate: However, with traditional publishing, the percentage of profit off of each book that you get is usually significantly smaller than when you self-publish. Personally, that cost is worth it to me because I don’t want to deal with the behind-the-scenes. I want to focus on writing and connecting with my fans. But some authors prefer–and enjoy–the depth of involvement that goes into self-publishing.
Can you do both?
Hey, I’m glad you asked! And the answer is yes. That is called being a hybrid author. But it takes a lot of forethought to do both well. Commitment. Independently publishing can be done really well…or really terribly. And no matter what, once your book is published those sales and that information is up there forever. To go from indie publishing to traditional publishing, you have to understand that a publisher is going to ask about past sales. My fantastic agent’s blog has a lot of insight about this–far more than I could ever provide:
- Help! I’m a self-published author!
- Be published? or Be Read?
- How Self-Publishing Has Changed Authors
So all that to say, I don’t think one is better over the other in general. But one is better than the other depending on each individual author’s preferences, goals, skills, and visions. 🙂 There is so much more that could be said in this blog post, but one bite at a time, right?
Which one appeals to you?
Have you done either? Or both?
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Thanks for sharing your thoughts. To me, self-publishing seems really intimidating because of the amount of work I’d be facing without much guidance from professionals. Plus, the price can add up quickly. Personally, I’m hoping to go traditional.
I, personally, have found that indie-publishing looks less daunting now that I’ve already been published for a while. I’ve learned so much about the process and I feel like–at this point down the road–I would know how to tackle it (but it would still be hard, so bravo to all those who have done it!!) I’m excited to see where your stories and your publishing journey takes you. 🙂 Both avenues are a lot of work in different ways, but God will equip you one day at a time! 🙂
Thank you for your encouraging words!
I really found this post helpful in clearing up some misconceptions and just giving a good, basic rundown about the differences between self-publishing and traditional publishing. I’ve come to think that it’s better for me personally to wait for a few years before pursuing any kind of publishing. I think self-publishing sounds very neat – I like to be involved in every detail of everything – but it does sound very daunting and challenging. Thank you for this wonderful post!
Oh good! And I love your conclusion to wait. Once you enter the publishing circles, it can be hard to step back and take time off. It takes wisdom and strength to wait on the front end and that’s very admirable! Enjoy the writing process, my friend!
I appreciate you giving your thoughts on this. For a long time I wanted to self-published, probably just ’cause I didn’t want to go through the slow process of traditional. But considering the life I’m leading (and hope to lead in the future), I think traditional will fit better for me, my books, and my family.
I’m glad this post was able to help bring clarity! 🙂 Prayers and blessings to you for your writing journey!
Thank you, Nadine. This was most helpful.
Yay! I’m so glad!
Thank you for this post. I’m entering my first round of submissions to publishers/agents for my dystopian genre novel, and your post helped confirm my decision to try the traditional route first.
Loved your series, by the way!
Oh wow! Sending prayers and blessings your way as you enter the submission process. It can be daunting, but so growing!! I have loved the traditional route–it was a great fit for me. I am excited to see where your writing takes you. 🙂
Nadine! This is a great post. 🙂 I am an indie author, and I have to tell you, it is A LOT of work. For me, full time, because I am the writer, I am the publisher–which means I have to coordinate all of those things you just wrote about, and I am the marketer. It can be overwhelming, but honestly, I wouldn’t do it any other way. I like the control. I like the challenge. But I will confess–it’s really not for everyone. Everything you listed up there is important to consider, because if you can’t go all in to do publishing well, you’ll likely regret it. And, on top of that, there is always going to be a spot of misstep. Stuff happens, and when you’re indie, you’re the only one who can carry that blame. So, in that sense, indie pubbing requires humility on top of everything else, to own those mistakes, learn from them, and accept that in it all, you are still human.
I will add one thing to your wonderfully put information–why most indie authors use the term “indie” or “independent” rather than self-pub. It isn’t just the stigma that tends to be attached to “self-pubbing,” but rather a differentiation from what was once the only means of self-publishing–vanity presses. One the whole (there may be exceptions, but I’m not personally aware of any), vanity presses are considered wolves, and if you ask 99% of indie authors their thoughts on going with a vanity press, their immediate response will be “RUN!” Thus, we are truly independently published–we don’t hand a book packaging company thousands of dollars to make our dreams come true and hope for the best. We are hands on every single step of the way.
Thank you so much for this fantastic post! Well done.
Oh thank you so much for clarifying that! That makes complete sense and I completely understand wanting to separate the idea of indie publishing and vanity presses (yikes!). Thank you so much for sharing your experience. I am in such awe of indie published authors!