Hi all!
Before we start I just want to give an update on NaNoWriMo, I'm now at 28,043 words at the time of writing this. I hope everyone taking part is doing well too!
Now onto this week's blog post, self-publishing vs traditional publishing.
First, traditional publishing.
This is where authors land an agent and get published through a publisher rather than doing it themselves. This can be a very long and gruelling process however just because of how hard it is to get an agent's interest.
Pros:
- You get support every step of the way.
- You get help from editors and cover designers who will make sure your book is perfect.
- Publishers already have an established fan base to reach out to.
- Marketing will be slightly easier, as the publisher will advertise your book on their site and get it into book stores.
- You don't pay for anything apart from marketing on your end. If you're asked to pay for a book cover or editor out of your own pocket, run. They are mostly likely a vanity publisher.
- Many traditionally published books can be put up for a lot of awards.
Cons:
- You can't keep complete creative control. If the publisher doesn't like a certain part of your book, you will be asked to rewrite it.
- You have little control over the cover design. If you hate the cover, then there's no guarantee that the publisher will change it.
- You get less royalties. Because you're going through an agent and a publisher they will take a chunk of your royalties.
- It can take years for your book to be published.
- Querying is tough, there's no guarantee someone will pick up your book.
- If you're book doesn't do well, the publisher may drop you.
- There are loads of vanity publishers out there who will ask for an outrageous fee to publish your book. Then they will give you no help whatsoever with marketing and you'll be left with a poor quality book. Make sure you research carefully.
Second, self-publishing.
This is where authors decide to publish a book themselves instead of going through traditional publishing. Some authors query then self-publish. Others traditionally publish and self-publish.
Pros:
- You keep full creative control.
- You get to design the cover however you want.
- More royalties. Because you're not paying anyone else, you keep the majority of the royalties depending on where you publish.
- You can publish at your own pace. No more deadlines! But I would highly recommend that you publish often to keep readers interested.
- Marketing is in your control. If you're an introvert, you don't have to do talks if you don't want to!
- You can target e-books exclusively, you don't need to worry about printing your book if you don't want to.
- It's easier to run price promotions, you can pick how much you want your book to sell for.
- You get perks for exclusively publishing with one site, for example; Amazon.
Cons:
- It's expensive. Editing, cover design and marketing costs will all add up.
- You get no help with marketing, you have to do it all yourself.
- It's hard to get noticed without an established fan base.
- You have to compete with the thousands of other kindle books in your genre by self published authors.
- Unless you're willing to invest more money into your books, you'll have to stick with e-books. Getting books into print is a risky business, you might not sell all your copies and you'll be left with a loss.
- Not many book stores are willing to stock indie books.
- Not many awards accept indie books for entry, so don't self-publish if you want your book to be showered with awards.
The important thing here is that there is no right or wrong way to publish. Do whatever works best for you. You are still an author no matter what route you choose, you just have to think hard and do lots of research before committing to one.
I haven't decided on a post for next week yet, so come back for a surprise next Sunday!