Writers of everything from the great American novel to a collection of blog posts now have more choice and control over how, when and where their work is published, and offered for sale. As in any other career path, however, each choice may require sacrifices in order for the writer to become a published author. Time, money and control are only a few of the choices and sacrifices a writer must make when deciding between traditional publishing and self publishing.
Traditional publishing, publishing through an agent who sells a writer's manuscript to a publisher, historically has been the only way a writer with limited finances could get a book published. Self publishing, or "vanity publishing" as it was called only 10 years ago, required a substantial investment for the writer to get a manuscript published without an agent and publisher.
Today, publishing is moving faster than the pages of a Harry Potter book at a midnight release! Ebooks are outselling print books on Amazon, and traditionally published authors like J.A. Konrath are now exclusively self publishing. So, the aspiring writer needs to ask herself a few key questions to determine which path to publishing is right for her manuscript.
How Much Time am I Willing to Spend to Get my Book Published?
- Traditional Publishing requires time spent writing query letters, and researching possible agents to represent your work when it is complete. Once the agent is signed, the writer must spend time waiting for the agent to sell the manuscript to a publisher. Once the publisher is signed, the writer and agent must spend time waiting for the editing, cover art and print formatting to be completed before the book is actually printed and released - this usually takes from 8 to 18 months. Once the book is actually being sold in bookstores and online, the published author now must self-promote by doing book tours, signings, and blog tours, then wait for the royalties to exceed the amount of the advance paid by the publisher before the first bi-annual royalty check is received.
- Self Publishing requires time spent having a manuscript professionally edited, including the rewrites this will cause. Once editing is complete, the writer must spend time learning to format, and actually formatting the manuscript as an ePub file for eReaders and Print-Ready PDF for POD (Print On Demand) publishing. This time can be bought, however, because the writer can hire someone to format a manuscript (and that leads to the next question). Concurrent with the formatting, the writer can have custom cover art created, or use a graphic artist with a reasonably priced template. Once the editing, cover art and formatting are done, the writer will wait no longer to self publish a manuscript. The file(s) can be uploaded immediately for eBook sales, and POD sales (after waiting a week or so for a print preview copy). The book is then immediately listed for sale on all platforms, including Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
How Much Money am I Willing to Spend to get my Book Published?
- Traditional Publishing requires no monetary investment, at least not at first glance. The cost to the author comes in actual money lost with the above-mentioned sales time lost, when fast-to-market eBooks could be finding readers, and in the loss of profit that goes to the publishing house - author's earnings on a book sale are at most 17%. Other personal costs are incurred, like travel expenses for book signings, promotional materials and author website and hosting services - most of which are no longer paid by the traditional publisher.
- Self Publishing costs depend on whom the author hires to help in the self publishing process. If she navigates the entire publishing process autonomously, she has no upfront investment to publish her manuscript. If, however, the author does not want to learn three new trades - editing, cover design and formatting - professionals must be contracted. This investment could add up to thousands of dollars, but good quality advice and assistance shouldn't cost more than a few hundred. Pushing the "Publish" button costs nothing, and the author's earnings on a book sale are 30 to 80%.
How Much Control am I Willing to Give Up to Get my Book Published?
- Traditional Publishing is certainly changing. In the past, all the control from cover art, to print runs, to price of the book was held by the publisher, not the author...until now. John Locke, the first self published author to sell over one million eBooks has signed a unique deal with a traditional publisher, which allows Mr. Locke to keep all his self publishing eBook rights, and control of his work. This is the best of both worlds for any author.
- Self Publishing inherently places all control with the writer/author. This is the part both loved and hated by many authors. When I first tried to get a book published, I was adamant that I didn't want to self publish, because I didn't want to divert my time and resources from my business. When I couldn't get a traditional agent or publisher to sign my manuscript, I had to make a choice - give up, or self publish. Giving up is not an option, and self publishing is now the perfect choice when an author wants to keep as much control over the product and profit as possible.
With all the above questions answered honestly, any author can make the right choice between traditional publishing and self publishing her manuscript. Given the changes in publishing, it seems that the only reason a writer might pursue a traditional publishing contract is to gain some form of antiquated prestige. Self publishing does not make a writer anything less than a published author, and isn't that the ultimate goal of writing?
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