Find her on the Interwebs!
Traditional Publishing vs. Indie Publishing
As I'm sure you've noticed if you've been following the publication stories this week, there are a variety of ways to publish a book. There is no "right" path; rather, authors find the path that's right for them.
There are two very general terms we use when describing publishing routes: traditional and indie. While I opted for the indie route and have no regrets, I can see the pros and cons of each.
Cons of Traditional Publishing:
-It can take years from start to finish.
-Some publishers require authors to hire an agent to present the book to the publisher.
-Rejection letters are a thing. Although I don't have the numbers, I suspect the number of rejection letters is higher than the number of acceptance letters. (If you receive one, don't give up. Many brilliant authors were rejected initially.)
-Depending on the publisher, you may have little to no creative input.
-Sometimes editors require changes in your book that you disagree with.
-Publishers often take a large percentage of the royalties (I've heard some take 95%).
-You may be required to give the publisher the rights to your book.
Cons of Indie Publishing
-You're, essentially, on your own. It can be overwhelming and isolating.
-There are specific skills needed (e.g., graphic art for the cover) so you either need to hire others or learn them yourself.
-Hiring others can become expensive; learning on your own takes time.
-Indie books have an unfortunate reputation of being poor quality, so yours will need to stand out as an exception.
-Marketing the book is completely on your shoulders. You can of course hire this, if your budget allows it.
-Indie books are considered successful if you sell about 500 copies. Most don't. If you do, you'll likely earn about one or two thousand...not enough to live on.
I brought up the negative aspects first so I could leave you with the positives.
Pros of Traditional Publishing
-You have a support team for every part of publishing.
-There is no initial cost to publish; you're paid a portion of the royalties.
-You have help with marketing (exactly how much depends on the publisher).
-Traditionally published books have a reputation for being high quality. Once you receive your acceptance letter, you have very little left to prove.
Pros of Indie Publishing
-Books can be published in as little as a month (though I do recommend taking your time in favor of quality).
-You retain creative freedom. No change is made to the book or the design without your consent.
-You keep 100% of the royalties.
-You keep all of your rights to your book.
Publishing a book is a rewarding experience. While I want to give realistic expectations, I wouldn't dissuade anyone from pursuing it. Although fame and fortune from publishing are unlikely, there are intangible rewards. Publishing a book gives a sense of accomplishment like nothing else can. Fan mail is always a delight. And seeing your words in print is an indescribable moment.
Whether you publish traditionally or independently, I'm excited for your journey. I would love to help if you have any questions along the way. Feel free to contact me at Info@rivershorebooks.com.
One other Con of tradpub is that some publishers teams have inherent biases that, if you are outside their group, will result in your not getting read or published. Indie goes strictly on market forces - you can publish, then see if the public wants what you've written. But it's then between you and your public; no middlemen.
ReplyDeleteThis occurred recently in the SF&F genre, and one side had little public hearing to their position.
Good addition, Doug! One thing I love about indie publishing is that the input I receive is from those in my target audience. While I'm sure there are excellent editors who understand the target audience, I love hearing directly from my potential readers.
DeleteThis is a great summary, Jansina. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Rachel! Did you ever consider traditional publishing?
DeleteI did way back at the beginning, but I quickly realized that traditional publishing and I wouldn't fit well. Indie seems to be the best fit for my kind of writing. Though I am tempted at times to consider going traditional, I haven't found an opportunity to tempt me enough. :)
DeleteThat makes sense. Plus - the world may have missed out on your amazing covers if you'd opted for traditional. ;)
Delete*blush* Thank you!
DeleteThanks for doing this summary, Jansina!
ReplyDeleteI'm actually planning to try the traditional publishing route because I don't plan on making a lot of money from my books and I like the idea of having a team to fill in for my weaknesses. That said, I may try indie publishing in the end, if that seems to be the best option later on.
It sounds like you've thought this out well! If you choose to publish indie, there's no need to feel like you're on your own. I listed that as a con because it CAN happen, but it definitely doesn't have to. There are experts all over who would love to be part of your team (me included, of course!). The major difference that I've seen is at which point you pay the experts (traditional = paid through royalties; indie = paid upfront).
DeleteI'm sure whichever you route you choose will be excellent! You know better than anyone what's best for you and your book(s).
Great lists, Jansina! As a "hybrid author" (that always makes me wonder if I'm a mule, but I am stubborn as one) I can add one more pro for trad publishing: The company can sell your books in established markets more easily than the author can on her own. But I can also add one more con for trad publishing: The author doesn't have the option of reducing the ebook price in order to market it like my indie books, yet I'm still asked to market the book. *sigh* I'm glad I went the trad route with that particular book, though, because I don't think I could sell it nearly as well if I'd self-published it (Christian historical fiction).
ReplyDeleteThank you, Katy! Your insight as a hybrid author is valuable - thank you for the additional pro and con! Another pro I'd forgotten to add, which connects with yours, is that it's easier to get into physical bookstores if you've been traditionally published. That seems important to a lot of authors (though for myself I find it's not worth the effort, since the bookstore's cut would leave me with pennies).
DeleteThis was a great list, Jansina! I loved seeing some of the pros and cons to the different sides of publishing - thank you for sharing this with us! I'm thinking of trying to go the traditional route, but that could very easily change, since I love the pros of indie publishing so much ;).
ReplyDelete~ Savannah
scattered-scribblings.blogspot.com
Thanks, Savannah! I'm a big fan of the pros of indie publishing, too, though I'm thrilled for any published author - no matter which way they're published. Traditional publishing has a lot of great points, too.
DeleteBy the way - one of my characters (in an as-yet-unpublished book) is named Savannah . . . I love that name!
I've weighed the pros and cons so many times that I think I'll just have to go with my gut when the time comes to make the decision :D.
DeleteReally? That's so cool! If you publish that book, I might just have to pick it up ;).
~ Savannah
scattered-scribblings.blogspot.com
Well, gut instinct can be very helpful. :)
DeleteIt will definitely be published - though it may be years from now. I have the plot decided but only about five pages actually written. If you're interested in being a beta reader when I reach that point, let me know. Beta readers are always appreciated!
This is a fantastic brief list. I've self-published one novel and am looking at self-publishing more. I may give traditional a shot one day, though! There's a lot to consider. I'm really grateful that self-publishing is an option, even though it does have a bit of a reputation we indies have to overcome!! :D
ReplyDeleteThank you, Abigayle! Congratulations on publishing your first book, and that's wonderful you're continuing with more. I definitely see the appeal of traditional publishing, though I'm glad to know there are quality indie books helping to fight that reputation. :)
DeleteI have a question... with self publishing, do you have to invest a lot of money in first buying a bunch of your books to sell?
ReplyDeleteIt depends on which printing company you use and how many copies you want on hand to sell in person. A lot of us here use CreateSpace and LuLu, which are both print-on-demand, so, when I person buys the book online, just the copy asked for will be printed and sent.
DeleteOur biggest upfront investments tend to be cover design, formatting, and editing, and even then, there are ways to cut down on those fees.
Exactly what Kendra said. :) Unless you expect to sell several books directly (most of my paperback sales are through Amazon, so I never touch the actual books), I recommend using a print-on-demand printer like CreateSpace (or Lulu if you want hardcover).
DeleteThe only advantage to buying in bulk is a lower cost per book. Again, that's only helpful if you're certain those books will be sold. :)
Okay, thank you! I'm working on a book, and when I'm done I'd really like to get it published. I've never done it before, but am excited to try!
DeleteThat's wonderful! If you have any questions along the way, you're always welcome to email me: Info@rivershorebooks.com
Delete