There is no wrong way to become a published writer.
Repeat after me:
There. Is. No. Wrong. Way. To. Become. A. Published. Writer*.
But! One of the first choices you have to make if you want to pursue publishing is: Traditional Publishing or Self-Publishing? For me, this decision was easy for a few reasons:
- I have a day job
- Legal contracts?! (I am NOT a lawyer.)
- I’m fixated on the idea of seeing my books in Barnes & Noble one day
- I like the idea of having an agent help me navigate the industry
Not that any of these reasons preclude self-publishing. I could still be in Barnes & Noble one day through self-publishing. I could understand legal contracts by myself, or by using online resources and friends. I could self-publish and continue my day job. But: there are only 24-hours in a day. For me traditional publishing always has been the goal.
If I’m honest, (because why wouldn’t I be honest on the internet? 😉) I also like the security blanket of the traditional publishing process, even if the odds are not ever in my favor. I like that I’m going to be vetted. Surely, if a literary agent wants to try and sell my manuscript, I don’t suck at writing. Right?! Did you know, some writers are notoriously full of doubt? Breaking news!
So now you know why I want to go the traditional publishing route. But what should you do? Here are a few differences between traditional and self-publishing for consideration.
Traditional Publishing
- No upfront monetary costs1 (cover design, editing, printing, marketing)
- Less artistic control
- Wider distribution2
- Longer process
- Higher barrier to entry
- Less responsibility3
Self-Publishing
- Upfront monetary costs (cover design, editing, printing, marketing)
- Complete artistic control
- Smaller distribution2
- Complete control over length of process
- Low barrier to entry
- Complete responsibility for cover design, editing, printing, marketing
Alibis:
- 1 I cannot overstate this! If a literary agent is asking for fees before submission of a manuscript length work, it is most likely a scam or vanity press. Professional literary agents work on commission, which means they don’t make money until you do.
- 2 Generally traditional publishing will have a larger distribution chance, due to connections of publishers, marketing budgets, etc. But, your mileage will vary. Certainly there are self-published offers whose platforms pre-publishing give them a larger audience, and self-published authors who grow their audience beyond some traditionally published authors.
- 3 Some equate less responsibility with no responsibility; this isn’t the case in the research I’ve done so far. From the anecdotes I’ve observed from others, traditionally published authors absolutely should expect to spend time (and money) marketing their book as well.
- 4 I did not address the elephant in the room: profit 🤑. Honestly, I don’t have the credentials to say anything about this right now. My guess is that it’s a mixed bag. The small amount of reading I’ve done says self-published authors get more percentage wise, like, per book or ebook sale, but as we see above they also have to pay more to get off the ground in most cases. Feel free to educate me on this topic!
There is a middle-ground between traditional and self-publishing: indie or small press publishing. I’ve only read a small amount about indie and small presses. Generally though, these are publishing houses that still accept direct submissions from writers without requiring a literary agent as a go-between. Research is your best friend if you want to go this route. You want to make sure the press you’re submitting to has a solid track record and isn’t likely to go out of business, because the process still will be a long one, and the industry can be unpredictable. The elements to indie press are similar to traditional publishing, except your distribution will be smaller. It’s also worth saying that if you go the traditional route with an agent, your manuscript could still be sold to a smaller press.
Again: There is no wrong way to become a published author*. Print, ebook, or audio, traditional or self-published, big five or indie press, a certain route might work better for me than for you, but all are valid. I hope this has given you a taste of what to expect venturing into this industry — but do your own research, too! This is not a comprehensive take on the paths to publishing.
What path fits your situation best? What differences do you see between traditional and self-publishing?
As always, thanks for reading. 🙂
-M
*Except copying someone else’s work. That’s not cool. Don’t do it.