Should You Publish Your Book Traditionally or Independently?
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Both the traditional and independent publishing industries offer writers the fantastic opportunity to share their work with the world. But which path to publication is right for you?
To answer this question, we're first going to operate under the assumption that you'd like to publish for profit, meaning you aren't just looking to print a few copies of your recently finished book to give to family and friends. Your intent is to make a living as a writer — or, at the very least, to use your writing as a secondary income stream.
If you’d indeed like to publish for profit, then the next step to determining which path is right for you is to get to know what each publishing option entails. I've talked at length about traditional and independent publishing here on the blog in articles such as:
In summary, traditional publishing consists of selling a manuscript to a publishing house for production. Traditionally published (a.k.a. trad-pub) authors typically earn a cash advance upon signing a book deal and receive ongoing royalties post-publication after the publisher’s advance has been recouped. Literary agents commonly help trad-pub authors navigate their contracts and careers within the industry.
Traditionally published authors benefit from no up-front publication costs, cash advances, and greater opportunity for critical and household acclaim.
However, choosing to publish traditionally will almost certainly involve a lengthy publication timeline, a loss of creative control, and a disheartening amount of rejection. Traditional publishing is also an ever-shifting industry that can leave established authors in the lurch.
On the flip side, ‘independent publishing’ denotes publishing without the aid of an established publishing house. Most self-published authors use online e-book distributors, aggregators, and print-on-demand services like Amazon KDP to get their books into readers' hands.
Independent authors retain full creative control over their work and benefit from higher royalty rates, a (much) faster publishing process, and more frequent pay days. However, authors who choose to publish independently bear responsibility the entirety of their books' production, including upfront editing, formatting, and cover design costs.
Self-published authors are also unlikely to experience some of the hallmarks of a successful career in the traditional publishing industry, such as going on book tour or hitting the NYT bestseller list.
Combatting Common Publishing Misconceptions
Having read an overview of the major pros and cons of each publishing path, you may have some indication of which option is best for you. For example, I'm an introvert who loathes the idea of an ever-shifting industry in which so much of the creative process is out of my control. I like to work on my own timeline and by my own rules, so independent publishing is a great option for me.
However, there are a few common misconceptions, particularly about traditional publishing, that may cloud your understanding of which path best suits your personality and preferences.
Let's break those down together, shall we?
Did you notice that I didn't mention book marketing when breaking down either publication path? That wasn’t a mistake. There's a common misconception that traditionally published authors don't have to do much book marketing because their publishing house will take care of it for them. This is a grave misunderstanding.
Most traditional publishers offer little to no marketing support unless you're one of their big-name authors or your debut novel is forecast to be a mega-hit. Otherwise, any support your publisher does offer is usually a result of the initiative you take on your own dime and time.
So if you're leaning toward a traditional book deal because you reaaaally don't want to market your work, then think again. All successful authors engage in book marketing, including those household names and hyped-up debuts. After all, someone's gotta do all that talking on book tour...
Another common misconception involves seeing your book shelved at your favorite bookstore.
You may know that traditional publishing isn't the only way to get your book on shelves worldwide; indie authors can see their books stocked in stores as well. But one thing that may surprise you is that very few traditionally published books stay on shelves for long. In fact, some don't even make it there in the first place.
It’s a common misconception that bookstore chains like Barnes & Noble buy books from publishers that they then resell. More frequently, publishers rent space on bookstore shelves to display books the store will sell on their behalf. Most new books only stay on shelves for 30 days at a time, with only the biggest bestsellers retaining their expensive shelf space for multiple months or years.
This isn't to negate the incredible experience of seeing your book in your local Barnes & Noble, but it should bring into question whether such a (likely) short-lived experience should determine the publishing path you'll pursue for years to come — especially considering that many big chain bookstores are closing up shop.
With all of this said, do you have a stronger understanding of which publishing path is right for you? Before you commit, let's take a minute to discuss one final very important question…
What do you want from your publishing experience?
In other words, how do you define publishing success? Now’s the time to be brutally honest with yourself.
There's an unsettling aspect of the publication process that many writers don't consider, and that's ego. If your definition of publishing success hinges upon hitting the NYT bestseller list, becoming a household name, or seeing your book adapted for film or television, then ego is almost certainly shaping what you’re looking for in your publishing experience — and that can be a dangerous thing.
You see, your ego is your sense of value and self-importance. Rather than recognizing your value as innate, your ego demands proof in the form of external validation. It wants to see your work brought to life on the big-screen or sitting high atop all the bestseller lists to prove to itself that you've made it, that you're a "real writer".
But what happens when your book is no longer a bestseller or when production stalls on your would-be adaptation? What if your publisher fails to pick up the third book in your series or you never quite reach the same heights as your favorite celebrity author? If you aren’t careful, these blows to your ego will leave you in immeasurable pain.
There's nothing inherently wrong with dreaming that you’ll become the next Stephen King or Nora Roberts. Just make sure to view these potential accomplishments as welcome side effects of hard work and a privileged writing career rather than as the end-all-and-be-all of your creative success.
What role does ego play in determining which publishing path is right for you?
Addressing ego is essential when kickstarting your publishing experience for one simple reason: writers who choose to self-publish still face a massive amount of stigma, most notably from other writers.
As loathe as many of us are to admit it, physical bookstores are on the decline. Modern readers buy the majority of their books online, and they aren't exactly making purchasing decisions by publisher. Think about it: Can you name the publishing house that produced the last five trad-pub books you've read? I know I can't.
So long as a book is professionally produced and marketed (i.e. it has a high-quality cover, listing, and opening chapters), then readers are likely to buy it regardless of whether it was published independently. Nevertheless, many writers still view traditionally published books as somehow more real and legitimate than those that are self-published, and that all comes down to ego.
If there are gatekeepers involved — and there are many in the traditional publishing industry — then ego sees those gatekeepers as an opportunity to prove itself worthy. “If I can nab a book deal with a big-five publisher,” ego insists, “then I'll know that my writing is good enough.”
As I've previously explained here on the blog, the only thing that a traditional book deal can prove definitely is that a publisher believes your manuscript may be marketable at one particular moment in time. Publishing is, after all, an industry. The quality of a manuscript does play some role in its marketability. But, as many frankly appalling published books have proven over the years, sales potential is king.
This isn't to say that only ego-driven writers pursue traditional publishing. I simply want to encourage you to be wary of allowing ego to drive you toward publishing traditionally if all other signs point to independent publishing being the right option for you. This is a warning born of personal experience.
For years, I struggled to commit to a publishing path despite the fact that the sacrifices involved in publishing traditionally made me want to quit before I’d even begun. Somewhere deep down, I believed that only a traditional book deal could mark me as a “real writer,” and that limiting belief led to far more anxiety and wasted time than I care to admit.
All of which is to say: Ego is a powerful drug, my friend. Be forewarned.
Determining which path to publication is right for you can be difficult, especially if you find yourself drawn to some of the advantages each option offers. If you find yourself in that position, bear in mind that you don’t have to make an either-or decision. Many hybrid authors operate within both industries quite successfully.
No matter which path(s) you ultimately pursue, let it be the one that allows for the greatest sense of joy and fulfillment in your writing life. Choose right-for-you over right-for-your ego, and you can’t go wrong.