Writers have more options than ever to get their books published today, and many authors have built successful writing careers through both traditional publishing and self-publishing. There are benefits and trade-offs to each of those paths. Some authors love the creative control and entrepreneurial spirit of self-publishing, while others enjoy the collaboration and prestige of a traditional publishing deal.
Success in publishing is never guaranteed, and every author’s journey is different. But if you’re clear on your personal goals, values, and preferences for putting a book out into the world, you can pick the publishing path that will give you the best chance at achieving them. Take this quiz to discover whether traditional publishing or self-publishing might be a better fit for you, and learn more about both options below!
Self-publishing
When you self-publish a book, you retain all rights to your work and earn royalties for every copy sold (typically 35-70% of the book’s price, after retailers take their cut). You are wholly responsible for editing, formatting, distributing, and marketing your book. Many self-published authors hire freelancers for copyediting or cover design, and there are services that can help with the process of formatting an ebook and distributing it to retailers. Most self-published books are sold digitally, but there are more options than ever for self-published authors to produce their books in print and audio editions too.
Both self-published and traditionally published authors are responsible for establishing direct relationships with their readers, usually through social media or an email newsletter. There are many marketing services — like BookBub! — that can help self-published authors get their books discovered by new audiences.
You should consider self-publishing if…
- You want to guarantee your book will be published
- You want total creative control over your writing and your book’s appearance
- You want to retain all rights to your work
- You’re excited to run your own business
- You have time and money to invest in marketing
But remember…
- Sales and success are not guaranteed
- A lot of your time might be spent on non-writing tasks, such as marketing or business operations
- You may need to invest money in book production, marketing services, or advertising before you generate any profit from your book sales
- It can be challenging to break into bookstores or achieve critical acclaim
Traditional publishing
In a traditional publishing deal, a publisher pays you for the rights to your book and manages the entire publishing process, from editing to production to distribution. Depending on the particular terms of the contract, a traditionally published author will only begin earning royalties for book sales after the book has “earned out” the advance payment the author received from the publisher. The publisher and the author’s agent will also take a cut, leaving traditionally published authors with anywhere from 5-25% in royalties from each book sale.
Securing a traditional publishing deal is a notoriously competitive process, particularly from one of the “Big Five” publishing houses, which requires first getting selected by a literary agent who then submits your manuscript to editors. However, there are many smaller or independent publishing houses too, some of which offer alternative economic models or other beneficial terms for authors.
You should consider seeking a traditional publishing deal if…
- You’re excited to work with a team of publishing professionals
- You want your book to appear in physical bookstores
- You don’t want to manage formatting or distribution
- Prestige or critical acclaim is important to you
- You’re patient and can handle rejection
But remember…
- Your book may not get published
- Even if your book is published, sales and success are not guaranteed
- You may have to compromise on your book’s cover design or content
- You may still be responsible for elements of your book’s marketing campaign, including engaging directly with readers through social media or an email newsletter
- Every publisher works with their authors differently, but some bad actors try to take advantage of writers who are eager to publish a book. Writer Beware is an excellent resource to vet publishers or other publishing services and identify potential scams.
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Click to tweet: A handy quiz for authors trying to decide which publishing path to take ✅ https://bit.ly/3CN1B8y #writingcommunity #amwriting
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