Traditional Publishing versus Self-Publishing ~ Raine Rochelle

courtesy City of Boise

This is a subject which often comes up among authors, and is often discussed at large writing events. Amazon has now made it easier than ever to self-publish, which can be seen as both an advantage and a disadvantage for many reasons.

With no gatekeeper in place, such as an agent or publisher, it is possible to just write a book and publish it straight away. Of course, if the job is to be done properly an author will want to hire at least one proofreader, a qualified editor and a cover designer. I personally prefer to also add to the mix a formatter, too.

Self-publishing used to get a bad rap for producing sub-standard material, but most authors now agree that it is only fair (both to the reader and to the author’s reputation) to spend money on expert help in order to release a book which they can be proud of.

The cost of author services can vary greatly, but a general rule is that you get what you pay for, and who doesn’t think their author brand is something worth investing in? Although I am well on my way to getting my editing qualifications, I still hire an editor for my books, as it is often harder to notice one’s own mistakes.

As the author of over 40 novels, in different genres and three different pen-names, I’m what’s known as a hybrid author, meaning that some of my books have been traditionally published and some I self-publish. In all honesty, I don’t think I would ever have had the confidence to self-publish without first taking the traditional route. I have signed contracts with four publishers now, and each have their own ways of doing the job, which means I have a lot more experience than I ever would have had if I’d only ever self-published.

Traditional publishers will usually pay for several rounds of edits, formatting and cover design, all of which can save an author a heap of money. They also take a large percentage of the royalties to cover said costs, and make most of the decisions about your work’s presentation, price and format. Marketing and advertising are more often the responsibility of the author, nowadays, especially outside of the ‘big five’ publishers. However, if all you want to do is write, this may be the ideal route for you.

Self-publishing requires a much broader skill set. As well as knowing your craft and audience, you will need to negotiate your own deals with proofreaders, editors, cover designers and formatters. Marketing and advertising are crucial in order to make any money from your work (and to pay those you hire to present it) and you will be required to organise your own signing obligations and expenses. The pay-off here, though, is that you can set your own price for your book, have sales when you want to (though be mindful if you enrol your books in KDP), decide where and how you prefer to sell your work and in which formats. You can even give away free copies of your book if you want to!

There is a lot to consider, but mostly it comes down to the author and how they wish to run their business.

Raine