One question that’ll likely come up once you’re done finishing your book is: Which is better between self-publishing and traditional publishing on this project? Your answer often lies in a combination of factors, which we’ll see in this article.
Many successful authors today have learned to combine both options in “hybrid authorship.” However, sometimes, there’s a need to choose the perfect solution for your book, preferences, and situation. This guide lets you in on critical questions to answer when choosing between traditional publishing and self-publishing options. Here we go.
Self-Publishing vs Traditional Publishing: The Basic Difference
The difference boils down to who supervises the publishing process. When self-publishing, you’re in total control of everything, with full ownership of royalties and rights.
On the flip side, if you publish traditionally, the publishing outfit owns the royalties and rights to your book. They may also own the creative direction and other aspects of your book.
Self-Publishing or Traditional Publishing: How To Know Which Is Right for You?
Self-publishing gives you higher royalty rates and control. However, traditional authors benefit from the guidance and services of agents and other publishing professionals. Here are the top things to note when deciding on the better option for you.
1. Do I Like Marketing?
Your book might be a top-notch artwork with amazing cover design and quality title. However, it still requires adequate promotion.
Traditional publishing usually includes a basic budget for marketing and advertising. At other times, they also include a budget for reviewers and publicists. This funding gets your book into bookstores, giving it more visibility to everyday shoppers.
On the other hand, self-publishing requires investing one’s time and money in book promotion. Often, authors begin with their already existing circle of readers via their author website, brand, or social media platforms. From there on, they can grow their community of readers.
2. Is This My First Time Publishing a Book?
Have you ever published a book before? Any previous experience could prove helpful in guiding your next publishing journey.
For instance, if you’re already a renowned author, finding readers or sales numbers is easier. That also makes finding agents or publishers easier.
However, if this is your first book, things might get a little challenging. You might have to pitch your project to multiple agents in traditional publishing. Otherwise, you can self-publish if you can’t wait till a publisher accepts your book.
3. Would You Handle the Entire Process?
A traditional publisher would likely handle most decisions concerning your book. For example, your agent might ask you to rewrite specific aspects or change a title.
Also, your publisher may decide the book’s pricing, publishing timescale, book cover, and rights to its different formats. For someone who doesn’t want to bother about too many details or decisions, traditional publishing might fit perfectly.
But if you’re self-publishing, you’re signing up to coordinate the entire process. That includes writing, promotion, and design. You’re taking responsibility for everything with the final say at every stop of the publishing journey.
4. Are You Personally Business-Savvy?
Self-publishing may involve recruiting freelance professionals who can help with book covers, editing, or illustrations. That also usually means you need to manage a team.
Then you need to organize online events or book launches to promote your book. Perhaps you may need to print several copies and sell them at your events.
And you have to supervise all these business activities yourself. While traditional publishing involves a few business skills, it requires much less business acumen than self-publishing, where the author coordinates a team of multiple professionals.
Conclusion
The final choice boils down to your personal preferences, budget, and circumstances. Both options have their upsides and would suit various writers. Of course, you could also choose the hybrid route.
A self-publisher has to pay for marketing, editing, and a designer, while the traditional route hands over all publishing expenses to the publisher. Consequently, self-publishing takes more royalties than traditional publishing. If you’re ready and capable of handling all the business aspects, self-publishing might be great for you. Otherwise, consider pitching your book idea to a traditional agent or publisher.
