Self-Publishing vs Traditional Publishing

by ProActive Writer's Group on 02/08/22

You've finished your book and now you want to publish it. Should you use a traditional publisher or self-publish? First, ask yourself what you want to accomplish with this book.

Is your goal simply getting your book in print for friends and family or are you hoping for a best-seller? How much work are you willing to put into marketing? Maybe money isn't as important as making it available to the public. Are you willing to invest money, or are you publishing on a shoestring budget?

 Traditional Publishing

 Traditional publishing is having your manuscript accepted and published by an established publishing house. Without a doubt, this method is the most coveted, but is it best for you?

On a side note, getting a rejection from these publishing companies doesn't necessarily mean your manuscript needs work – not any more than having it accepted means that it is flawless. These companies are in the business of selling books and your subject or delivery may not be what they feel is selling at that time. If your book doesn't sell, they lose money too.

If you want to focus on writing and let someone else make the decisions about things like cover design and marketing, the best method for you may be traditional publishing. Traditional publishers provide editing, cover design, printing and marketing.

The author may have little or no influence in changes the editor wants them to make, cover design or marketing methods. The publisher sets the publishing date and book price. The author signs a contract that may last for years. If this is the only book you intend to write, you might want to take that into consideration.

While the publishing costs are usually covered in your contract, there are still some costs that you will have to assume. Those include manuscript preparation. You don't submit a rough draft, so you will need a beta reader and possibly an editor prior to submission. Even though the publishing company provides marketing, you will still have to do some marketing.

 Self-Publishing

Self-publishing has always been subject to criticism for producing inferior books. Self-publishing means doing it your way, all the way. So, if you want to skip the editing, it's your choice. Unfortunately, cutting corners this way only validates these claims. To paraphrase a line from Jurassic Park; don't get so preoccupied with whether you can that you don't stop to think if you should. Self-publishing may be all about having it your way, but if you turn out poor quality work, you'll make it that much harder for other authors to sell.

Your success in self-publishing depends on how much effort you are willing put into it. If you want to be involved in every aspect of writing and marketing your book, perhaps self-publishing would work best for you.

 All self-publishing is not the same. One of the oldest methods is subsidy publishing, better known as vanity publishing, or vanity press. There was a time when this was the only option other than publishing traditionally or home publishing. When you publish through a subsidy publishing company, you pay the company to publish your book. Since you are buying bulk, there is a substantial monetary investment and you will need a place to store all those books until you sell them – on your own.

 The most popular method of self-publishing is print-on-demand. Amazon is a good example of that. They take a percentage of every book you sell, but it is free to set up your book with their programs.

If you want a complete hands-on experience in publishing, home publishing could be another option. Home publishing allows the writer to publish small batches of books in a short time span and without the cost of postage, taxes, etc. involved in purchasing copies. When you home publish, you print and bind the book at home. I will address this in a later blog.

 If you are a good writer and don't want the hassle of a publisher, there is another option to make money with your writing. It is referred to as freelancing or content writing. Essentially, someone pays you to write for them. Ghost writing (writing a book for someone else) is an example and copywriting is another. Freelancing is selling your writing skills by the job. Good money can be had in this area but it requires time commitment and availability.

 Regardless of how you decide to publish, you will have to write the book first. That may take months or years. When you are done with the book, you will need a qualified person to edit your book before it is submitted or published.

 Critique groups can be a boon for new authors. A lot of helpful instruction can be gleaned from other authors reading your work. If you can't get to a critique group, often family members will be happy to read your book and give you tips. Make sure they understand that you want them to tell you what they think, not what they think you want to hear. Also, they need to be avid readers and have good grammar.

 In summary, if you are thinking of making money writing a fiction book, don't quit your day job. If you calculated all the expenses and labor involved, you'd make less than minimum wage. In fact, you might wind up in the hole. The term "starving artist" certainly applies to writers. Like any business, it takes years to get established. Think of it as opening a book store when there are already three on the block. (I'll address this in my next blog – Self-Publishing Competition).

On Saturday, February 12, 2022 from 10am to 12 noon, I will be talking to a group about self-publishing. This is an introduction to a critique group that will meet monthly at the Elkins Public Library in Elkins, Arkansas. It is open to the public and free. For more information, contact the Elkins Library at

(479) 643-2904 or email elkinspubliclibrary@gmail.com