Traditional or Self-publishing

Enough of the technical aspects of a web page for a moment. Let's talk about publishing, or, how to get my stories in front of eyes.

There are two fundamental publishing models right now. The traditional publishing model goes from agent to publisher to a traditional bookseller like Big A or Big B. Then there's the self-publishing model, where the author is their own publisher, making all the decisions and paying all the costs.

I've always longed to succeed in the traditional publishing model. In my mind, the self-publishing model just a better spin on the much-maligned vanity press model. The name alone is shame inducing. To me, getting a traditional publishing deal is something to be proud of. It says that multiple levels of gatekeepers agree that I've written something good. Vanity press suggest that the author couldn't pass the gauntlet, gave up and printed a few books to give out to their friends--they printed a book so they could say that had published a book. Yuck.

I've started down the traditional publishing path, and I'm currently looking for an agent for two of my stories. MirrorEarth has 13 rejections so far and A Christmas Home has 5 rejections. I'm no different from anyone in that I hate rejections. Each new rejection reinforces that little voice that says it's not worth trying.

The prevailing wisdom is to expect 100 rejections on the path to success. Some say that's nonsense, but the point is clear--don't give up to early, and my 18 rejections is clearly too early to give up. Nonetheless, the urge to give up and self-publish is strong.

Now, I haven't been fair to self-publishing by likening it to a vanity press. The market is changing. With the advent of e-readers, the self-publishing market has taken off. Exact numbers are hard to come by in a notoriously opaque industry. Traditional publishing still dominates printed and audio books, but it's clear that sales of self-published ebooks are on par with those of traditionally published titles.

The pros of self-publishing include having total control, often higher revenue, not having to pass through a gatekeeper and faster time to market. That comes with real costs, literally. The author has to pay for things the traditional publisher usually paid for: editing, cover designs and printing costs. Most importantly, the author is 100% responsible for marketing their book, although more and more of that burden falls on the author in the traditional path as well. These cons are in addition to having a difficult time knowing if your writing is any good.

The pros of traditional publishing start with being able to brag, "I got a book deal!" Beyond that they include letting the publisher handle the business of publishing, and getting to see your book on the shelves of Big B. The downside of course includes those rejections, a very long lead time if you do get a deal and a lack of creative control, even rights ownership.

I'm still pushing for that traditional deal. I admit, I'd love that ego boost. More important though is not feeling like I let a poor book into the world because I was impatient. For me, it's not the ego boost though, nor the money--although I'd take both. For me it's about finding the most effective way to get good words in front of more readers eyes. I like hearing someone say, "I read your book. I liked it." Whatever path get's me the most of that, I'll be taking.