A Closer Look at Traditional Publishing vs. Self-Publishing
Right off the bat, this doesn’t have to be an either/or choice. You can become a hybrid author, but before we muddy the waters discussing that, lets assess the options of traditional and self-publishing.
What is Traditional Publishing?
Before the invention of the eBook and print on demand, not to mention the contributions of companies like Smashwords and Amazon, there was no such thing as traditional publishing. It was just the way things were done. Publishers controlled the printing press, distribution and knowledge of how to get published.
Signing the contract
The process of getting a book deal involves submitting your work to agents, and if you find one willing to represent you, they submit your manuscript to publishers on your behalf. If a publisher becomes interested, they will offer you a contract, and after a series of edits, hey presto, you’re published! Of course to get to this stage, you’ll probably have received a hefty stack of rejection letters.
What are the pros of traditional publishing?
Financial incentives. If you get a contract, you won’t have to pay any of the upfront fees associated with publishing e.g. editors and a designer for your front cover. You might also get an advance that is counted against royalties, averaging out at £6000. However, the advance as an incentive seems to be falling out of fashion.
A publisher’s resources. This is something a self-published author could never hope to replicate because they are just one person. They don’t have a team of professionals backing them up. An indie author has to take time out from writing to find the right editor, grow their business, and market their books. So for a writer who doesn’t want to be pulled in other directions, letting the publisher take the reins can be a relief.
Reputation/Prestige. This is a weak one for me because the stigma towards self-published authors is weakening. However, the large majority of literary awards are off limits to indie authors, and many reviewers/bloggers refuse to take submissions by indie authors.
The idea that authors are insecure alcoholics might be a tad melodramatic. But being an author can be a lonely experience. If you add in a few rejections/bad reviews, and the prevalent belief that ‘being an author is an unrealistic proposition,’ you’ve got yourself a recipe for self-doubt. To have someone accept your work and receive validation from publishers can be a powerful motivator.
Print distribution to bookstores. This is what the traditional publishing model was built on. They have dedicated sales reps that go to bookstores and pitch books they predict will be bestsellers. This model makes more sense to retailers, because they can’t listen to a pitch per author – they’d be there for days. But once in store, books only have a month to shine, if they’re not selling well enough they’re removed.
What are the cons of traditional publishing?
Slow production cycles (12-18 months). Once you sign that contract, don’t expect your work to be on the shelf quickly. Even before your book is launched, you’re looking at a long wait to find an agent and then you have to wait until a publisher decides whether they want to sign you. This lack of progress and autonomy would make anyone frustrated, even depressed. Considering you can publish a book on Amazon within hours and be paid 60 days later, all that waiting around seems pointless.
Lack of financial incentives. A bit confusing as this was a ‘pro’ for traditional publishing. It all depends on how you look at it. A publisher might offer an advance of £6000 and pay your editor, but they offer measly royalty rates in return (avg. range 5-17%), and remember your agent gets a bite out of that (15-20%). You’ll also have to deal with infrequent payments, waiting six months for your annual royalty report. These are reported by some authors to be difficult to understand and they don’t always match up with what you get paid, which makes a cash flow assessment for future income a pipe dream.
Lack of creative control. This is the one that makes all the difference to me. If you sign with a publisher, they call the shots. They own the rights to your book, and you don’t have the final say on anything.
Lack of marketing support. The average author doesn’t get offered a big marketing campaign from a publisher. Only the superstars get those. Many traditionally published authors have to do their own marketing, and often get no more help than being placed in a bookstore catalogue.
Ancient and harsh contract clauses.
Author Beware
If you sign a contract with a publisher, they own the rights to your book, and it belongs to them. But I’ve come across a few authors that seek out a publishing deal already in the mindset that they’ll take whatever they’re given.
But the mentality of the poor, insecure artist has to go.
There’s no need for it. It’s just like anything else, if you go into contract negotiations believing that the other person has all the power, how can it ever become a joint venture founded on respect?
Also if you get into bed with a traditional publisher then you might want to watch out for a couple of curveballs.
Avoid contracts where they take Global (English) rights in all formats. There’s every chance a publisher will never expand out onto certain formats e.g. audiobooks, or into certain territories e.g. India. So why should you be denied the chance to explore these new streams of revenue? You can ask for the publisher to revert rights to you after a limited amount of time.
Check out the rights reversion clause. Worst-case scenario, you’re with a publisher you hate and you’re looking for the nearest exit. If that happens, you’ll want to get your rights back, so find out beforehand when/if that’s possible.
Also check out the non-compete clause. You’ll want to know how limited you really are and whether you can publish under a different name.
If you are considering a traditional publishing deal, or you’re looking for more information on this topic, check out the Alliance of Independent Author’s site.
I also recommend these sources:
An article by Orna Ross, titled, ‘Indie Authors Need To Think About Publishing Rights.’
A book by Orna Ross & Helen Sedwick, titled, ‘How Authors Sell Publishing Rights.
Before we move on to the world of the indie author, I’ve noted the top trends in publishing to date. We need to understand where this industry is going if we’re going to get a holistic view of the choice between traditional and self-publishing.
Top Ten Trends in Publishing
The rise of eBooks
The decline of print & brick and mortar bookstores
Global expansion of eBooks
Bookselling moving online
New self-publishing and distribution tools destroying monopolization of publishers
Self-published authors gaining competitive advantage
Over-supply of books places downward pressure on eBook prices.
Traditionally published authors suffering from high prices.
Prejudice towards indie authors is declining because of successes by authors like Andrew Weir (The Martian) and E.L James (Fifty Shades).
Indie authors are beginning to outsell traditionally published authors.
Source: AuthorEarnings.com
Are you an independent ‘indie’ author?
Every indie author can self-publish, but not ever person who self-publishes is an indie author. So what does that mean? The difference lies in what your ambitions are. If you’re writing a book for fun or maybe even a little extra income, then you’re self-publishing without any intention of pursuing it as an occupation. The term indie author applies to those who are/or working towards writing full-time. For many authors, this is a choice, as opposed to something they had to do because traditional publishers rejected them.
Full disclosure: I am an indie author and happy to be one.
What are the pros of being an indie author?
Publish faster. So we know traditional publishers are slow to market, but what about indie authors? Well, you still have to go through all the same processes e.g. writing and editing. But once that’s done, you’re ready to publish. Uploading your files to Amazon, iBooks, Smashwords or Kobo can be done within a matter of minutes and your eBook appears in their store within a matter of hours (24-72). You get your money faster too. 60 days as opposed to 6 months.
Creative control. Yay! So this is a big one for me. If I had the choices of the content and general look of my books taken away from me, I’d be miserable. If you’re an indie author you pick which freelancers or companies you work with. If your books aren’t selling then you can simply re-design a front cover, or try another title. Or start again from scratch. Your mistakes are your own, and you don’t have to explain them to anyone else, or go through the painful process of being dumped by a publisher because you aren’t performing well enough.
Competitive edge. This creative control means an indie author has the ability to be more flexible and adapt quicker to the ever-mercurial markets. So for instance, if you wake to find your marketing strategy has evaporated because Facebook/Amazon have changed their algorithms/terms and conditions, you can start to adapt on the spot. Indie authors also experiment with more freedom, if you want to try another format like audiobooks, then you can without anyone else kicking up a fuss.
Power to the People. Throw off the shackles. Joanna Penn wrote an article claiming that self-published authors are happier than those who go the traditional route. She pointed to the indie author’s autonomy as key to this difference. This is a generalisation, but it makes sense. After all, control and empowerment in our careers is often crucial to our well-being. Although, a study by Barry Schwarts, PhD, professor of psychology, suggests that the more choices a person has, the more miserable they become. Perhaps in the end, it comes down to personal preference.
Higher royalty rates. On average you can expect to receive anything from 70-80% royalties from distributors if you sell direct to them. Take Amazon as an example, there are two royalty options, if your book is priced between £2.99 and £9.99 you get 70%, if your prices are outside of this range it means you’re choosing the 35% option.
Ownership of rights. First off, this is a bit morbid, but if you own the rights to your book and you die then those rights will transfer to your family. Your books can keep making them income 70 years (the life of the copyright) after you die.
Go Global. Another advantage of you owning your rights is that you can (try to) sell in any given market. When people say books are dead, or ‘people just don’t read anymore.’ I say, ‘Amazon, alone, sold over 1 million eBooks in the month of January and there’s still 4.4 billion people in the world without access to the Internet.’ Also, with the rise of mobile ownership these markets will begin to open up for indie authors. We’ve still got a long way to go, but data from the United Nations already shows that out of the 7 billion people on Earth, 6 billion have access to a working mobile phone. And the ‘Reading in the Mobile era’ report, co-authored by UNU-WIDER’s Han Ei Chew, suggests that now that mobile phones can be purchased for less than $30, there is evidence of hundreds of thousands of people in countries like Ethiopia, Nigeria and Pakistan currently using mobile technology as a portal to reading books. If you haven’t sold your World English rights for all formats then this is a massive opportunity, a 4.4 billion one.
If you want more information on this, I recommend you watch Joanna Penn’s video. There is also this video, entitled ‘reading in the mobile era’ by UNESCO.
What are the cons of being an indie author?
You don’t have a team behind you. It is sometimes lonely being a writer and being an indie author with no support from a publisher, can be tough nuts. However, there are a lot of forums and dedicated Facebook groups you can go to for advice and support. Still, accessing the online communities isn’t the same as having someone lead you by the hand. And as an indie you need to make all the decisions. It’s a steep learning curve, and sometimes the mistakes can cost you big time.
You have to be super-prolific. If you go through the back catalogue of successful authors, Stephen King, Bella Andre, and Sarah J. Maas etc. You will find that most of them have written a book a year minimum. Most bring out at least two, and romance novelists like Bella Andre are scarily productive. Her backlist has over fifty books and she started out as an indie author. Clearly, traditionally published authors have to be productive too; we can’t all be like George R.R. Martin (no offence G.M, I love you really). This as a con for indie authors because we have to market and publish our books, which cuts into the super-important writing.
You pay the financial costs upfront. If you’re pursing a career as a full-time author, you’re going to need a professional-looking product. That means all the same bells and whistles of a book that’s been traditionally published. This alone, depending on how you decide to publish can cost you thousands of £/$. And if you want to grow your business, either by investing in your education, or by expanding your streams of revenue, then that’s even more money on top. However, it’s worth keeping in mind that despite these upfront costs, you will be taking away more in royalties at the end of the day.
You might get a few noses raised in the air. I’ve already gone over the fact indie’s are black-listed from most literary prizes and there will be those in the industry who will look down on you. It’s natural to want validation, but if someone doesn’t believe you’re a real author because you’re an indie, then that’s there problem. There are tons of examples of successful indie authors putting out a professional product, and Amazon’s 2016 Author Earning’s report shows in black and white that readers respond just as well to self-published books. So just leave any rude comments in a box labelled intellectual snobbery and move on.
Print distribution to bookshops is super-hard. Remember that pro for traditional publishing? Yeah, this is where it comes around and bites indie authors on the behind. It isn’t impossible and it’s something you can prepare for by signing up with Ingram Spark. If you have any aspirations in this arena then you’ll need a print on demand provider that will distribute to bookstores. I would recommend against using Createspace for global distribution to other retailers. Createspace is wonderful if you want your Amazon customers to have the choice of a print copy. But I’ve heard that many other retailers reject books with the Amazon logo on it. They are the bookstores worst enemy after all.
Indie Authors lack resources to pull off massive marketing campaigns. Traditionally published authors rarely get offered this either, and indies always have the choice of re-launching or focusing their efforts on a never-ending book launch. That means that you never stop promoting your books.
Welcome to the world of the hybrid
I mentioned at the start of this post that it didn’t have to be an either/or choice between traditional publishing and the way of the indie. Some authors have started to pick and choose what books they self-publish and what rights they sell to a publisher. These two publishing models can work under the same roof.
I point you to Jacinda Wilder, Joanna Penn and Hugh Howey, who sold the print rights to his hugely successful Wool series. I’d recommend his blog to any self-published author. However, he has some fairly strong opinions and not just on self-publishing, so it’s probably not for the faint of heart.
Another choice. Another way.
You can also publish via a third company. This means that you have to pay someone to do all the hard graft for you e.g. formatting, editing. This is what I did for my first book, Draken. In my experience, it’s a valid option for anyone who is feeling over-whelmed by the publishing process. But if you want to go this route, you need to do your research before you sign anything. There are a lot of companies preying on new authors and more spring up all the time. I’ve put a watchdog section below for anyone worried about the scammers. Also, if you want to compare self-publishing providers you can do so here.
Conclusion?
So, what’s my opinion you ask? Or maybe you don’t care because you’ve already got the information you need and you’re off to make a cup of tea, or if you’re an American, coffee.
If you haven’t disappeared yet, then this is my chance to say, do whatever the heck feels right to you. Just make sure to own your choices and don’t let anyone make you feel bad about them.
I’ll leave you with this thought.
We are blessed as creators right now.
Think about the state of the music/film industry for a second and you’ll understand what I mean. The options available to authors are unique in the creative industries. Let’s not waste it by begging to publishers to recognise our work as worthwhile.
So if you do get offered a contract one-day, always remember that you have those options. On that note, I’m afraid I’m going to have to disagree with Barry Schwarts, PhD, professor of psychology, because having more choices doesn’t make me miserable. It’s glorious.
Watch Dogs
If you are looking at a third party company to help publish your books, you should check out these resources:
Writer Beware – They track, expose and raise awareness of fraudulent activities in the publishing industry.
Alliance of Independent Authors – They have a dedicated book, titled, ‘choosing a self-publishing provider.’ They also have watchdog articles or you can simply ask their advice via their Facebook group.
Other resources:
http://blog.bookbaby.com/2015/03/traditional-or-self-publishing/
http://authorearnings.com/report/february-2016-author-earnings-report/
http://www.dugcampbell.com/10-trends-driving-the-future-of-book-publishing/
http://www.pw.org/content/notable_moments_in_selfpublishing_history_a_timeline
https://www.alanjacobson.com/writers-toolkit/the-business-of-publishing/
http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2012/04/10/self-published-authors-are-happier/
http://www.apa.org/monitor/jan01/positivepsych.aspx
https://ourworld.unu.edu/en/mobile-phones-to-prompt-reading-revolution-in-developing-world
