An Argument for Self-Publishing
Since the age of nine years old, I have been determined to someday be a published author. For many years I spent hours upon hours creating worlds and characters and convoluted plots. The writing process consumed my focus. It wasn’t until I had finally finished my first manuscript that I was faced with the question: What now? It was time to publish, and suddenly I had a big decision to make; should I choose to publish traditionally or go the route of self-publishing? After taking the time to research my options and familiarize myself with the pros and cons of both sides of the coin, I finally decided self-publishing was the right path for me. However, there is a lot of discourse over the validity of self-publishing, to which I will respond in this essay. I have found self-publishing to be a great option for aspiring writers because it allows a writer to avoid the gatekeeping of agents and publishers, to retain full creative control over every aspect of their work from editing to cover design, and to control their own schedule and decide their own deadlines.
By choosing to self-publish, a writer can avoid the biggest hurdle of traditional publishing: querying to agents and hoping one of them will decide the pitched book is worth representing. Even if that happens, there’s no guarantee a publisher will choose that book to move forward in the publishing process. Publishers are looking for certain kinds of books, either from already established authors with a guaranteed reader base, or books that fit into the specific genres and tropes that are bestselling at the time. In an interview, self-published author Aly Stiles said that “If no one’s looking for that [type of book], then it doesn’t matter how good it is.” She said that in her journey of publishing her debut novel, Night Shifts Black, no one would take a chance on her and her book, but she was determined to publish one way or another. A publisher’s goal is to make money, and they will typically go with the more lucrative options. This is where self-publishing first becomes a viable option for many writers. By choosing to self-publish, writers can bypass the tedious process of attempting to catch a publisher’s eye and move forward with the process themselves. From there, the writer gets to choose when and where their work will be published, and there are no restrictions in terms of genre or style. The process becomes more about getting the book into readers’ hands, and not about how to make the most money off of it.
Self-publishing also puts full creative control into the writer’s hands, from the editing process to cover design and promotion; whereas, as author Kelly James-Enger said about traditional publishing, “After acquiring the rights to your manuscript itself, the publisher then is responsible for editing, layout, printing and distribution” (par. 3). While this process might be very helpful to those who don’t have the time or means to take care of all those details themselves, it also means giving up a large amount of control and say over the final product. Yes, the publisher has professional editors and designers, and they can ensure a finished book gets to the right audience, but that finished product might not always be the way the writer envisioned it. Authors Barbara and Clyde Goodheart said, “If you self-publish, you have complete control. You set the sales price, and you can choose to hire out any part of the process, or you can choose to do it all yourself” (p. 2). It’s all up to the writer, and though it may be a long and involved process for one person to do, for those who value the ability to ensure their work comes out how they envision it, that hard work can be very rewarding.
Time management is possibly one of the most important aspects of any project, including writing a book; self-publishing offers writers the freedom to retain flexibility with their time management. In an interview with self-published author Carolina Jax, Jax said that the ability to decide when and where her works were published was one of the biggest deciding factors when she chose to self-publish. “I was responsible for it all. So, if I failed? On me. If I succeed? On me,” she said. That level of autonomy was key, especially in terms of her deadlines and schedule. Deadlines are great, they provide a finish line to aim for, and motivation to ensure the work is done on time. However, a deadline, especially one set and imposed by someone else, can also be stressful. With the ability to alter a deadline if need be, a writer can ensure their book gets adequate time to be written the way it deserves, rather than ending up with a rushed manuscript. Quality should not have to be sacrificed for the sake of punctuality. In my personal experience as a member of many indie author groups on social media, most readers will not mind a delay in a book’s publication date if it means that book got the time and attention it needed.
One of the most prevalent counter arguments to the merits of self-publishing revolves around the idea that a self-published book cannot be as professional or respectable as a traditionally published book. Alison Baverstock said, “Journalists announce too frequently that it [self-publishing] heralds the death of publishing” (p. 2). She then goes on to say that those of that opinion have not taken the time to really research and understand the self-publishing industry. In the same vein, Kelly James-Enger said in her article, “throwing the doors open to all aspiring writers means that some self-published books are poorly (or not at all) edited. Skimping on editing, layout and design can lead to books that look unprofessional, or worse, sloppy” (par. 8). In my experience as a reader who greatly enjoys indie books, I’ve found this to be true, but it is not a standard of the self-publishing world. There’s a strong sense of community among self-published authors and their readers, and this includes freelance editors and cover designers. Readers, especially, are key to helping self-published authors succeed. From beta readers and ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) readers who review books before their publication date, to the readers who create and share graphics and videos on social media, all in order to hype up said book to other potential readers. Carolina Jax said, “I slowly built a great team of readers who enjoy my books and will promote them to others. They share my graphics and recommend me around to others.” It was a slow process, and still requires her to work hard to maintain that level of support, but it’s all worth it. So long as a writer understands the extra work that will need to be done beyond simply writing their book, and they’re willing to put in that work, there’s no reason a self-published book can’t be just as well written, polished, and popular as a traditionally published book.
Ultimately, the decision between traditional and self-publishing is a personal one that every writer must make for themselves. There are so many pros and cons to consider on both sides, and for every writer those pros and cons will have differing levels of importance. Autonomy over creative decisions and scheduling flexibility are the most important aspects for me personally, as I know those levels of control will ensure I have the smoothest, most stress-free writing and publishing journey. A simpler path to publication, avoiding the gatekeeping and the disappointment of repeated rejections, is also important. I, as I’m sure many other writers will agree, have put too much time, energy, and heart into my work to never have it see the light of day. So, for writers who value their creative freedom, and for whom seeing their work out in the world is more important than the money they might make, self-publishing just might be the right choice.
XO Kerry
Works Cited
Baverstock, Alison. “Why Self-Publishing Needs to Be Taken Seriously.” LOGOS: The Journal of the World Book Community, vol. 23, no. 4, Dec. 2012, pp. 41 – 46. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.ezproxy.snhu.edu/10.1163/1878-4712-11112005.
Goodheart, Barbara, and Clyde Goodheart. “Traditional Versus Self-Publishing: What’s Best for Your Book?” AMWA Journal: American Medical Writers Association Journal, vol. 34, no. 4, Winter 2019, pp. 184 – 86. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direc....
James-Enger, Kelly. “Know Your Publishing Options: Traditional Publishing and Self-Publishing Have Their Own Sets of Pros and Cons.” The Writer, vol. 124, no. 2, Feb. 2011, p. 40. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direc....
Stiles, Aly, Interview, November 8, 2023
Jax, Carolina, Interview, November 5, 2023
