Creative Conundrums #14: Self-Publishing Vs Traditional Publishing?
A Writer's Corner series dedicated to challenges and worries throughout the creative process, doubts, queries and everything in between.
Work Travel, Raining Cats and Dogs, and Past Instalments of Creative Conundrums
Work travel is a killer. Even one day, up and down the country, causes complete exhaustion after the return home. Mind you, I was not even travelling that far on Monday and Tuesday, but it was enough to wipe me out. I am looking forward to the weekend and only the local office to face next week.
The experience was not helped by the weather. Monday evening stayed dry but Tuesday morning had other plans. The rain was biblical. It did not stop. The. Entire. Day. It was meant to be snowing but, in typical British fashion, the anticipated fluffy snowflakes morphed into the mundane wet raindrops. Who is surprised?
As is expected by now, I have included previous instalments of Creative Conundrums below. Post #1 & Post #2 as well as Post #11 & Post #12 are related, otherwise the Creative Conundrums can be read in whatever order you see fit.
Creative Conundrums #2: Individual Publications or Publication Sections?
Creative Conundrums #4: What Are the Substack ... Things Called?
Creative Conundrums #8: Creative Writing Courses Vs M(F)As in Creative Writing
Creative Conundrums #9: First Draft Exposure Vs First Draft Secrecy
Creative Conundrums #10: Literary Competitions Now Vs Literary Competitions Later
Creative Conundrums #11: Corporate Jobs Vs Creative Jobs (Or Both)?
Creative Conundrums #13: Fiction Vs Non-Fiction
What is Creative Conundrums?
“What is Creative Conundrums”, you ask yourself. It is a series – if someone has a finer term for it, I would steal it in a heartbeat – dedicated to questions of creative nature, worrisome thoughts, plaguing insecurities, and day-to-day challenges that I wrestle with.
Over the years, I have realised that much of what we often consider to be unique to our personalities, for example the tendency to be indecisive, or circumstances, say, our education background or job, resonates with others louder than we have ever imagined.
Creative Conundrums will, therefore, serve two purposes:
Aid me in un-baffling myself through endless rambling and mind backflips, and
Provide solace to you in the realisation that you are not alone in your troubles (Fingers crossed, sound practical advice will be a welcome by-product).
Are you ready for Creative Conundrum #14?
Creative Conundrums #14: Self-Publishing Vs Traditional Publishing? Context
Publishing intentions or not – now or ever – I think it will be interesting to explore the two publishing routes a writer can choose between once they believe their book is ready to be presented to the outside world, namely self-publishing or traditional publishing.
That choice became an effective one a few years ago. It was then that self-publishing started blossoming into the flower that it is today. Perhaps in response to the relatively slower pace at which traditional publishing moves, or the need to honour every single chain link, writers felt the need and desire to be in charge of everything: from the writing of the book itself through the final print to distribution to the end customer.
This is not to say that traditional publishing is slowing down. Not in the slightest and on the contrary. Statistics vary significantly but, according to some sources, in the US alone around 300,000 titles are traditionally published on an annual basis. That number only goes up, if self-published books are included, with certain estimates quoting as high a number as one million.
While it is widely recognised that the craft of writing provides an outlet for many, without a single of their words ever appearing in print, the majority of writers I should think dream of being published. There comes a time, or perhaps the dream is alive and kicking from the get-go, when the aspiration of seeing one’s work in print wakes up from its snooze. It then starts nagging and nagging, the obsession with the work all-consuming in the conviction it is a great piece of literature that should be read by the masses. Until someone listens…
When has anything in the world been a perfect square? Naturally, the two alternatives have their pros and cons. Addressing one requirement may mean compromising on another. Toing and froing.
Let us have a look at the positives and the negatives of each.
Creative Conundrums #14: Self-Publishing Vs Traditional Publishing? The Actual Conundrum
Priority given to the contender in the blue corner, self-publishing affords bigger freedom. Freedom around publishing timescales and creative choices. It allows writers to depend on as few people as possible (or desirable). It enables them to be responsible for the-end-to-end process; in turn, this means their creative choices are theirs only. For business-minded people, their book is their ‘baby’ and self-publishing keeps others, and their curious noses, out. Money may not be the main driver of happiness but what one makes, one gets to keep. Profits are not shared with anyone else. Self-publishing removes the pressure of having to find an agent to represent you and your book in front of publishing houses.
But it is also more difficult to attract an audience by yourself and without the connections of big publishing houses, an agent or an editor. The marketing and advertising that you can do is down to a minimum (although word of mouth is the oldest and, arguably, the most effective way of promoting something, anything). Famous bookstores, the likes of Waterstones and Barnes & Nobble, are unlikely to sell (m)any self-published books. If they do, the fight for a spot, let alone a nice spot at the front of the shop, is going to be brutal.
Traditional publishing arrives packaged with the support of professionals, in the job for years and an aide in navigating or completely removing the hassle of scoring a deal with large, well-known retailers. The package also delivers other activities, such as the design of the book cover drafted and re-drafted until it is impeccable. How does that support the writer? Well, they are left to their own devices, perhaps thinking about that next story.
But these authors share their profits with the gang of professionals; in fact, the majority of the profits are redirected to them. Yes, an advance is secured if the writer is lucky enough for a publisher to sign them, and be interested enough to commit to another book (or a multi-book deal), but the ongoing book sales are not their sales…On top of the ‘sharing is caring’ MO, a variety of opinions are to be heard, some may not be liked but will need to be taken on board. Doing business with the top dogs is pricey.
Creative Conundrums #14: Self-Publishing Vs Traditional Publishing? Thoughts
All thoughts are welcome but the plead goes out to those of you, who have had your work, fiction or non-fiction, published. It would very helpful if you shared the route you chose and the reasons behind your decision.
Here to assist is a list of questions but do not be restricted by them; they are prompts rather than stiff, unbending parameters.
Did you self-publish your book, or did you opt for traditional publishing?
What made you choose one or the other?
How did you go about the research in terms of publishing methods?
Are you someone that uses both self-publishing and traditional publishing in accordance with the kind of book you are getting out into the world?
Could you disclose any of your resources to the readers of Writer’s Corner?
I look forward to your feedback on this topic and thank you in advance for your time!