This blog has often featured articles that writers might find helpful. Not because I’m an expert on this whole “writing gig” but because I’ve done some digging. I want your road to publishing to be smoother than mine has been.
One of the big questions I still find myself debating is about HOW to get published. Should I take the traditional path? Or should I self publish?
Recently, one of the writing teachers I follow wrote a long blog post on the subject. The teacher is Tim Grahl and you can read his post here.
Not that I’m trying to convince you not to click over to Tim’s site, but the post is LONG. And I can sum it up in two sentences.
If you want someone else to do the work of publishing your book, you want to go traditional. If you want to control all of the ins and outs, and don’t mind spending time as an entrepreneur, self-publishing is probably the road for you.
Too simple? Yeah, that’s what I thought too.
Traditional
This used to be the path of “authentic” authors. But it’s a LONG and arduous path with a lot more querying and pitching than actual writing.
Here it is:
- Write a book
- Revise, edit and polish the manuscript
- Research agents and publishers
- Craft a killer query and synopsis
- Start emailing your query to the members of your list
- Attend conferences to pitch agents and editors in person
Don’t sit around and wait, my friend. You’ll grow old and might ruin your computer from repeatedly clicking the refresh button on your mail inbox.
Once you send the queries out, it’s time to begin writing something new. Authors from either path agree on this.
Self-Publishing
This used to mean your manuscript couldn’t get past the gatekeepers. Let’s be honest, we’ve read some books that weren’t publish-worthy by snagging up free reads on Amazon.
But there are plenty of books that debuted as self-published and made their way into a movie deal or a television series. I’m thinking of The Martian not 50 Shades.
The traditional path generally takes long and probably won’t net you as much of a return on a “per book sold” basis, but check out all the steps for self-publishing:
- Write a book
- Revise, edit and polish the manuscript
- Research editors
- Hire an editor
- Research cover designers
- Hire a designer
- Fix manuscript according to editors suggestions
- Hire a proofreader
- Deal with changes to the cover
- Upload the final products to your publishing platform of choice
- Figure out how to market the book
Yes, I could have added a step for researching and hiring a formatter because it isn’t as easy as one might think to get the book ready for publishing. But it can be done with a minimum of hair pulling and several review phases with CreateSpace.
I’ve been guilty of including my small indie publisher in it’s own realm because it doesn’t require the wait times (nor have the distribution) of the big publishing houses.
There is a third path. It’s the one I’ve been traveling for the past three years.
Hybrid
I have manuscripts I’m actively trying to sell to agents or publishers. This is me on the traditional path
I’ve contracted many stories and novellas with a small publisher, so this is probably me on the traditional path, too.
I also have a novella and two Bible study books that I published myself using CreateSpace.
Some authors have books on Amazon they’ve published, and then they sign with a big house and contract for other books that will soon be on Amazon under that publisher’s control.
Either way, that’s the hybrid path. You aren’t sold on getting published ONE way.
Although Grahl suggests giving yourself a year on a path before deserting it, I think you can walk the middle line as a hybrid author. You’re likely to discover which trail appeals to you and you’ll see your name in print rather than waiting for an acceptance letter from an agent or publisher.
Maybe it really is as easy as deciding if you want to spend your time writing (and marketing because you do that on either road) or if you want to embrace the business side of publishing while you’re writing.
What experience do you have with publishing paths? Do you have other advice that will help muddy clear up this issue?
Like reading this? You’re a click away from getting Hero Delivery, a bulletin with deals and new releases from Sharon Hughson.
Maybe you like romance or see my other books. I’m sure there’s something worth reading on my page.
Already read one or more of my books? Please leave an honest review on your favorite site. A review is the same as the author discovering a gold nugget in the bottom of her washing machine.