To Self-publish, or Not to Self-publish. That is the Question
When I first decided to try writing seriously about two and a half years ago, I thought for sure I would pursue traditional publishing. I really didn’t know a lot about how publishing worked, and what I did know came from watching the TV show Younger, so it may or may not have been accurate. I knew I would need to find an agent first, and then they would work to get my book placed with a publishing house.
When I started researching and learning more about the publishing process, it was overwhelming. What stood out to me the most was how much of a gamble the whole process is, and how long it could take to even find representation, let alone get a publishing contract or make money. I had no idea that most book advances are paid out in four parts, and you may not receive the final part until about two years after signing when the book would be released in paperback! So, if you earn a $40k advance (which could be a lot for a first book and an unknown author), you would only receive $10k on signing, another ten when the final manuscript is turned in, the third ten on release, and the final ten when released in paperback or more widely. On top of that, 15% goes to your agent, so it’s possible you could make only $17k in a year as most books are released a year after they are acquired.
Learning all of this was a little disheartening. I wasn’t sure how I could make a living out of this model, and I knew it would take me a long time to write while working full time. I didn’t know much about self-publishing, but based on timeline alone I decided to look into it.
At first, self-publishing seemed really scary. You have to do everything yourself, and you need to invest up front for editing, cover design, etc. I was nervous about how I would reach people and gain attention for my books, and marketing scared me (honestly, it still does!). But, the more research I did, the more I learned it’s a viable option, especially within the romance community. While, yes, I would need to put in money up front, I could earn on sales immediately and would earn a high royalty rate. I also could publish books at a much quicker pace than the year plus it usually takes in traditional publishing.
Self-publishing began to look more and more appealing as an option where I could use writing as a way to support myself. I also liked that I could have creative control and tell the story I want to tell, rather than write what others thought might sell. When I learned that with the rise of social media, many publishing houses expect their authors to do most of their own promotions, I was even more convinced. If going with traditional publishing wouldn’t take care of the part I wanted to do least, then what was the point of going that route?
Once I decided to pursue self-publishing, I started to look at other authors in romance who self-publish. Quite frankly, I was surprised by how many people I was reading self-published and seemed to be doing well in sales. I was sold, and dove into learning as much as I could.
The next big decision was whether or not to publish widely, on multiple platforms like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple, etc., or to stay on Amazon and place my book in Kindle Unlimited (KU). I went back and forth on this for a while, but ultimately, I have decided to start in Kindle Unlimited. As a new and unknown author, I hope more people will be willing to give my books a try when they have already paid their monthly subscription and trying my book seems like less of a financial gamble. Will I stay in KU or move wide? Time will tell, but for now, I’m very happy to start this adventure in KU.
Now, a few weeks out from the launch of my first book, the amount of work I need to do to be prepared this first time is overwhelming. However, I know it will only get easier as I go once everything is set up initially, and I’m still happy about my decision to self-publish.
What are some of your thoughts on traditional vs. self-publishing?