Over the past few years, I’ve read a number of articles and watched several videos in which other writers talk about the benefits of either traditional or self-publishing. And though I see reasons for both, I’ve been committed to traditional publishing.
Then early last year, I finished my first work of fiction and sent it out to beta readers. They had comments and suggestions – none of them drastic – but were overwhelmingly positive about the book. One even told me that if I self publish, “she’ll kill me.” I understood what she meant: it’s a solid piece of writing. Though the self-publishing market is changing and this is no longer universally true, many of us still associate it with lesser-quality works.
I made my revisions to the work and then set about querying agents. If you’ve ever been in the querying game, you know what it’s like. A lot of silence and a lot of empty rejections (“this work isn’t a good fit for me”). There has been some interest too – several requests for further portions of the manuscript – but none of which have panned out so far.
One agent’s comment was both positive and negative. She loved my writing, but my current book looks too much like another work she’s currently representing. Instead, she asked to see any subsequent books that I write.
I could go on and on, but the process ended up being the catalyst that caused me to rethink the self-publishing industry. So much so that even though I haven’t queried all that many agents yet, I’ve changed my mind about how I want to release this book.
I’ll tell you my three main reasons.
1. The Elephant in the Room: Marketing
If you’re like me, you have no desire to spend any time marketing your book. You want to spend each minute of each day, wrapped in that blissful writer world in your head – parsing out language, crafting characters, building worlds. You want to let someone else – the publishing house – worry about notifying reviewers and newspapers about your upcoming book. You want them to set up book signings, to fine tune your cover design and to help you with editing.
However, over the last decade, I’ve heard more and more writers (and agents) talking about the fact that unless you’re an established A-list writer – the Stephen Kings of the writing world – publishing houses will spend very little money marketing your book. But still, I wanted them to take care of this for me. If only so that I don’t have to do it.
Which is ridiculous.
I finally faced that fact (and accepted it) from listening to a writer and YouTuber, Jenna Moreci. She’s self-published, does quite well, and has no interest in sharing her profits with the publishing industry. One thing she has pointed out on more than one occasion is that the information you need to market – what you need to do and how – is out there on the internet. Anyone can learn what that is and follow it.
Besides which, she has a business degree and can certainly handle the marketing. This was something I could no longer deny. I also have a business degree – two of them. And although my focus in the business world was always Finance, to say that I can’t figure out how to manage my own book’s marketing is absurd. (I also have a very loving marketing-writing-friend who gives me wonderful advice.)
If you’re not an A-list writer [yet] like me, it’s more likely that we will spend more time and money marketing our books than the traditional industry would. Which means more potential sales and a better chance for success.
All that to say that, even though I don’t want to spend time marketing, my book will probably be better positioned if I do it myself. And I can figure it out.
2. The Value of Time
One of the greatest eye-openers in the querying process has been the incredible amount of time wasted. While I’ve been querying, my book has gone nowhere. On top of that, the industry estimates that even if you do sign with a publishing house, it’ll be approximately 18-24 months from the date of signing until your book hits the market.
In the long run, if you’re writing book after book, this isn’t such a big deal. After all, every year or so, the publishers release another of your past books. So, while it’s a huge hurdle at the beginning of a writing career, I am willing to concede that it shouldn’t be the only factor in a decision to self-publish.
However, there are two other time considerations that have given me pause.
The first is very personal: when I’m in limbo (waiting to sign with a publisher) I struggle to move forward with other writing projects. I lose momentum when I’m querying and waiting to hear back, to know the status of my book’s future. That may not be the case for you, but for me this waiting period is causing me to waste a lot of writing time that could be focused on subsequent books.
The second is universal: publishers control how long a book remains in print. I’ve heard this for years, but it only struck me with full force recently. Sometimes the publishing industry decides to no longer print a book or to discontinue a series of books even though some readers love the book.
If your book doesn’t garner the number of sales that they deem to be necessary, or they don’t like the extent to which your series of books is selling, they can cut you off. And usually you cannot re-publish the book(s) on your own or self-publish the rest of the series that the industry refuses to publish. Because they own the book(s). You don’t.
I want my books to remain in the market as long as I choose. Potentially indefinitely, regardless of the sales figures.
3. Content Control
And lastly, the publishing industry determines what will and will not be in your books. This is of supreme importance to me. If you don’t notice trends, or know any industry insiders, you may not realize that the industry, like many, has an agenda. There are certain subjects that are pushed; others that are taboo. This is true across the board.
I know a very well-written author with over thirty traditionally-published works in the Christian publishing industry. I asked her why she quit the traditional industry. She said that they were requiring that she include sexually explicit content in her thrillers. She refused.
To some extent, I don’t mind certain types of material if it makes sense in the novel – if it contributes to the story in such a way that the story is better off. But I absolutely refuse to be told what my work should say or which agendas it should push. I’m the author. I love advice, but at the end of the day, this is my story. I want to tell it the way I want it told.
In self-publishing, writers are free to write whatever they want and readers are free to find the types of literary material that best suit their preferences.
The Self-Publishing Road
Now that I’ve decided to go this route with my book, I’m actually very excited about it. But part of my commitment is based on the understanding that I intend to treat my book as the publishing industry would. By that, I mean that I intend to have a specific release date (October 2023) and deadlines for every aspect of the process. That also means that my books need to be of the highest possible quality, with professional editing and formatting so that they show their best face to the world.
I may not be able to spend as much money as the industry would on a top release, but I can do virtually all of the same things that they would and I can almost certainly put more money into the release than they would be willing to for a debut novel.
If you’re in a similar situation, I encourage you to consider what you’re willing to do to make your novel succeed. If you’re able and willing to take on the upfront costs and work, it may be more beneficial to you if you self-publish. If that’s the case, here’s a link to a sample timeline that you can use as you move through the self-publishing process.
Regardless of your specific route though, I wish you all the best! Let me know about your journey and what you’re learning in the process.
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