Indie Vs. Traditional Publishing: Finding What Works For You
When a writer first sets on their journey they may be focused on the story alone and not really considering what comes after. How they are going to publish their book. In recent years two options have come about. Traditional publishing is going through a publishing company and Independent publishing which is doing it all yourself (usually through platforms such as Amazon or Ingramsparks). There are pros and cons to both and finding which one is best for you is important to your process as a writer. I decided on Indie simply because I like the wide range of control that I have. Not to say you do have any when you go Trad but like I said each has its pros and cons.
Traditional publishing has been the longest-standing route for writers and for a long time it was the only route. This is when a publisher offers a writer a contract for their book then publishes and sells it. The publisher buys the rights and pays the author royalties. To publish your book traditionally you must first find an agent to represent your work. It is best to research which agent fits your needs. Some deal with specific genres, some only do non-fiction, and knowing which one is vital to the process. If you are querying non-fiction you will need to submit a book proposal, for fiction you will need a completed manuscript. A query letter will need to be submitted along with your work.
Once you find an agent that wants to work with you they will start the process of submitting your manuscript to publishers. Keep in mind a literary agent works off of commission they don’t get paid until you do. So if an agent asks for money upfront this is a red flag. Most reputable agents will not require money in advance. When your manuscript is accepted your agent will work out contract details. They will be your voice when negotiating to get you the best deal possible. Traditional is probably the most straightforward route. But know that the rights will need to be signed over to the publisher and after that, it’s mostly out of your hands what happens. So if you’re a more hands-on person then Indie might be the route for you.
When considering Independent publishing know that it is all on you, not one thing moves forward unless you put the work in. To publish a quality book editors, proofreaders, etc. are a good thing to have. These will cost out of pocket, unlike a traditional publisher who will have an editor look at your work if accepted. You can choose not to have any of this but it does help to polish your work. The steps for indie authors differ because they must take the steps on their own to make their work ready for publication. There are a few key steps to help this process two of those being a critique partner and beta readers. A critique partner is a fellow writer who provides feedback on your work. Beta Readers read your work after the critique partner and are usually readers who read your work as an audience would. Each provides their feedback on your work, usually, the author makes a chapter by chapter questionnaire for the betas. Most do multiple rounds of beta readers. It all depends on what feels right for your manuscript.
Once betas are done, usually professional edits and proofreading. The different types are:
Developmental editing (document level)
Line editing ( paragraph level)
Copy editing ( technical and consistency)
Proofreading ( correcting typos, one final sweep)
Once all of this is done and you have a nice shiny manuscript you can worry about cover design and formatting. Your book needs to be formatted depending on if you want to do e-books, paperback, or hardcover (or all three) each is different. From the inside out, usually cover designers offer formatting services and you can purchase packages according to your needs. Some Indies commission custom artwork and submit it to cover designers to be formatted into a book cover. Again it all depends on your needs/wants. There is also marketing being indie means doing your own marketing and networking. One way is to send out ARCs (Advanced reader copies) and to compile a street team which is a group of people who hype your book leading up to its release. You can also reach out to book reviewers and bloggers. Again it’s all up to you if you chose to go indie what you do and do not do.
Choosing what is right for you is something to consider carefully. Each option comes with its pros and cons. If you go Traditional you will have all of the above-taken care of but sign the rights of your novel over. If you go Independent your book is yours completely (look into copywriting, etc.) but all expenses and marketing are in your hands. Research each option carefully. Dig deep into both and go with what feels right for you. Don’t forget though to enjoy the process, you finished a whole book! That is something to be proud of.
Resources
Beginners Guide To Self-Publishing
