However, I've been struggling with the sales of my first self-published book in spite of positive reviews. This has led me to the decision to re-work the cover and re-format the paperback text for The Pet Washer.
It's also led me to think twice about self-publishing my second book. I'm so excited to get this book in print that it's hard for me to delay as I consider my options. The publishing world is changing so fast, I'm not sure that traditional publishing is the best option either.
I know a lot of you have gone the traditional route with varied degrees of success, or lack thereof. For some of you, it's still the dream. For others, it's the nightmare. And still for others, it's inconsequential. Many authors are content with self-publishing and they are profitable to boot. Our decisions are as unique as we are.
I'm going to crystallize my two month long battle with myself into a pro and con list.
The Pros of Traditional Publishing
- Access to elite book reviewers
- Potential marketing dollars
- Prestige
- Money up front
- Editing, art, book trailers are handled by the publisher
- Agent advocating for writer (one hopes!)
- Potential placement in bookstores
- Greater potential for movie deal
The Cons of Traditional Publishing
- Loss of creative control
- Loss of publishing rights
- 1-2 year turnaround time before book is in print
- Bookstores going out of business reduces the bookstore benefit
- The risk of going out of print (Self-pub books never go out of print)
- The difficulty of getting a book deal in the first place
- Advances keep getting smaller
I'm reading articles about indie authors signing book deals at the same time I'm reading articles about established traditional authors turning down book deals in favor of self-publishing. What is going on? Who is going to win this game? What should I do?
I'm going to share my journey with my new YA (see tab above "Manuscript For Sale" for details about this project.) like I am sharing my journey with The Pet Washer. I will share my query letter, my rejections, my successes and my decisions as I try to navigate the new waters we find ourselves in. I'm well-aware I may get zero interest from agents, but this isn't a good enough reason not to try. I want to analyze and exhaust all my options before I self-publish this one.
What do you think? What are your experiences with traditional publishing or self-publishing? What would you do?
To Do: Research the changing tides and steer your career accordingly! I don't know what this means for me yet.
Jennifer Lynn Alvarez
Author of The Pet Washer
a novel for children aged 8 and up!
Well,if you decide you don't want to wait and you decide to self publish, there is always the opportunity to generate an audience that can show an agent or publishing house it would do well and then they could pick it up. In a seminar by Harvest House Publishing, they said, if you are getting rejections and you think your project is good enough, self publish and show us it would be good for us to take on your book. It would seem there would not really be a down side if you decide to self publish, it could always be traditionally published. But, if you sell it to a publishing house, you can't get it back. The "odds are ever in your favor" at least if you self publish right? :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing that news from the writer's conference, Shaylene!! There are some agents and publishers that won't touch a self-published book, but they are probably becoming fewer and fewer.
ReplyDeleteI have found that Ya novels are hot right now. They sell like crazy. In fact some of us more adult writers are finding it hard to sell our books because they are being bumped out of the running. I've been on the fence about looking for an agent for my next book my self, but at the end of the day I just can't bring myself to give up the freedom I have come to love while self publishing.
ReplyDeleteHi, Jennifer - I think that traditional publishers and bookstores are going through a crisis because of the e-book revolution, and are thus tightening their belts, which means that they are even less likely to take a chance on any "new" authors than they might have been two or three years back. This means you will have greater odds to overcome if you go that route. Why not ride the crest of the current wave of e-books, have control over your own work, and give yourself a better chance of staying afloat in the long run? That's what I'm doing, and even though I don't sell that many copies, each sale I have is one more than I had in that bleak year while hawking my MS to agents and publishers who didn't want to take the risk. I wish you luck with your decision, whatever it is.
ReplyDeleteI think YA is hot for more than the obvious reasons--YA readers may be the prime kindle owners also.
ReplyDeleteHaving said that, my 70ish parents own kindles and they eat indie books like candy!
I vote for self-publishing, you make so much more, and since you have to do all the marketing yourself either way, you have more control over the whole process. Thanks and good luck, Edward Smith.
ReplyDeleteI hear ya, Susan! Sales excite me because it means I have a reader! Every reader is precious and I hope to reach more as time goes by. The Pet Washer was doing no good on my hard drive!
ReplyDeleteEdward, I agree about the control. I enjoy that aspect most of the time!
I wrote briefly why established authors are self-publishing on my blog, "The Future of Publishing." http://angelalamturpin.com/?p=526
ReplyDeleteI've been both traditionally published and self-published. If you have a target audience you can directly reach like I did as a Realtor writing about the real estate meltdown in LEGS, then self-publish. If you have no clue who your readers are like I did with my paranormal romance, BLOOD MOON RISING, then go the traditional route.
I'm going to a luncheon with alumni from a writer's retreat I attended several years ago. They will be discussing options for writers who write for a living. If you want to attend, I can ask if I can bring a guest. If not, I'll post my findings on my blog when I return.
Best wishes either way,
Angela
Hi Angela,
ReplyDeleteI would love to go to the luncheon! There is a link on the right upper side of this blog where you can email with the date, time and place so I can see if I'm able to attend. Thank you for thinking of me!!!