Things to Consider When Deciding to Traditionally Publish or Self Publish
EPISODE FIFTY SEVEN
Authors have several different publishing routes to consider to get their book out into the world. And that can be a difficult decision to make - especially when you don't know what to expect. In this episode, Jenn discusses four questions you should consider when deciding to traditionally or self publish your book.
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When it comes to getting your book out into the world, authors have many different options in regards to how to actually publish their book. There's self-publishing. There's hybrid, there's traditional publishing. But many times when I talk to authors who aren't sure about which part they should take. They really aren't aware of what questions that they should ask or what they should even consider. So in today's episode, we're going to be discussing the things that authors should consider when they are trying to decide if they should self-publish or traditionally publish.
My name is Jenn Hanson-dePaula, and I'm the co-founder of Mixtus Media. And the purpose of this channel is to empower and educate authors with the best book marketing, social media and newsletter information that there is. I'm really good at helping authors simplify the book marketing process and helping them find their readers online. Specific on social media. So if that sounds good to you, be sure to hit like and subscribe. I share new videos every Friday. And be sure to click the link below to download our free Book Marketing Blueprint. It'll help you get started with your book marketing and help you to simplify the process. So let's get started.
The first question that you should really consider is how much control you want to have over the overall appearance and editing and presentation of the book. Many times, authors don't realize that when it comes to working with a traditional publisher or even a hybrid publisher, there are some limitations that you as the author have.
For example, when you're signed with a traditional publisher, many times designers are in-house, and so you only have a few options as to what your book should actually look like. So if you have a clear design element or a specific look that you are dead set on, traditional publishing might not be the way that you want to go. You might want to consider doing self-publishing or even a hybrid. Each publishing house is different, but realizing that you don't have 100% control over the editing over the cover, over many different elements is really important to remember. You need to make sure that you and your editor and the publisher share the same vision for your book. So making sure that you communicate that clearly if you are going to go with the traditional publishing route is key.
The second thing to consider is timing. Many times authors want to get their book out as soon as possible, or they're writing around a specific timely topic or trend. And when you work with a traditional publisher many times, your book will not come out for another year or two after your manuscript is accepted or when you get an actual book deal. You need to remember that timing is of the essence. So if you want to get your book out right away, a traditional publishing house might not be the best fit for you that might be considering self-publishing or going with a trusted hybrid.
And the third thing that you really need to consider is marketing. Many authors that I talk to who end up getting traditional publishing deals are shocked to realize that most of the marketing is going to rest on their shoulders, even if they are with a traditional publishing house. Publishing houses only have a few key people in certain departments, so their marketing department might only be run by one person or maybe a couple of people. And these departments are working on multiple books. So you're not going to get that undivided attention that you might be expecting. So a lot of the marketing will rest on the author's shoulders.
And this is also why publishers are so adamant on knowing what your social media numbers are, what connections you have, and really the popularity that you already have as an author, because that is going to give you a platform. And that is really one of the selling points if you are looking to traditionally publish is to see what are their requirements for social media followers, what marketing assets will they provide, what is their marketing department if they even have one? So thinking about these things ahead of time is going to save you a lot of headache and a lot of heartbreak.
And the fourth thing that authors really need to be very careful of is doing their research. I've met with so many authors who have paid a hybrid publisher thousands of dollars in order to get very little support in actually getting their book out. If you're considering doing a hybrid publishing deal, do your research. Talk to other authors who have been published through this hybrid. I've very sadly known way too many authors who have been taken advantage of, who have not gotten what they said that they would receive with going through certain hybrid publishers. So doing your research and really digging into the nooks and crannies of what that hybrid publisher actually offers and the results that they've gotten their authors is going to be very, very important.
And with self-publishing, something else that I would be very adamant about is working with people that have a good reputation. We know that money is a factor when it comes to self-publishing, and so we tend to go the cheapest or easiest route to either make a book cover or to get your formatting done, doing some digging and asking other authors that they've worked with if they got what they paid for or if they got great results from working with this person.
I've talked with hundreds, if not thousands of authors, and the one thing that always comes back is to do your research, look into things, and really step into the author community and talk with other authors, get their feedback. I know that many times we feel very isolated and we feel like we're all alone in this. But knowing that you have other authors who want to help, that want to speak their wisdom in their experience to other authors is so liberating. And it's so encouraging. And so really finding those communities and really stepping into them to ask authors: “What was your experience with this? How did you deal with this problem or with this question?” - is really going to not only save your sanity, but it's also going to save you money.
There isn't one way of getting a book out there into the world. When we think that traditional publishing is the only way to go, really more and more authors are opting to self-publish. And it doesn't have that stigma that it used to ten or 15 years ago. So if you are considering self-publishing and you are questioning if that's the way that you want to go, talk to some other self-published authors and really get some feedback. And realize that there isn't just one way to go. That you are going to get this book out into the world and it is going to resonate with readers all over the world. So getting it out there is one thing, but making sure that you do it right and in a way that brings you joy and that makes you excited to share your book with the world is going to make a huge difference.
And be sure to leave a comment letting us know what you wish you would have known at the beginning of your publishing journey. Maybe sharing a tip or some inside information. Or if you do have a question, let us know. We would love to help you out. And if you're looking for more information, tools, and guidance, be sure to visit mixtusmedia.com. We have a ton of information ready and waiting for you.
(Automatic transcript by Adobe Premiere Pro’s Speech to Text)