by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
I’ve gotten quite a few emails and direct messages on Twitter lately, asking whether I’d advise writers to query publishers or self-publish.
I’ve not offered much opinion on this question. For one thing, the issue has gotten (sadly) contentious and I’m cautious about entering online frays. For another, I don’t like telling people what they should do. I can’t possibly know what’s going on in their lives, with their story, with their mindset, in order to give them good advice.
But I’ve noticed that my being wishy-washy and reluctant to comment hasn’t won me any fans, either. One frustrated writer DMed me back on Twitter, asking me to just please give them an opinion. That’s what I’ll do–give an opinion. So here it is, with a proviso: this may not be the right thing for you to do. I’ll tell you what I would do.
Although it’s hard to tell you what I’d do as a brand-new writer with my first manuscript in my hand facing this type of choice…because I’m just imagining that. I’m not in the same situation. Right now, I’m positioned pretty well–I’m not making gobs of cash, but I make a tidy monthly income with very little promotion. I have a fairly large online platform. I have a couple of different traditionally published series and a standalone with large publishers. This would not be the same situation for a new writer.
Knowing me, I would want to try being traditionally published with a book (not necessarily more books than that.) This may tie into my age and the fact that when I grew up, book choices were either hardback, paperback, or a book included with a vinyl record. I wanted to be an author who had a physical book on a physical shelf. If I were twenty years old instead of nearly forty-two and didn’t have that much of a past with paper books…I might feel differently. In fact–I’m sure I’d feel differently.
Digital Book World recently published results of an author survey. They asked which factors influenced the writers’ decisions to publish traditionally or to self-publish. Looking at the results, I disagree with the writers surveyed. They cited distribution as a major reason for choosing a traditional publisher. I think that distribution is quickly becoming unimportant, because of digital availability. It will become even less important as readers lose their local bookstores. Barnes and Noble, a major bookseller here in the States, recently stated they expected to close 200 stores in the next ten years. More on the issues that may cause in the post, “More thoughts about the future of bookstores, triggered by Barnes & Noble’s own predictions for itself” by industry expert Mike Shatzkin on his blog.
As far as the surveyed writers’ other listed factors that would make them consider traditional publishing, I can agree with “editorial help” (which can be absolutely amazing and provide an incredible education…if you’re hooked up with a good editor). I do think that you can find an absolutely fantastic freelance editor to work with and receive a similar education…so this shouldn’t be your primary reason to traditionally publish. I can also agree with “publisher prestige,” except that I don’t think of it that way–I think of it as giving the writer a boost of possibly greatly-needed confidence….if they need it.
If you choose that route, should you go through an agent or go on your own? My answer to that is changing. I don’t think it’s necessary to go through an agent. Be careful which agent you choose and what you agree to, if you choose to sign with an agent. If you do get an agent, you might want to get one to only help you with that one book, instead of getting signed on as a regular client. If you try to find an agent, don’t spend too long looking. I spent far too long and it distracted me from my primary aim–finding a publisher. I’d consider querying publishers directly. I do have an agent. She’s helped me find additional work via her contacts with editors. But times are changing. Publishers appear to be more open to working directly with unagented authors. And, when you sign with an agent, you need to be sure that you know what you’re agreeing to. There are times, for sure, when an agent can be useful, even for self-published authors: foreign rights, audio deals, etc.
How long should you spend trying to get a traditional publisher, if you choose that route? How many books do you have? If you only have the one book, work on another book as you query. And…if you’re not getting any bites in six months, I’d consider assembling my team for self-publishing. Please–make sure the book is professionally edited. If you need help with your editor search, I do maintain a free database of freelance editors and other ebook professionals here.
I wouldn’t put all my eggs in one basket. If my book were accepted by a publisher…great. But I’d be thinking ahead to my next project and seriously consider having that one be self-published.
The reason behind that is primarily financial. Advances from publishers are decreasing and I don’t see them going up anytime soon. The production schedule takes about a year. Royalties are usually paid quarterly and are frequently not impressive. Your royalty percentage will obviously be a lot lower than going directly through an online retailer like Amazon or Barnes and Noble or Smashwords.
I’m well-positioned to make decent income by self-publishing…and I do. But let’s say you’re a debut author and are selling a book that’s not exactly a commercial product. Maybe you sell only a few books a month.
You might consider that book a flop. But the difference is that it will remain available to readers. If that book were traditionally published and was a flop (obviously, it would sell more copies than a few a month, even doing poorly), then that could effectively be the end of your traditionally published career. Your book would be sent back as returns from the bookstore, the publisher would eventually destroy the excess copies (likely after asking you if you wanted to buy them back at a discount), and no publisher upon looking up your Nielsen BookScan numbers would be thrilled at the prospect of taking on your next book.
But with your self-published book, let’s just call it a slow starter, not a flop. You write another book. And another book. You start developing a reader base (if you write well and have a professionally packaged product) and that base begins buying your earlier books–which are still available for sale and are not pulp in Manhattan somewhere.
Last year my traditionally published income included royalties on several older books, an advance payment-on-publication for one title, and acceptance advance income on two titles releasing this year. But I made more on my two self-published titles (much of the year it was only two, since my third was released in October)…one of which was intermittently free.
This advice also goes for traditionally published authors–increase revenue through self-publishing. Is there anything you’ve gotten your rights back to that you could self-publish? Do you have something you could write on the side…maybe an idea that had been rejected in the past? Could you write short stories just to at least experiment?
So there you go…my two cents, today, on this subject. Not everyone will agree, and there may not be a standard right answer to this question…each writer is different. Ultimately, you’re the one who knows what’s right for you. My two cents on this subject might change as the industry changes (probably will). I’m a hybrid writer. I’m currently writing a book that I won’t pitch, but will self-publish. Looking into the future, it will be very important to stay current with industry news and changes. It’s a great time to be a writer because we have choices. And we have the opportunity to do well while doing something we love.
What are your thoughts on the benefits of traditional or self-publishing, or both? Has your opinion changed over the years?
What are your thoughts on the benefits of traditional or self-publishing, or both? Has your opinion changed over the years?
Elizabeth – Thanks for your honest opinion about this publishing question. You make some strong arguments and I think one of the best is that a well-chosen reputable publisher can be extremely helpful with edits and with promotion. Yes of course the author has to do some promo work too, but it’s very useful – and to many people, adds to an author’s credibility – to work with a publisher.
Your post brings to mind the books that were self pubbed and then a pubisher decides to pick it up.
Self publishing is hard work, but there’s more control of self and book. Traditional publishing has it’s benefits, but you’re also owned by the company, so to speak.
I am so on the fence in this debate it’s not even funny.
Basically my attitude is “everyone’s different.”
For myself, I wouldn’t be happy putting out a self-published book that wasn’t at least as polished and well put together as someone from a traditional publisher. I’m picky about covers. I see a lot of very poor ones, not just in self-published books but in those released by publishers too. I would need a very good cover artist, and a good printer to produce the physical copies because I love paperbacks so much more than any other format. And that’s without getting into the editing.
I just can’t afford that kind of investment. It would probably take me the year or so that traditional publication takes to complete just to save up the money. So I’m content to give up an amount of potential earnings in exchange for someone else handling those costs.
As well as that, lately I’m seeing a lot more people consider self-publishing not because they want the complete control or their book might only fit into a niche market, but because they’re getting impatient waiting for a publisher or agent. I think this is a dangerous habit.
Little bit of a segue here.
Almost 15 years ago, the core rules system for the newest version of the Dungeons and Dragons roleplaying game was released under and Open Gaming Licence. What this meant was that any game-designer could use this rules system for their game, so long as they included the licence details in their book. So for the early half of the 2000s, the RPG market was flooded with individuals and newly set-up small businesses releasing games under the OGL. Unfortunately, an awful lot of these games were not up to scratch. There was a glut in the market with everyone scrambling for a spot and competing for the attention of buyers.
Now the OGL craze is long gone. It died out, leaving just one or two games out there that still use it, and a whole load of people out of business as a result. There was too much being released without enough care and attention paid to make sure they were releasing quality product.
My fear is that this could happen to the self-publishing market. If writers don’t take it very seriously, if they don’t work every bit as hard as a publisher would, or even harder, to make sure that their work is high quality and released with professional production values, we could end up seeing a lot of authors releasing more and more books that’ll just sit on Amazon’s search results, not selling.
Hi Elizabeth .. what you’ve written here appears to make absolute sense – totally down to earth, pragmatic and practical …
I’d self-publish if I was putting out a book … cheers Hilary
Paul–Absolutely–everyone is different. It’s definitely tough to decide what to do.
And I can’t promise amazing income because it’s usually a slow-build kind of thing. But it’s like any purchase–there are excellent deals to be had with very professional folks–but you have to put in a lot of time in researching them. The investment, I really believe, is in time more than money. You can put together a very good team for a lot less than you’d think. I usually invest under $400 total. You can even hire more than one editor. Print…most folks go through CreateSpace now. I haven’t gotten that far, but it’s not an investment, I do know that.
The danger is being too impatient. And it’s a real danger. It’s a danger to the *writer*, because once readers decide you can’t write, it’s hard to win that trust back for future books. It’s almost the same situation as the traditional publisher not wanting anything to do with the author who didn’t sell well. Readers will want nothing to do with a books that are poorly written.
A very good example with the OGL. Reminds me of fan fic gone amok. Am sure there were some very good versions that were almost professionally done….and some really awful ones.
A difference here with fiction, and I’m not sure it *is* a difference, not being as familiar with the game industry, is that self-published books and traditionally published are selling side by side at the same retailer. Sometimes it’s very difficult to tell which are self-pubbed…sometimes. Mine are listed on my Amazon page with my Penguin-Random House books.
Discoverability will be an issue in the future–not just for writers who’ve written sub-par books, either. There easily could be good books that aren’t discovered by readers because of the mass of published works out there. In that case…I think we have to write more. After all, writing is what we love to do. As we write more, we improve, as with any activity. Short stories, non-fic, try other genres, try novellas….keep using the team of professionals to make sure we have a top-notch product. Right now, volume is one way to be discovered. In future, discoverability may change to: which writers have audio platforms as well as text? Which have employed new forms of transmedia in their books (music? video?) This will all change and we’ll have to watch and see how it changes.
Hilary–Thanks so much for coming by!
It’s the same for the gaming industry. The same retailers sell the big companies’ games as well as the independent products. But gamers get a feel for each game designer and they pay attention to the names on the covers.
Paul–So reputation matters a lot with gaming, too. I think brand/reputation is going to get more and more important.
Reputation is huge in gaming. There are a lot of excellent games out there that go ignored because the designers don’t have the clout of more established companies.
Kickstarter seems to be doing something to alleviate this, since it attracts people interested in product over brand identity.
I agree that brand and reputation are going to be increasingly important in the future. People don’t want to just read good books; they want to know that the author is a person they would like to support as well.
Lovely. Great reasoning.
I’m putting my head down and creating content. If I do it well, I’m going to have some support for the other parts. The publisher will step in with editing, printing, cover, title, distribution.
I’m still on the hook for the numbers, but that for me is better than being on the hook for BookProduction, LLC.
I’m content. I pull the cart. I’m glad the traditional route is still available.
As you say, its an individual decision. Why does one write? Obviously being read matters but does it matter enough to run Author, Inc. ? I’m hoping to have no input at all on cover or typeface or title or any of the rest. My blood is in the pages.
Now, marketing. I write fiction. I can lie well. That’s a start.
“I loved it better than ‘Cats.’ I want to read it again and again.” – O. Winfrey.
Paul–What you’re saying about readers wanting to ensure the author is someone they feel comfortable supporting–absolutely. We’ve heard over the years about some big-name authors who’ve espoused either odd beliefs or have had online rants (and suffered the consequencies.) I don’t think the author has to be everyone’s best friend, but I think the author has to act professional and be a good sport. Tough business, hard to do. We have to always take the high road with things like bad reviews and not do anything stupid like go off on politically-inspired tirades, or stuff like that. I think that’s all readers expect of us (at least I hope so, since my social skills are pretty rotten and Facebook and I don’t get along…ha!)
I think so too. Few people think “I’ll only support people who believe X,” but once you say something stupid or that seriously offends people, they will turn on you. People are, I believe, inherently decent. But we don’t like the idea of someone having success if we think they’ve done something they should be punished for.
This is such a tough question – thank you for taking it on, however reluctantly! I like how clearly and unemotionally you put the pro’s and con’s of each. I will bookmark this and come back. Right now, perhaps because of my age, I want a publisher and a book I can hold in my hand. That is the romantic in me I suppose. I still get a thrill when I see a book by someone I know that I can physically handle. so many layers to this … thanks Elizabeth.
Paul–Definitely. There’s one writer I can think of who has really turned off some readers by taking a surprising and vocal stance on a particular issue. Not advisable!
Margot–Yes, there’s a credibility factor…maybe, most importantly, to the author’s family and close friends. But this is starting to diminish, too. I’ve noticed acquaintances asking me if I’ve ever considered self-pub–I was surprised at how well-informed they were. Of course, I told them I’d been self-pubbing since late 2011. :)
Jan –I really think there may be an age-related link to this issue…as I mentioned, I include myself in that group. I wanted to see myself on shelves. Now I have, so I’m just as happy self-publishing!
Teresa–Yes, and that happens. I can say will confidence that if I got an offer on my self-pubbed books, I’d have to turn it down. I’m doing too well on my own!
I loved working with traditional publishers. But it’s one of those things where you have to look out for yourself because nobody else is going to look out for you!
I made the decision to self-publish after reading about so many New Adult authors being turned away by agents or editors but finding success (sales) once they went indie. I love bookstores, but for many the only way to get in is through a publisher, and what’s going on there is not inspiring much confidence.
I wanted a traditional publisher for the editorial and marketing services. However, I ended up finding a wonderful- and affordable editor and cover designer through other indies. While I would love help with marketing, what everyone has said is that if you’re not at a certain level, don’t expect much help from your house. The best marketing strategy, or so I’ve heard- is to keep turning out good work (and preferably as quickly as possible). That will help with discoverability more than anything else.
I don’t begrudge anyone who wants to go traditional and I don’t question the validity people feel they’ll only get from a publisher, but I’m very comfortable with my decision.
You had great timing with this post and thank you for it. I’m published by a small publisher for two books and am considering possibly self-publishing my third. I’m leaning in that direction for a couple of reasons – one to maintain more control, and two to earn more income from my writing. I’m a small fry compared to the big writers out there, but I love writing and the feedback I’ve been getting has all been positive. So yes, I agree – keep writing and keep getting better and don’t keep all your eggs in one basked. But as for discoverability? Sheesh! That’s a tough one. Between family, the day job and the writing, there’s not much time to market, so I have to be very selective with what I do and how I do it. It seems, in the end, the best thing to do is to get as much of your writing out there as possible – WHEN IT’S READY and not a minute sooner!
Deb–Oh my goodness. Marketing shouldn’t even be a consideration for choosing a traditional publisher. :) Didn’t even occur to me to put that in the post! Not for genre writers, not for midlist. Don’t even consider it. Now, if you consider product placement as part of marketing–okay, yes. But that’s only while there are open local bookstores. But *marketing*, in the usual sense of the word…that’s something the blockbusters get. I do my own marketing (pitiful though it is) for both my traditional and self-pubbed books. I believe you made the right choice (not that you need my validation for it!)
Deb–And as an added thought….I returned to Digital Book World’s author survey: http://www.digitalbookworld.com/2013/why-do-authors-choose-traditional-publishing-or-self-publishing/ and see that appears to be a main factor influencing writers to choose traditional presses. Oh my. I’m not trying to be mean to the publicity and marketing folks at the big pubs, but…no, there’s no real marketing. There are ARCs for the first book of the series (sometimes). There are review copies sent. These are things we can do ourselves. If you’re a midlist writer, marketing support should not even be a consideration for this decision. I think all the midlisters I know would back me up on this 100%.
For me this isn’t an opinion issue, it’s a personality issue. If you are comfortable with taking all the risks and doing all the work (or paying for it) and like having all the control, there is only one route, self publish.
If you want or need the expertise and services of the publishing company, go that route. Just be aware that if marketing is the big scary thing for you, you’ll be doing it no matter which route you take.
Perry–Yes, and good point. And decrease the stakes you have in the process by writing more books. If we have one book, the “book of our heart,” and we get paralyzed with indecision, there’s a good cure–write more books!
Jack–And that’s why we’re in such good shape as writers–we’re providing the content. Everybody needs the content, most of all. We don’t necessarily need an agent. We don’t necessarily need a publisher. But cover designers and editors and writers–we’re all in lovely shape. And so nice to have choices!
Writers lie for a living, for sure! :) Love your Winfrey blurb…ha!
This is SUCH an awesome post!! You always astound me. I agree with everything you said – though I admit I did not realize that about agents and publishers.
Lisa–Thanks! And yes–I’ve heard there is softening about dealing with authors directly. I negotiated my own contract even back in 2008. Again, we just have to check and make sure we know what we’re agreeing to, with a publisher contract. Blogs like Passive Voice: http://www.thepassivevoice.com/ do offer helpful information on phrases to watch out for in contracts. His tagged “contracts” topic is a good place to start: http://www.thepassivevoice.com/category/contracts/
Terri–Right now, you’ve nailed it. Discoverability hinges on having as many published works (good ones, obviously), as possible, running sales, and Amazon’s lovely “customers who purchased this book also purchased ____” algorithm. This will likely change in the future, but that’s what we’re working with now. I don’t have the time to market, either, so it’s limited to just my blogging, my Twitter links, and the times I drag myself to Facebook to post. :) Guest blogging at book blogs does seem to help sometimes, so that might be a possibility. But mainly…it’s just going to be the stuff I mentioned…volume, price, and whatever help Amazon can give us.
Excellent post Elizabeth, very wise words. I can understand your reluctance to comment on this debate, as may writers seem to get very defensive about their choice.
I don’t see the publishing world as traditional versus self. Both co-exist and you use the mode that suits the product. I set up my own publishing business to produce my kids books because I found approaching traditional publishers intimidating and I was burning with curiosity to learn all the steps to producing a book. I do still think distribution is an issue because although I promote well and sell well (or okay) online, I would love to see my print books in stores. I’ll continue with independently producing my books, except for a few I’m writing aimed at the school market, then I hope to work with publishers.
I love the way you finished off. I’d like to feel proud of the self-published market and wish writers would not rush to put their work out there. Take the time, hire professionals, treat it like a business. Wow, you’ve got my head spinning with thoughts now!
Elizabeth- I will happily take your validation :-) And FYI, it was a writer you featured here talking about her NA indie novel that really turned both of my feet in the indie direction.
Ultimately, it depends on the writer.
Some think it’s easy to just slap a book together, choose a cover, and toss it out into the world. There really is a lot more that goes behind the scenes with a traditional publisher. Want pre-publication reviews? Want experience in marketing and distribution, especially with print books? Want professional editing and a professional cover that doesn’t cost you money? Those are some of the things a publisher can offer.
Hi Elizabeth!
I’m so glad you tackled this topic. It’s something I debate about with EVERY project.
I’m a hybrid author, too. I’ve just signed a contract for my 3rd non-fiction book (trad), but I’m STILL publishing via Amazon/Kindle, as well.
I admit that one reason I DID sign this latest contract instead of self-pubbing was, indeed, distribution. My publisher is in the UK, and not only do they distribute to bookstores but ALSO myriad digital outlets (Nook, Kindle, etc.). You can’t do a book signing in a traditional bookstore unless it’s in the distribution channels, usually.
I’m writing a cozy mystery right now, and to be honest, I’m having second thoughts on querying an agent. I’ve heard through the grapevine (from a Penguin author) that two OTHER Penguin cozy mystery authors are cancelling their series/pulling out of their contracts because of weird language they’ve discovered prohibiting “cursing” in any of their other books. (I kid you not). They actually fear possibly legal ramifications in the future.
Now about approaching publishers/editors without an agent: are you saying that I could somehow approach Penguin or Kensington or some other publisher of mysteries…WITHOUT an agent? How would I begin to do that? Did I read correctly that that is what you did?
I appreciate your willingness to share your opinion!
Oh, and by the way: if you make more money self-publishing (and my friend who’s a trad pub. cozy mystery writer does, too)…why do you stay with Penguin? (If you don’t mind me asking.)
Great post. It’s giving me the inspiration to reframe my thinking. Thank you for the valuable specifics.
Deb–Oh good! Yes, that was an interesting post.
Diane–It definitely depends on the writer. And a new writer would be just fine going with a traditional publisher right now.
My only concern, just based on what I’ve observed, is the fact that traditional publishers haven’t displayed agility. They’re not agile enough to adapt to rapidly changing marketing needs, reader needs, etc. That will be their challenge moving into the future.
I’m not ready to go the self-published route. Really not ready, as in I wouldn’t know what to do and I have nothing to put out right now!
Alex–And that’s okay! I know you have other interests, too (music, etc.) Although I think you’d be fantastic at short stories. :) Maybe 2014?
Your post was very timely for me as I finish the last edits on my 3rd self-pub book. Age can be a factor in another way. I’m a freelancer in my early 60s, and frankly, the timeline for self-publishing is a lot more appealing than that of traditional. I worked a non-fiction project proposal through an educational publisher for nearly two years to have it die without a word of explanation–or even a reply to my emails or phone messages–from the editor I’d worked with for all of that time. If the project had gone through, it would be another two years before my book was printed and any royalties could be earned. I can live without that. I’m investing my time in more immediate returns on my efforts.
Fantastic insights! Thanks for sharing!
Charmaine–They do get defensive. And I think that’s because we’re all scared about making a mistake. As long as we’re not putting all our eggs in one basket, though, I just can’t see how we can make a mistake. Now if we just had *one book*, then maybe, sure. But if we’ve got more than one book, why not experiment?
It sounds as if you’re like me…I always did want a book in print at a bookshop. Now that I’ve got quite a few there now, though, I think I’m good. :)
It’s a small business. That’s what my accountant called it!
Janet—
No, bookstores usually just want trad. pub, trad. distributed, with returns. But I hate signings so much that I haven’t had one for at least 2 1/2 years!
I’ve never seen contract language like that, but the last contract I signed with Penguin has been about a year ago (for the 4th Memphis book.) I do know I’ve heard about unusual language in cozy contracts regarding competition…but not language. Although I certainly wouldn’t put it past any publisher to include it–it’s very, very important that we read through our contracts very carefully. Several Penguin cozy writers use quite a bit of language as well as some darker themes. I’ve written before, though, that I did stop using profanity in my cozies very abruptly–because of the reader emails I got. Started thinking, “Wow…I’ve never gotten an email *praising* my profanity!” So…purely from a dollars and cents perspective to increase readership…I stopped. Never in my contract, though. So “Pretty is,” “Del. and Sus.,” and “Finger Lickin'” have profanity, the rest don’t. I’d be shocked to see something like that in my contract.
I did contact Penguin directly as an unagented author, back in 2007–2008. I went directly into the slush pile of the editor that I had addressed in my query letter. That editor left for another publisher and my query ended up in the slush pile of a *different* editor there. :) That editor contacted me directly. By the time they had a contract for me, I was agented. I know they would *prefer* to deal with an agent, I know they *assumed* I had an agent, but I’ve never heard that I *had* to have an agent. I know writers like Kris Rusch don’t use agents at all anymore.
I don’t mind the question at all. :) I signed multi-book contracts stretching out to 2014 with Penguin a couple of years ago. If my series continue and they ask for more books in the series, I’ll sign even farther out…because of the readers.
Leslie–Thanks for coming by!
Wright Writer–I think even younger writers would find the self-publishing schedule a lot more appealing. I write so many books that by the time I turn in a book in one series, when it finally releases I need a refresher on what the plot was about! Sad, but true. I’ll have written 3-4 books in the interim.
That’s a terrible experience you had. I haven’t heard any cozy writers with similar stories, but I’ve certainly *heard* stories like yours. The editor had probably heard the project was going to be axed and didn’t want to hash it out with you. That’s not good. I’ve had the pleasure of working with some fantastic editors…but yes, there was one who wasn’t as communicative as the others. It did make life difficult!
Susan–Thanks for coming by. And, by the way, don’t think I’ve mentioned it to you before, but my son loves your Mindjack series. :)
I am rabidly vehemently outspokenly in favor of self/indie publishing.
I don’t see validity in a single one of the reasons people think traditional publishing will help. Not distribution, not money (hah!), not editing, none of it.
The authors I know who know what a traditional deal means but still want it, want exactly one thing: the feeling of approval from being picked.
I could write an entire book about why that’s wrong wrong wrong but I’ll not clutter this thread with my diatribe.
Joel–You know, it’s just a real hot-button issue. Lots of near-religious fervor attached to it.
And you’ve nailed the primary reason writers are interested in traditional publishing–validation. I think it results from many writers’ deep rooted insecurity. I’ve often wondered if the other arts experience it to the degree writers do. And, if not, why writers are so afflicted with it.
Elizabeth,
How do you feel about going straight to e-publishing and just publish work on Kindle and other e-platforms without ever having an actual physical book? Provided of course that the material is still professionally edited.
Thanks!
Anna
OMG, Elizabeth, this was such a cool post. I can see from the comments that it struck a chord with other writers as well. Me and my writing buddies have been chatting back and forth about it. Thanks for your wisdom. We know it’s your opinion based on the current climate, but still, that’s such a huge help.
Anna–Thanks for coming by. Actually, that’s what I’ve done…my self-published books are only available in digital form (it was just a time-constraint on me at the time to explore print.)
That’s worked out fine for me…except for a couple of things. One is that I hear from readers once every month or two that they’re disappointed that they can’t read my books in print. It’s for them that I’ll soon go through CreateSpace. I do frequently tend to have older readers, so I believe that’s one reason. Another reason I’m planning on having a print edition is that it does make the digital edition look like a bargain in comparison with the print price. Other than those two reasons (and mostly because of the readers who have contacted me), I’ve been very happy for about a year and a half as a digital-only self-pub writer.
Julie–Thanks! Hope it helps. I know it’s something we’ve all been thinking and reading a lot about.
Elizabeth, one reason authors seem to suffer from validation yearnings more than other artists is because there’s a traditional body of validators: traditional publishing. (At least, that’s how they’re often viewed.)
Consider painting, songwriting, dance, so many of the arts: is there an obvious rubicon, a line which separates success from, well, not succeeding?
If you can say “Penguing or Wiley picked up my new book” then bingo, you’re a “real” author. But who decides who is a real dancer, a real painter, a real singer?
Sometimes it’s not about what’s easy or hard to DO, it’s about what’s easy or hard to MEASURE. Many authors think it’s easy to measure whether or not they’re good by whether or not they get a traditional publishing deal.
For Anna and others who wonder about skipping print: certainly, go digital first, because your digital book is almost the last step before your print book. But once it’s digital, take the next step and get it formatted for print. Use print on demand, at CreateSpace or Lightning Source.
There’s no reason to shut out a large market of folks (like me) who don’t buy digital books.
I’ve got a foot in each world. I’d like to have an agent (although I did have one but fired him), but I also agree with you about self-pubbing. E-books are pretty easy to create and get online. And I think they’ll become more popular than print books, eventually.
Joel–For the other arts, it’s definitely the audience/buyers who determine success. You’re right–that’s where we’re heading. Readers are the best measure for whether we’re hitting our mark or not, as writers. They’re the only ones who’ve ever really mattered–to the traditional pubs, too.
Yes, there’s definitely a market for print books still. CreateSpace is on my to-do list.
Helen–They’re just incredibly convenient. I think it’s the convenience factor that will end up being key.
Thanks so much for answering my nosy questions, Elizabeth! :o)
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