When considering publishing a book, it can be tricky (and exhausting) to wade through all of the options. Should you self publish or pursue a contract with a traditional publisher? As I shared in my article, How to Publish Your Own Book, I have personal experience with traditional publishing as well as the Amazon self publishing platform, called Kindle Direct Publishing.
In this post I’ll weigh some of the pros and cons of choosing Amazon self publishing vs. traditional publishing. I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences in the comments!
Before I go any further, don’t miss these free printable checklists on the pros and cons of self publishing versus traditional publishing:
Amazon Self Publishing
Even within the realm of self publishing, there are countless possibilities. One option is to create a free account at Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing, upload your own work, and announce it to the world. Voila. For no monetary cost at all, you could be published.
Or, if you’re anything like me and you aren’t super confident about your tech skills, you could hire someone with more experience to take care of the interior formatting, cover design, etc. and get it all set up on Amazon for you.
If this is your route of choice, there is a vast array of companies willing and available to assist, for a fee. Fees can range from $99 for basic services, to well over $3,000 for a more comprehensive package.
If you are considering Amazon self publishing, I highly recommend an e-course from Fistbump Media called 30 Days to SelfPub: How to Take Charge of Your Publishing Goals as a great place to start.
Click here for more details about the course.
Pros and Cons of Amazon Self Publishing
Here are a few of the pros and cons of self publishing. Again, please feel free chip in your thoughts and experiences in the comments at the end of this post.
Pros of self publishing:
– Author maintains control of content, title, and cover design of book
– Author does not give up any “rights” to an outside party
– Author keeps a higher percentage of royalties
Cons of self publishing:
– Author may choose to pay up front costs before earning any royalties (such as hiring professionals to edit manuscript, design cover, format interior layout, market book, etc.)
– All responsibilities fall on author; author has to do all the “donkey work” of getting the book out there
– Author assesses quality and marketability of own work; does not always have prior stamp of approval from a professional team
– Marketing is limited to author’s resources; no large company assisting in this area
– Possible limited access to bookstores
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Traditional Publishing
The world of traditional publishing is changing by the day, and I’m certainly no expert. I do know that very few publishing companies will accept work from anyone but a literary agent, and it’s tough to break into this very competitive market.
Pros of Traditional Publishing:
– Most publishing houses add clout to the final product
– Author has a team of professionals to collaborate and make the final product the best it can be
– Little to no upfront costs for author; possibility of an advance in royalties
– Greater access to bookstores and distribution channels
Cons of Traditional Publishing:
– Very difficult to land a contract
– Authors often lose control over content, title, and cover design
– Lower royalties
– Marketing assistance is diminishing over time
That’s a brief summary of what I’ve come up with so far … What’s your opinion?
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Kate, love this article.
Pinned in a couple places!
Have a wonderful Christmas!
Thanks, Kate. This seems to sum it up well. Another thing to consider is that if you self-publish your first book and it doesn’t sell well, that may be a red flag for traditional publishers if you seek publication later. Even if the self-published book is high quality, and even if the reason it didn’t sell is because you’re not the best marketer, low sales for a first book doesn’t bode well for breaking into the traditional publishing world with a second book. Perhaps self-publishing is a viable option only if you already have a huge following and/or never plan on going the traditional route. I’d like to know your thoughts on this.
Thanks so much for sharing those insights, Laura! Yes, I have heard that same concern expressed by others in the past, and I think it’s definitely a valid consideration. On the flip side, however, I’ve also heard that publishers may see a completed self-published book as a good sign, particularly that the author is capable of following through on a project and producing a completed body of work. I also know of a number of authors who self-published and then had those same books picked up by traditional publishers, who then bought the rights. So I suppose it can go either way! I would advise people to keep seeking the advice and input from others and choose a path. If a person decides to pursue traditional publishing first and continues to come up against closed doors, perhaps they could then go the self-publishing route. Or someone might see the many obstacles involved with traditional publishing and the lower royalties and decide to start with self-publishing as a way of practicing the craft, producing the work, and potential gaining a readership. So many pros and cons with each option! 🙂 May the Lord guide you as you consider with path to take first.
This was very helpful, Kate. Do you think it makes a difference if the self-published work is fiction or non-fiction? Any statistics on that?
I appreciate your tips. My husband self-published several books. His best results came through using create space. I will check out Amazon’s product. Thank you! I shared on Twitter.
Do you have any advice for someone who Self published their first book, it was quite successful, and is now being approached by a publishers? I’m worried that I will give away creative control in order to sell more copies. I don’t want to sell my soul to the devil! But I would love to sell a lot more than 3000 copies if they are putting some serious advertising dollars behind it.