Traditional or Self Publishing? That Is the Question...

I have found myself asking this question recently, perhaps it's because I have been talking to illustrators, cover artists, and editors, people who routinely are hired by the Traditional Publisher to do these tasks for you. And as I ponder the expenses and the process of becoming published, I have to wonder what is going to be the best route? Traditional or Self?

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First, let's just assume we will get published- regardless of the route, becoming a published author is within our grasp.

Second, let's define traditional v. self publishing. When I'm talking about traditional publishing, I'm talking about the route of having a publishing company offer to produce your book. I won't get into the nitty gritty, but in the most basic sense this involves submitting queries, possibly getting an agent, negotiating a contract,  and earning between 5-15% royalties on each book sold. Boom. This process can take literally years to accomplish (something that is hard to stomach in a world of instant gratification), but is the route that nearly all authors took up to recent history.

Self publishing, however, is where you glean the control and therefore all of the accountability of your books production. There are many "self-publishing companies" (here's one selfpublishing.com) that make an arm and a leg producing your book. These companies can cost the author anywhere from $1500 to $10,000 and though your book will indeed be printed, most stores will never see them because they get lost in the sea-of-books-that-never-make-it-to-the-surface. These companies will edit, illustrate, and print your book.

Then there is what I consider self-publishing in the context of this article, having our own hands in the pot with every step of the way. WE write the best manuscript we can, WE have a test audience read it, WE hire a editor to professionally critique and proofread it, WE hire our cover artist and/or illustrator, WE format it for eBooks and print, WE set the price, WE are in complete control over every step in the process, and we earn a lot more for each sale- up to 70%! Plus, our out of pocket costs are generally less because we can shop around for the services we hire out, something that is important for those that are just starting out.

But is it worth going through a traditional publisher when we can do much of what they do without waiting for them to come around? Great question.

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I think, and not to totally wimp out of offering any real advice here, but it really depends. It depends on how patient we are. It does take a lot of effort and time to query publishers or to win an agent. It takes thick skin to persevere in the face of rejection letters, and there's sacrifice, less control over editing, design- even the title can be changed. Plus we earn less money from every book sold. When the downsides are spelled out, it's no wonder that more and more authors are leaving the traditional publishing world with many others going straight to self-publishing.

But, if you do have what it takes to live through the process of getting a traditional publisher to notice your manuscript, then it has a better chance of ending up on the shelf at your local Barnes and Noble. Though, a self-published eBook can easily be sold for the Nook, it takes more to get a space in a brick and mortar shop.  Some people may also argue that marketing is easier or better from a traditional publisher. However, I have heard that this is not necessarily the case. Most successful authors will report that they didn't wait for the publisher to market them, they stepped in and did it themselves.

But being published traditionally doesn't mean that you're going to be a success, that takes an indeterminable combination of things such as a good book, great word-of-mouth marketing, and a whole lotta' luck. There's no shortage of advice out there, but what works for one author may not work for another. Some of it is being a well informed entrepreneur who makes good choices along the way, some of it is just timing, being at the right place with the right story. The right answer isn't always the first one we pick. Through experience we will learn what works for us.

If you have a burning desire to be traditionally published, then do it right. Do your homework and find out how the process works, and don't give up easily. If you know that you want to give self-publishing a try, then again- do it the right way. Get your manuscript edited professionally, be choosy about your cover art (we do judge a book by its cover by the way), pay attention even after your book is available- like how pricing affects your sales.

Some people will advise that it's better to start with self-publishing to have real sales to show a traditional publisher that you're a good investment. Others will say the exact opposite, to start with a traditional publisher then, if you want to self-publish, you have a fan base ready to buy your books. Yet others stay consistently either traditionally or self-published. People have been successful in all these ways, and not. 

If we accept that we will not be successful overnight, and that even with a lot of research, we understand we still have a lot to learn, we just may find the right niche for what we have to offer the world. In the end, it is a personal preference and something that we are allowed to decide for ourselves. There is more than one way to skin a cat.

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Self Publishing and the eBook: How Credible Is It?

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As an author, the allure of self publishing is definitely a draw. Higher royalties, no need for agents, no threats of rejection, and complete control (for better or worse) of your marketing and production. With the proper approach, it can be a way to launch us into a successful career as an Author- capital A.

Howsoever, for those of us that strive to write to the best of our ability, that aren't in it just for the money (not that we'd turn it down), and are honestly in love with writing, it's bound to get tricky. With so many "get rich quick" scammers and writers that purposely put out trash just hoping to ride the wave, the legitimacy of using eBook self-publishing stands to take a hit as consumers are burned. How many terrible books that don't entertain, educate, or have horrible editing can one take? If time and money is wasted on downloads, how many will a person buy before they begin to think that they have been duped and turn again to only the big names of traditional publishing. Probably not many.

How do we get them to take a chance on OUR book? What can we do or say to help keep the odds in our favor? I don't know all the answers.

My instinct tells me that if we write for QUALITY and not quantity, this issue will self-resolve. We build and utilize our networks from the moment that we make ourselves accountable as writers. We take responsibility for what we produce by making sure that the story is cohesive, that the information is accurate, and that it's readable and understandable. No cutting corners.

But, this may just be preaching to the choir. If you're reading this, you obviously care enough to wonder if self-publishing is right for you, which means that you're not just looking to make a quick buck. How do we combat those that take this Golden Age of authoring and flush it down the toilet? Sure, eBooks are here to stay, but how do we ensure that our opportunities as self-published authors aren't tainted?

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Excuses are like...

It's 4:10 AM, time to wake up. That's what my husband's alarm said this morning via the sound of shrill bells. Silly me, last night I thought it sounded like a good idea to get up and work on the book before the rest of the world joined me, and Ryan is good at making me follow through on my goals...too good.

Though I didn't get a lot of time to myself before a bad dream wrenched my 7 year old out of bed for the day (at 5:20 a.m!), I am choosing to be grateful that I made any progress at all. Look at the bright side, I could have just sat on Facebook or Twitter for my entire writing period, or even worse (or better?) I could have slept until 6 a.m. like usual.

Lately, I've found it difficult to make progress as I should. I haven't failed any goals, mostly because I haven't made any, but I have gone from writing every day to writing three times a week. I've gone from being willing to write anytime, anywhere, on anything, to demanding a computer. I've even gone so far as to require absolute silence and focus to write, something that as a mother of three, I'm rarely afforded...like never. So what happens? I didn't write for a couple of weeks. Then, when I began again, I only did so when I could take a break away from the house for a few hours- how realistic is that on a long-term basis...I'll tell you. It's NOT. This is part of a downward spiral of excuse making, and potentially something that would tear apart my ambitions. I'D BECOME A WRITING DIVA! Not in the awesome way, in the "nothing is good enough" way.

Then I was gifted a Kindle book called "Are You There Blog? It's Me Author" by my pal, Liz Shulte (who is a fantastic writer, check out her books on Amazon!), which I began reading right away since I need all the help I can get. Not 20% into the book, I got totally busted. The author gave three sample excuses for not writing and not taking ownership. Guess what? I got 2 out of 3, but unlike it was for Meatloaf, 2 out of 3 is really bad! Those two were 1) I'd write more if I had a better computer, and 2) I'd write more if I had more uninterrupted time. Oh, man. That hurt. I was totally pegged.

My computer, which has always been a bit of a lug anyway, died for the umpteenth time a couple of months ago. We've attempted to resurrect it countless times; it has more lives than our cat. But it flat lined again and I lost my will to keep trying, leaving us with only a teensy, tiny netbook left for all household computer needs. *gasp* I wanted to buy one, REALLY BAD, a nice new one, one that doesn't threaten to die on a daily basis making me backup my work every other minute, just in case. But, we're purchasing a home, so we are saving like crazy...not a good time for a major purchase. Frustrations mounting, I created excuse #1.

As you may already know from my profile, I have 3 young and very spirited children. They adorable, they're sweet, they're my pride and joy, and they're NOISY! They rampage around, playing with the dog, chasing the cat, eating everything, asking for drinks, wanting to draw, paint, make things out of clay, play guns, play video games, run outside, fight, cry, tattle, jump, hug, kiss, wrestle, talk, sing, scream...rarely do they sit still and never are they quiet. Quiet means trouble.

Though when the story hit me initially, nothing could derail my tenacity to make words appear on paper, but over time, when I had to work harder to make the story progress, get through writer's block, come up with problems, solutions, character development, etc...every giggle, every tap on my shoulder was a force strong enough to derail my train of thought, which had gone from being a Shinkansen (Japanese bullet train) to a rambling toy train half chewed by the dog. Why bother writing at home at all? I didn't. I wrote when I could leave and go to my favorite writing place...a certain coffee shop called the Inner Bean, which I could do only Tuesday and Thursday, because that's when they stayed open long enough for me to get there after my husband got home from work and I could escape. Wow, two days a week...regardless of the fact that I did get a lot more done during those times, my 2 year old would be in middle school before I could get this book published at that rate. Thus I beget excuse #2.

Forget the fact that we're moving (excuse #3). Forget the fact that movers are coming tomorrow. Forget that I need a new computer. Forget that I need work space and time. Life is messy and it will never be in a place that makes you slow down enough to take a breath, stretch out and say "Ahhhhh...now I can do this." If I wait for that, I'll always be a writer that doesn't write, an author that never publishes. It's the only way I can be a failure.

So, I've made some changes.
- I'm going to make myself goals. I can't reach goals if I don't make them.
- I'm going to create deadlines.
- I'm going to get up early or stay up late, whatever it takes to find the time to write for a little bit at least 6 days per week.
- I'm going to make a plan to get a new computer, but in the meantime, I will work with whatever resources I have available. I will use the netbook, I will find a library, I will get out my pen if I have to.
- I'm going to keep a positive outlook and not allow life's curve balls to take me out.

So, for all those writers out there that fall victim to the "I would write more if..." thoughts, for anyone who thinks that the perfect moment to reach your goals will present itself naturally, WAKE UP! If you don't take accountability for your future, if you don't grab your excuses by the gullet and squeeze the breath out of them, they'll keep you down forever.

Remember, excuses are like Today. You've got one. What you do with it is up to you.

Have a great day. NO EXCUSES!

I'm NORMAL?

You heard it here folks, I'm normal. Those aren't usually the words that I use to describe myself, though increasingly I realize that if something pleases the rest of humanity, ie McDonald's french fries, it will probably appeal to me as well. But that's not what I mean...

Over the past few weeks, I've had a hard time moving forward on the book. Mostly, I blame this sudden change on the fact that my attention has been diverted to moving forward in general- trying to buy a house in a new city, new state, and all the joy and logistical planning that goes into moving a family of 5 within the military. Yikes.

However, it's not all just about the move, though it came at a somewhat convienent time to get the bulk of the blame. I have just reached a point in the story that I knew was coming...the writer's block. (cue dreaded suspense music) I'm in an awkward position between knowing where I was and knowing where I want to be, and now, I have to write myself out of it.

Thankfully, inspiration is seeping into my brain by hearing the wise words of someone more experienced tell me that this is normal. NORMAL. I'm so excited. In the legendary words of Cpt. Jason Nesmith, "Never give up, never surrender."

I love that there is no wrong way to do this. I love that no matter how much trouble I have, the issues are not insurmountable, and I love that hundreds - nay- thousands of writers before me have walked this path. The only thing that I can do to mess this up is not to do it at all.