BY: IAN SCHRAUTH
Staff Writer
I have been writing books since I was a freshman in high school and published my first book as a junior in 2014. I attempted to query many literary agents, but 99% of my query letters were rejected without anyone requesting the manuscript. Only one agent requested the manuscript and then rejected it. This constant stream of rejections was discouraging, but it led me to discover self-publishing, and I ultimately chose to self-publish my debut title, Powers in a Teenage Witch.
Since then, I have started a publishing company and written 10 other books. Two of those books became bestsellers. However, I have not been represented by a literary agent during this entire 11-year period. This experience has shaped my understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of self-publishing versus traditional publishing.
There are several reasons why self-publishing can be more beneficial than traditional publishing. First, self-publishing gives you much more control over your story. When you work with a literary agent, the agent must review and edit your book before pitching it to publishers. Then, the publishing house will do their own round of edits. As a result, your book can go through multiple rounds of editing and changes that may alter the story, characters, or style. In contrast, self-publishing allows you to maintain full creative control. You can choose your own editors, decide what stays in your book, and what gets cut. This ability to preserve your vision as the author is one of the key benefits of self-publishing.
Second, the timeline in self-publishing is far quicker. As a self-published author, you set the release date for your book. Whether you want to release it tomorrow, in a month, or a year from now, the decision is in your hands. Traditional publishing, on the other hand, often comes with a lengthy timeline. After signing a contract, your book’s release date can be set a year or more in the future. Even if your book is ready to be published, it will take time to go through the publishing process, including editing, design, marketing, and production. For authors eager to get their work out quickly, this slow timeline can be a major drawback.
Another reason why self-publishing can be advantageous is the financial aspect. With traditional publishing, authors typically receive their royalties, which can be a small percentage of the book’s sale price, every 6 months or so. The publisher handles production costs, but they also take a significant cut of the profits. In contrast, self-publishing authors retain a larger portion of the book’s revenue, which is paid out every 1-2 months. Self-published authors handle everything from editing to cover design, and while these costs are upfront, they have the potential to earn a greater return on investment.
Moreover, self-publishing allows for greater flexibility in marketing. Traditional publishers have specific channels they use to market their author’s books. While this might provide some exposure, self-published authors are not bound by these restrictions. They can market their books in a way that aligns with their personal brand, utilizing social media, blogs, and other non-traditional methods that may reach different or more specific audiences. This freedom to experiment with marketing strategies is a key advantage of self-publishing. If you’re large enough of an author, you also have leverage to gain traditional publishing distribution while being self-published. This has been the case for the authors of the Zodiac Academy Series by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti, and the Cat and Mouse Duet by H. D. Carlton.
While traditional publishing may still work for some, self-publishing offers flexibility, control, and the potential for a faster and more lucrative path to success. The rise of self-publishing has empowered authors to take charge of their careers, allowing them to reach audiences directly without relying on the gatekeepers of the traditional publishing world. This shift is not just a trend, but a fundamental change in the way books are created, marketed, and consumed.
