Traditional vs. Self-Publishing—Which One is Best for You?

By Colleen M. Story

Have you wondered whether traditional or self-publishing is best for you?

My latest novel, The Beached Ones, releases this summer with CamCat Books. This marks my third traditionally published novel.

I’ve also self-published three nonfiction books for writers.

That means right now, at this stage in my writing career, I’ve published an equal number of books each way.

So which is best?

Below, I discuss good things about each, from my experience.

3 Pros of Traditional Publishing

1. Recognition

As a traditionally published author, you’ll get a certain level of recognition for your accomplishment. Even though we’ve come a long way with self-publishing, many readers, reviewers, libraries, and bookstores will have more confidence that a traditionally published book will be of high quality.

It is difficult—and has only gotten more difficult over the years—to get a traditional publishing contract. Publishing companies are finding it harder to make a profit today than they did many years ago. That means there are only so many slots each house has to fill, and the competition for those slots is insane.

Should you get one of those slots, you will enjoy the recognition that comes with that. This can be helpful in many ways.

• Libraries and bookstores will see you as more “legitimate” and may be more inclined to buy copies of your book.
• You may find it easier to gain entrance as a guest onto some podcasts or video interviews because of your traditional publishing credits. This can help you more easily market yourself as an author.
• You can use the achievement to bolster your career in other ways. If you want to coach other writers, speak at conferences, or provide writing programs, for example, the fact that you’ve been traditionally published can help establish you as an authority.
• It plain feels good and helps boost your confidence.
• Many other writers and readers will respect your achievement.

2. The Publisher Makes the Investment

If you’ve ever self-published a book, you know that the investment it takes to get a quality book to market can be significant.

You have to pay for the editing, copyediting, and proofreading yourself, as well as the cover design, interior design, ISBN (if you choose to use one), and the like. If you want to do an audiobook, you’re likely to invest even more.

Though some authors do well with a limited budget, it can take $1,500–$5,000 or more to self-publish a good book, particularly if you invest in a few rounds of quality editing. (By far the most expensive part of the process.)

A traditional publisher will take on this investment for you. You don’t have to spend a penny on editing, cover design, interior design, or audio production. With a good publisher, you won’t have to pay for entry into many of the biggest book awards contests, either, such as the Ben Franklin or Foreword Book Awards.

In general, a traditional publishing contract takes most of the financial burden of publishing off your shoulders, and that’s no small thing.

3. The Editing Process is Often Top Notch

Yes, you can and should hire editors for your self-published book, and yes, you can find some great ones. But if you traditionally publish, you’re likely to gain access to some of the best editors in the business, and that is wonderful for your progression as a writer.

I loved the editing process of my latest novel, The Beached Ones. It was the best of any I’ve enjoyed so far. It helped me make the story as good as it could be while also giving me some valuable wisdom I can apply to my next novel.

The Pros of Self-Publishing

Now let’s look at some of the great things about self-publishing.

1. You Have Control

This is the best part of self-publishing. Decisions that are often left up to the publisher—such as what the cover will look like, what offers to put in the back of the book, and when the book will release—are up to you when you self-publish. If you love the graphic design or like to plan out your marketing according to your schedule, you will enjoy this part of the process.

Plus you have control over how many books you release per year. If you’re a prolific writer, this can help you gain traction on the market faster than you would traditionally publishing.

2. You Can See the Results

One thing that frustrates me with traditional publishing is that I can’t see the sales numbers in real-time. That means I don’t know if a marketing effort worked very well or not.

When you self-publish, you can check your sales numbers at any time. That means you can run a special, advertise, publish a guest post, put out a video, etc., and immediately see the results. That can help inform your future marketing efforts.

3. You Own the Rights

When you self-publish, you own the rights to your book. That means you can change it, update it, put on a new cover, or do anything else you like with it at any time.

When you traditionally publish a book, the publishing company takes the rights for a certain amount of time. It’s up to them and the term of your contract when you get those rights returned. Often, it’s years into the future.

That means if you want to change the cover—because maybe it wasn’t as effective as you thought it would be—you can’t. Not until the rights revert to you.

In summary, I have enjoyed both types of publishing and I plan to continue as a hybrid author. What methods you choose will be up to you, but you don’t have to limit yourself. In today’s publishing world, there are many paths to success and you get to forge your own.