In The Demons' Head # 18:
Self Publishing vs. Traditional Publishing
May 1, 2012
Hello everyone and a
bright and shinny welcome to the Month of May. If your like me your
asking yourself, where in the hell did the beginning of 2012 go?
We're almost already half of the way through the year, it's been
crazy to say the least. I myself have been busy getting together
“More Then Memories” and I bet that you've done the same with
your own works, and that's what I wanted to talk to you about today,
what to do once your revisions and edits are done the question is
where to go next.
That's ideally the
question that I posed to everyone a few days ago, and I'm here today
to answer just that, what's the situation when Traditional Publishing
goes head to head with self published.
Let's start with the field
that everyone knows, Traditional Publishing.
Traditional
Publishers
As most everyone knows if
you have your book published by a traditional publisher such as
Penguin Publishing, Random House, or any number of other publishers,
it means that they take on all the responsibilities of Publishing
your work, but what are some of the pros and cons for this method?
Pros
- Traditional Publishers cover the cost for all the publishing fee
- Some Publishers will handle promotional things and cost
- Publishers will handle all the design issues
- You have a better chance of reaching a wider fan base due to increased distribution channels
Cons
- The wait time for publication is relatively longer and you likely don't get to choose publish dates
- While Publishers may handle some design issues, there's a chance that you have absolutely nothing to do with designing.
- Royality Rates aren't that great, and for most companies only come twice a year
- Depending on the company you may be placed on a back burner depending on your star power and fan base
Traditional
publishers can be a great idea for the beginning author, though there
are certain situations that you may find yourself in where a
traditional publishers won't apply. If you have a great idea that you
feel would be amazing but can't find a publisher that will pick up
the idea then self publishing is a great idea for you. If you want
some information on self publishing check below.
Self Publishing
Self Publishing is, as the name suggest, the art of
where the author becomes the publisher. Self Publishing is almost a
complete opposite end of the spectrum of Traditional Publishing.
Let's take a look at the pros and cons of Self Publishing below.
Pros
- Complete Design, Marketing and distribution control. You are the boss everything is in your control
- Royalty Rates are higher and for at least e-book publishers, the royalty checks roll in every month as opposed to twice a year.
- You can set the release dates for all of your works. If you want a special Halloween release lets say, then it would be possible.
Cons
- Not as much of a distribution market
- You have to pay for everything from design artist and publishing cost
- Promotional abilities are limited due to having to pay for and organize everything
Self Publishing is a great idea for someone who is
looking to just get their work out there. It can also be a great idea
for someone who has an established fan base and the right backing for
their book.
Final
Thoughts
I didn't cover all of the pros and cons that each
publishing type can bring. Each style of publishing can fit different
types of people. It all depends on the type of style that you
personally want your book to fit into. Everything also hinges to some
degree on if you can get a traditional publisher if you decide to go
that way. My situation is the prime example of that. I intend to try
to get a traditional publisher for my book “More then Memories”
yet with it being a short story and poetry collection from a
repetitively unknown author, this could be difficult, so I may resort
to the Self Publishing route, it's all about what talent and to some
degree of luck you have to get the stuff in print.
I hope you've enjoyed my comparison of Self Publishing
and Traditional Publishing, if there are some pros and cons that I
missed please feel free to leave those and any other comments at the
bottom here.
You can also subscribe to the In The Demons' Head by
filling in your email above or following the blog.
Until the next time you want to take a trip through the gates of hell and into the Demons' Head, I'm Kyle Robinson wishing you a safe trip back to the surface.
PS: This is a call to any and all writers, I'd like to
start doing interviews with one author a month, a simple spotlight
that asks about your writing and things. If I can get the people who
are interested to do it then I'd love to do it once a month as a side
piece away from what's already done. If you are interested click here
and drop me a line with the subject: Writer Interviews
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