Pick Your Poison: Publishing
In the wild world of fiction publishing, arguably the most important choice writers make is how they publish. When everyone has an opinion on which one you should choose, it’s important to consider all options and determine which is the best fit for your story, financials, and priorities.
As I love to do, I recently polled our IG followers about their publishing histories and plans. You’ll see the charts of those results spread throughout the post.
The Options
Traditional publishing is what many readers think of when they think of publishing a book. Traditional publishing conventionally means that a book is published by one of the Big Five established publishing houses.
Small/indie press publishing means that a book is published by a smaller publishing house than and/or not one of the Big Five publishers.
Self-publishing means that a book is published and distributed by the author.
How do you publish?
Traditional Publishing
In case you need a reminder, the Big Five publishers are:
Penguin/Random House
Hachette Book Group
Harper Collins
Simon and Schuster
Macmillan
Pros and Cons of Traditional Publishing
Pros:
Support, connections, and expertise of industry experts
Validation and name recognition of the publisher
No overhead for book production
Wide reach for book distribution
Cons:
Potential limits on creative control
Industry professionals (cover designers, editors, etc.) are chosen by the publisher
Lower royalty percentage than self-publishing
Slow and long process
Potential for contracts containing unfavorable terms
Querying may be exhausting, disappointing, and time-consuming
Small/Indie Press Publishing
While the term “indie publishing” is sometimes used to mean self-publishing, the two methods are distinctly different. A small or independent publisher is any publishing house that has an annual turnover of under $50 million, or that publishes 10 or fewer books per year.
Unlike the Big Five, there are hundreds of small presses with various submission guidelines. Here is a roundup of some for your consideration!
Pros and Cons of Small Press Publishing
Pros
May accept submissions from writers without agents
Authors may have more control over the publishing process
Increased publisher transparency compared to the Big Five
Smaller presses may be more open to contract negotiation
May be more willing to take on risky or controversial books
Smaller presses may have niche readers or be focused on specific genres
Cons
Smaller (or no) advances than those offered by the Big Five
Potential limited distribution
Indie press staff may be overstretched or inexperienced
Limits to marketing and publicity budgets/reach
Potential for contracts containing unfavorable terms
Have you considered small/indie press publishing?
Self-Publishing
Since print-on-demand began in the late ‘90s, self-publishing has seen a huge boom among authors. Thanks to POD, books are only printed after their purchased so authors don’t have to bear the burden of printing more than they’ll sell.
Pros and Cons of Self-Publishing
Pros
Complete creative control
Higher royalty percentage than traditional or small press publishing
Quick turnaround times allow for authors to rapid-release books
Authors retain complete ownership of book’s content in all forms
Cons
Authors are responsible for all production costs
Authors are solely responsible for marketing
In some circles, self-publishing remains stigmatized
Self-published books are commonly absent from physical bookstores
As an author, what was most important when deciding on your publishing method?
Closing Thoughts
I’m not a publisher. My only personal experience is with self-publishing. But if I can give you any tiny nuggets of advice, it’s below:
Remember that you can pick different publishing methods for different books or different seasons of your life.
You can always change your mind.
Choose whatever is right for you.
That’s all for now! Drop us a note about how you’ve decided to publish and why.
