Don’t expect me to give a definitive answer to the question above. Choosing a publication model is a matter of making a personal and educated decision based on your goals as a writer and your assessment of how to best invest your time and resources. I happen to be a big fan of independent publishing, but I don’t think it’s the best option for everyone. Not everyone has what it takes to publish independently. Some have what it takes but find that independent publishing is counterproductive for them. Others think they don’t have what it takes but find out that they do and that independent publishing is truly their best option. There is no quick and easy way to answer the question of whether or not independent publishing is right for you, but it’s a question I think every author should ask. These next two blog posts are my attempt to give you the basic information you need to answer the above question for yourself.
Here in part one of the discussion, I offer a look at the purpose of publishing, the process of publishing, and the cost of publishing. If after reading this post you think independent publishing might be the right choice for you, you’ll want to stay tuned to this blog for part two, a discussion of how your motives can lead you to success or failure as an independent publisher.
You’ll notice that I’m using the term independent publishing and not self-publishing. These terms are interchangeable, but I prefer independent publishing because I feel it better captures the essence of what you are doing when you opt to take on all the duties of a publisher on behalf of your own writing. Also, the term independent publishing offers a departure from the thought that all self-publishing is vanity publishing. An independently published author with a keen business sense and devotion to the craft of writing is usually not publishing for vanity’s sake.
The purpose of publishing
Publishing isn’t an end—it’s a means. That’s worth repeating. Publishing isn’t an end—it’s a means. One common misconception you might hold onto as a new author is that once your book has been published through the traditional model, you have reached the finish line. You are now a successful author, a fact validated by the publishing company’s logo printed on the spine of a hot-off-the press book sporting your name. There is reason to take delight in being traditionally published. Someone liked your writing enough to find it sellable and worthy of funding. However, this ego boost fades quickly if your book fails to connect with an audience. This is because the purpose of publishing is not to create a book (or even an e-book) out of your writing; it’s to connect your writing with an audience.
There is no such thing as a publishing company that reaches all audiences. Some can reach large audiences, but none can reach them all. There a plenty of great manuscripts out there being rejected each day because the publishing companies reviewing these manuscripts know they won’t be able to effectively market them to an audience. As an author, you can spend years searching for a publishing company that reaches your audience only to find no such company exists. To illustrate what I’m talking about, I offer the following hypothetical situation.
Two authors living in the same small town each wrote excellent books about the town. Author A wrote a brief history of the small town in an attempt to preserve the town’s history. Author B wrote a historical fiction story set in the town’s founding days. Author A’s book would be of interest mostly to people who live in or have lived in the town and also to a handful of outsiders interested in small-town histories. Author A has a pretty narrow audience. Author B’s book will appeal to residents of the town, but her book will also appeal to numerous historical fiction readers throughout the country. Which author do you think stands a better chance of finding a publishing company that will reach her audience? Author B, of course. Author A has limited options (if any) for companies that cater to her audience. Since Author A most likely knows just about everyone who will want to read her book, she would likely find more success as an independently published author than as a traditionally published author. Author B, however, may find it more difficult to connect with her audience. She could benefit from working with a traditional publisher who already has an established connection to historical fiction readers. (Don’t get hung up on the size of these two authors’ audiences. Your ability to connect with your audience has little to do with its size. It could be that Author B is a well known reviewer of historical fiction books who has an established following online. She has already earned her audience’s attention. Without a doubt, she could find great success through independent publishing.)
Once you have in mind that the purpose of publishing is to connect your writing to an audience, you have the first piece of information you need to decide if independent publishing is right for you. At this point, you must ask yourself if you feel confident in your ability to directly connect to your audience. If your answer is no, take a step back and ask yourself why. Are you unclear about who makes up your audience? Then go no further until you figure that out. Regardless of what model you choose, you need to have an idea of who your audience is. One of the first things a traditional publishing company will ask all authors is who they think makes up the audience for a book. Authors who can’t give them an answer are almost guaranteed a rejection letter. Before getting too far down the road, figure out who your audience is. Once you have that figured out, ask yourself if you can effectively connect your writing to this group of people.
The process of publishing
Starting in September, I will closely examine each stage of the publishing process, including how you can go about finding help at each stage. For now, I just want to point out that the process of publishing is the same no matter which model you choose. All books must go through the stages of editing, design, and production (printing). In addition, all books must be marketed and distributed. The one part of the process that is optional is selling the book, but that has little to do with the model you choose. If an author or publishing company plans to give a book away for free, it still must be edited, designed, produced, marketed, and distributed. (For those of you considering electronic publishing, know that the only part of the process that changes drastically for e-books is production. Your book will still go through a production process, but that process won’t involve printing.)
Independent publishers must take their books through the entire process, which can be daunting. There are myriad ways to walk through these steps, but it boils down to this: you cannot do it alone. Publishing is always best approached as a team effort. As an independent publisher, you are responsible for assembling your team. It’s up to you to find your editor, designer, printer, and so on. It’s also up to you to decide how big a part each of these people will play in the process. I highly recommend contracting freelance professionals to do as much of the work as your budget allows, but I know budgets are limited. Since you have no choice but to guide your manuscript through every part of the process, it’s important that you have a plan for how much you’re willing to invest in each stage. You can’t skip steps, but you can find ways to make each step affordable. Just know that you get what you pay for. And if there is one thing independent publishers should have ingrained in their minds it’s that editing is the highest priority. Readers will forgive a so-so book design if the content is great. Readers will not forgive a well-designed book that is incomprehensible.
The cost of publishing
Publishing a book costs money. Very few editors, book designers, printers, marketers, and distributors will work for free. And who pays the upfront cost for all of this? You do. However, it’s readers who pay the ultimate bill. Yes, that’s right, it’s ultimately readers who will pay for the production of your book. Every book sale pays for a portion of the cost of producing your book. This is where the risks come into play for independent publishers. If not enough copies of the book are sold to cover the cost of production, you lose that part of your initial investment. This is the reality of book publishing.
Traditional publishing offers a way to reduce the risks, but it still costs you. When your book is acquired by a traditional publisher, you are essentially entering into a business agreement with the company. In exchange for the right to publish and sell your book, a publisher agrees to cover the initial cost of production and guide your book through the process. This reduces your financial risk as the author, but it also limits you. Since you’re not footing the bill, you don’t get to pick your editor or book designer. You also have little say in how the publisher markets your book (if the publisher does much marketing at all). This partnership also cuts into your profit margin. Because you are now splitting your profits with your publisher, your cut won’t be as big. I don’t say that as a bad thing, but it is something to consider. If your publisher is able to sell thousands more copies of your book than you could on your own, that’s good for you. However, if you know you can outsell a traditional publisher, your initial risk as an independent publisher can quickly turn to reward.
Basically, you have to think about which exchange is best for you. Do you want to pay cash upfront in exchange for greater control of the final product and more money in your pocket from profits or do you want to give up both control of the final product and a hefty chunk of the profits to lower your initial investment?
What comes next?
You probably have enough information at this point to at least know if independent publishing is a viable model for your book. But don’t make your move just yet. In part two of this discussion, I ask you to do a motivation check. Why? Because without an honest evaluation of your motives, it’s possible to do everything right when it come to the production of your book and still fail as an independent publisher. Check out that post here.
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Vinnie Kinsella is a publishing professional living in the Pacific Northwest. He offers an array of publishing-related services, including publication consultation and project management for self-published authors, editing, and document design. More information about Vinnie’s services can be found at vinniekinsella.com.
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