self publishing? or traditional publishing company?

[Naomi]

I want to publish a book, but I don't know if I should self publish, or go for a traditional publishing company. If I want to make a lot of money, is self publishing the way to go since I get most of the profits compared to if I went with a traditional publishing company (even though I know I'll have to invest a lot of money it self publishing). But then again, I could get more distribution with a traditional publisher D: what do I do??

[Ruby]

Self publishing is hard because you won't get much publicity and thus not many customers. Through a publishing company and agent your book will get out there for the public eye, IF a publishing company will take it.

[luck_of_tyche]

This is one of the toughest questions a writer has to ask themselves when they're ready to start looking at publication. With traditional publishing, if the publisher decides to take you on, you get an advance, and access to tools that are a little harder to find as an indie. Additionally, you get the legitimizing aspect that comes hand in hand with seeing your book in print through traditional companies. With indie publishing, you have complete control over the end product, from the words themselves to the cover art, distribution, profit percentage, and pricing. The trade off is that you have to find and pay for your own content and line editors, cover artist, and distribution if you make physical print copies available. You also have something of an up-hill battle against the (often well-deserved) stigma associated with indie publishing, which is still trying to find solid footing against traditional publishers in a sea of books often written by people with little to no grasp of storytelling or grammar.

With all of that, it can make a traditional publisher seem especially appealing, but whether you go the indie route or the traditional route, odds are you'll be doing most of the promotion yourself. Publishers are more favorable toward authors who prove they can bring in and maintain an audience, so if you have social network accounts such as Twitter and Facebook, using them to increase public awareness of you is something you'll need to do whether you have an agent and publisher, or if you've done it all yourself. Publishers also look favorably on (and often recommend) authors having their own blogs, so there's another element of self-promotion identical regardless of the route you take. For everything a traditional publisher offers you -- assignment of editors, physical distribution --, unless you make it onto the list of authors they consider to be more than middle tier, you're going to be doing most of the marketing yourself.

Traditional publishers also have a set price for book sales; whether it's a physical copy or in downloadable format, readers are asked to pay $9.99. Publishers argue that it's the same book, and the same amount of time and effort went into writing it, so consumers should pay the same amount for it. Consumers reasonably argue that there's no cost of printing, no shipping, and no distribution to cut into profits, so logically the price shouldn't be the same. As an indie author, you have complete control over what you charge people for your work, whether you follow the traditional model, or not, it's all your choice.

Either option has its pros and cons, and each is scary for different reasons. I've gone indie myself. With ILS House, I'm creating a small press Indie publisher so other writers can have some of the benefits of both worlds -- editors, cover artists, and help with marketing, a unique ISBN and distribution included without losing creative control or profits. I feel that if more people do the same, we'll be able to make the choice between self- and traditional publishing a lot easier.

Whatever you do, do not look to self publish with any outfit that charges you to do so. The cost of self publishing comes from hiring editors and artists to help you make the finished product. It should cost you nothing to actually publish.

Smashwords.com is probably your best option if you go the self publishing route. They convert your text files into a wide variety of e-reader formats, and with inclusion in their Premium Catalogue, they make your story available to Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Apple iStores, and more for absolutely no cost. The ISBN metadata states Smashwords.com to be the official publisher, but they provide the ISBN for free.

If you go traditional, research agents to find someone accepting submissions who specializes in whatever genre you write to increase the odds you'll be accepted, and that they'll offer you the best representation. A good agent will find you the right publishers, and is paid from the sales you make, so your success is in their best interest.