Self-publishing or traditional publishing which one is the better?

1. 60

   Sundaymomentsposted 10 years ago

   Self-publishing or traditional publishing which one is the better?
   
   Is getting a contract by a publishing house still the best way to publish or is Self-Publishing the way to publish your book. I have heard that self-publishing is the way to successfully publish now days but it just seems like it is a lot of work for an inexperienced marketer, what do you think and can you give any quality marketing suggestions?

   replyreport
2. 91

   lisavollrathposted 10 years ago

   After having my first few books published by a small arts and crafts publishing company, I opted to self publish. Since I worked in publishing for a couple of years, I knew how to lay out my own books, edit my own photos, and do my own cover artwork.
   
   Self-publishing is like anything else you do online: you can't just put it out there, and expect people to find it. You have to have a way to market your books. I have an email list of people who want to hear from me whenever I have something new for sale, and a blog, and a Facebook page, and a Twitter account. Between those, I can sell a few copies, but nothing like I would if I had a publisher behind me.
   
   I would say that if you do self-publish, set your expectations very low, and, unless you have a large following already, be prepared to sell very few copies. Even if you have a large following, it takes just as much time and energy to market your book as it did to write it and get it published. Any comp or promotional copies that you send out to have reviewed will be on your dime. It's a lot of work, for what may be a very small return!

   replyreport
3. 0

   sheilamyersposted 10 years ago

   It depends on the time and effort you have to put into it. Traditional publishing most often means years of searching for the right agent, but in the end, the agent and publisher will do a lot of the marketing for you. There's also the advantage of having your books placed in brick and mortar bookstores where a lot of people may find it easier. Self-publishing will get your book ready in very little time, but then you must do all of the advertising so people know your book is in print (or ebook).
   
   I still haven't mastered the marketing angle and am only happy to have at least a few people read my books.

   replyreport
4. 71

   dashingscorpioposted 10 years ago

   It depends on the author, subject, and the contract being considered.
   Many self-published authors are now calling themselves Authorpreneurs. Essentially they operate like a business.
   Marketing for a (new author) is going to be a challenge whether one self-publishes or has a traditional publisher. Unless you have a super literary agent who can sell your book to one of the powerhouse publishers odds are you are going to have to pitch in when it comes to marketing your book.
   A good place to start is getting some positive (editorial reviews) from well respected sources, offer to speak at book clubs/events, sign up for email alerts on radiogueslist.com, write blogs/articles which feature your bio and the name of your book, join various LinkedIn writer's groups, Meetup.com.
   If your subject is within the self-help genre you could write a proposal and present it to the Continuing Education department for your school district. You would teach a 2 hour class around your book's topic and charge each student a "material fee" which is actually the purchase of your book.
   If you're not so much as the "go getter" type then you might consider hiring a BOOK publicist for a couple of months who specializes in books in your genre. This however can cost you anywhere from $500 - $8000 per month depending on the services you desire. Some will submit multiple press releases and provide you with a list of inquiries they receive from newspapers, magazines, radio stations, and any TV shows who are interested in getting a copy of your book for review or to possibly interview. You would then contact them and send out your book as well as follow up. Other services offered would involve the publicist scheduling interviews (for you) and mailing books on your behalf.
   However you probably should not invest in a publicist unless you have some noteworthy reviews. I wrote an article awhile back for self-help/how to genre authors looking for ways to earn additional money while promoting their book. Best wishes!  http://dashingscorpio.hubpages.com/hub/ … g-services

   replyreport
5. 85

   Marisa Wrightposted 10 years ago

   It is almost impossible to get publishing houses to even LOOK at your manuscript without an agent, so you need to get an agent first. 
   
   Self-publishing is the easy route because you just do it.  No one is going to stop you!   Just bear in mind that a "best seller" in the self-publishing world is a book that sells more than 100 copies.
   
   You will not get the book into bookstores, and very few people will be willing to pay the postage on a book by an unknown author.  So it will be a case of selling it out of your car boot and hawking it round your local bookstores.
   
   You can offer it for sale on Amazon using Createspace, but the cost is going to be higher than a High Street bookstore so that will also discourage people.
   
   Look at publishing it as an ebook through Booktango as well.

   replyreport
   1. 71

      dashingscorpioposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      CreateSpace is a good suggestion for someone incline to self-publish and Amazon Kindle also has ebook publishing as well. A few best sellers originated as self-published "50 Shades of Grey" was picked later by a publisher. It's lottery odds though

      replyreport