Answering Reader Questions

Should I self-publish or try to get my book traditionally published?

This question is asked by nearly every author I work with, and with updates to the publishing industry and the massive amount of misinformation out there, I thought to reshare some pros and cons to self-publishing and debunk a couple myths shared with me.

Hearing from multiple authors, the two most common reasons given in favor of self-publishing:

1. “You might as well self-publish because you’ll have to market your own book anyway, since publishers don’t market books anymore.”
2. “If you self-publish first, it’s more likely a traditional publisher will then pick up your book.”

False and false!

Let’s start with myth number one, as noted above.

Every traditional publisher markets the books they publish. Each book acquired gets an allotted marketing budget. Every publisher is vested in you and your work, and they want you and your work to succeed. However, smaller presses may rely heavily on author self-promotion. But for all publishers, the more self-promotion an author offers can lead to a larger marketing budget. I have also seen publishers add more to the marketing budget when promotions lead to more opportunities, such as additional author copies for direct promotions, or choosing to feature the author at annual industry conferences, such as American Library Association’s conferences or the National Book Festival.

While publishers have PR and marketing teams to work with authors on self-promotion, have no doubt, every author remains their own best PR Rep, something I emphasize to all of my author clients. How to self-promote is another topic for another article, but plenty of suggestions are available by searching online; “best author self-promotion strategies.” And how you self-promote depends on many factors, including figuring out which practices work best for you.

As for myth number two…

It is possible that a self-published book will gain the attention of a traditional publisher, but it is certainly not likely—it’s actually exceedingly rare. In fact, many traditional publishers will not accept the submission of a manuscript that has already been self-published, particularly if it is not selling well. Rarely will publishers pick up a self-published title, but if it does happen, the book needs to sell a minimum of copies in the first year before publishers will even consider it. The amount depends per publisher, but at least 4000 copies in the first year, based on personal experience and in interviewing editors.

If a book is acquired by a traditional publisher, the traditionally published version is edited, revised, and updated. "Publishers want to make the new version a little different, so it stands out, be it adding features or redoing portions," says HarperCollins Christian Publishing Senior Editor, Jacque Alberta. A publishing house will also re-edit the book and are likely to ask for some revisions.

Though traditional publishing takes time, homework, patience and perseverance, to be clear, by acquiring you as an author, a publisher is taking a risk and will do their part to help make you and your book a success.

Hybrid-Partnership Publishing Models

I know authors who have made self-publishing work well for them; however, as I say to anyone who asks me, I recommend the self-publishing/hybrid route only if you fully understand the book creation process and are able and willing to engage in social media, marketing, distribution, and fulfillment.

A book published by a hybrid publisher is still a self-published book. Authors pay for certain services, including a set number of edits, cover design, interior layout, promotions and distributions, offered as part of a publisher’s package.

To be clear, these packages are very enticing and look very promising. Despite the marketing and distribution packages, the author is responsible for the bulk of the marketing. Also, any additional changes not outlined on the initial deal will cost extra, for example, if you were to add another round of editing, or perhaps get an endorsement you would like to add to the existing, designed cover. Also in any hybrid contract, make sure you retain all copyright to the written work and/or illustrations. Read the fine print carefully.

“Is the book available on Ingram?” (Not to be confused with Ingram Spark, which is the hybrid arm of Ingram.) Ingram Content Group serves as the major distributor of books ordered by bookstores and other retailers that sell books. Authors should clarify with a hybrid publisher as to whether or not the book will be made available on Ingram.

In the big picture, self-publishing does offer complete creative control for the author. However, many authors do not realize the amount of work traditional publishers put into a book before it goes to press, going through an average of three (or more) editors, in addition to the acquiring editor. Depending on an assessment of your manuscript’s condition, tiers of editing might include any combination of structural edit, developmental edit, line edit, and copyedit. The manuscript then typically goes to layout and cover design before getting a proofread and prepress quality-assurance check. And the PR and marketing teams read each book, develop a marketing plan and help write and finalize the book’s internal flap and back copy.

It pains me deeply to see self-published books with errors on the back cover information.

Kim Childress is an award-winning editor and author of hundreds of books for children and adults, including Find Your Future in Art. She is a product developer in children’s publishing, book editor for Girls’ Life magazine since its 1994 debut, and former middle-grade acquisitions editor for HarperCollins (Zondervan). She has maintained a successful career while raising a personal focus group of four children through diapers, doctors, broken bones, college, and plagues. Learn more about Kim and follow her adventures at ChildressInk.com and Ink-a-Dink.com. You can purchase her workshops at penconeditors.com, including on editing middle-grade and YA fiction and nonfiction, creating books of excellence for young readers, How a Book is Made from Start to Finish, and Trends and Opportunities in Fiction and Nonfiction Picture Books. Find these and more workshops from editors of excellence at penconeditors.com.