Writing - Self Publishing VS Traditional Publishing. Which do you prefer and why?

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Writing a book? Looking to publish? Then the question of whether you should self publish or publish traditionally with an agent has probably crossed your mind more than a few times as you're editing your work. Well, as a somewhat experienced author, I thought I'd give you some pointers on both. Publishing with an agent: 1. Writing a query letter This is basically a pitch. You've got to hook your agent in in a maximum of usually two pages (not including a preview of your book if they ask for one). In these letters, you include who you are, your book (genre, synopsis, main points) and your plans for your story (standalone, series, etc). Be sure to look up examples online. 2. Getting an agent BE CAREFUL. If an agent asks for money up front, RUN. Agents are paid from a percentage of your contract with your publisher, anywhere from 5 - 15%. To find an agent, look up literary agents online for your particular genre. DO NOT send any genre to any agent. If it is not a genre they are looking for, chances are, your email won't even be opened. 3. Losing your rights This is the hardest part for every author. When you sign on that dotted line, you're signing away your story for a set pay out. You no longer have any rights yto your story, title, characters, or anything related. It now belongs to your publisher. Which also means they can change what they please. They can remove characters all together, change the title, genre, and anything else within the binds of your contract. So make sure you're reading the fine print! 4. Marketing Many people like the appeal of marketing with traditional publishing. Because for the most part, you're not doing any work. It falls on the publisher. You've already been paid, so why do you care, right? The publisher, having spent all that money, usually does everything in their power to make sure your book sells well. Self-Publishing: 1. Free control, keep your rights When you self-publish, you have full control over your work. Forever. You can make changes at any time, usually have a good control of your pricing, which you can change, create new covers, etc. Unless of course you get an agent somewhere down the line. Yes, just because you self-publish now, doesn't mean that SAME book can't be picked up by an agent later. Know the movie MARTIAN? That started out as a self-published book before it blew up. Success is very much still possible. 2. Deadlines There are none - unless you set up pre-orders. If you have a bad writing month, don't worry about it. Pick up again when you can and get your book out there on your time. 3. Marketing Now this is the hard part. Marketing when self-published costs money, and so does editing. The most effective marketing, that is. But more times than not, it pays off, and you can see the results almost instantly. I would suggest social media, and paying for book promotions on websites (I will post a list of the best and why at another date). It takes a lot of time and effort, but you'll know that it was you and your hard work alone that made you a success. As you probably don't know (but could guess), I'm a published novelist ( jazjohnson.com )I chose to self publish for a number of reasons, which I'm happy to share. 1. Effort & Community I very much like being a part of my success. Not that traditional publishing doesn't take a heck of a lot of work, because it does. But it's just not as hands-on once you sign that contract. I love seeing the results when I try a new marketing plan, or being able to connect with my readers an the indie (indie author) community. we learn from one another, and help each other grow. Many authors just go under the radar in terms of community when publishing traditionally. To too many, it stops at payday. Then the book becomes the publisher's problem. 2. Best of both worlds When publishing with an agent, you can never get those rights back if you want to self publish later down the line. But if you self-publish first, you can always make a name for yourself first before passing the torch. 3. Free control I mentioned it earlier. I love being able to beat to my own drum, make my own deadlines, and be able to constantly come back to my work for edits (typos, covers, etc). It just works for me not to have a deadline unless I set it myself with a pre-order. I like being allowed to have off days without the pressure of losing a contract. And most importantly, I like keeping my rights - at the very least, to start out (Publishers are less likely to change your work if it has become popular on its own first - readers will know the differences). Alright, here's a quick recap. Traditional Publishing: 1. Query letter (Pitch) 2. Contract, loss of rights 3. Free Marketing 4. Upfront payment instead of monthly royalties 5. Can't switch to self-publishing Self-Publishing 1. Keep rights, free control 2. Paid marketing/editing 3. Indie Community 4. Can switch to traditional Are you looking to publish a book? If so, which are you thinking of doing, and why? What advantages and disadvantages do you find with both? Is there anything you can add to what I've said? Do you agree? Disagree? Why?