How to Publish?

It's one of the most common answers you will hear people aspiring to be published authors ask. How should I go about publishing my book? The good news is that there are more options now than there have ever been in the past. The two main options are Traditional Publication (through a publishing house), and Self-Publication. I'm going to break down some of the pros and cons of each, and then at the end of this blog, I will tell you the decision I made for myself and my reasons for doing so.

Let's start with Traditional Publishing, shall we?
Pros:
1. Your publishing house is taking on all of the financial risks of publication. If your book doesn't sell a single copy, they are out the money, not you.
2. A publishing house will pay you an advance on your work. This is guaranteed money. For a first-time author, it is not likely to be very much, but something is always better than nothing. Note that your book will not earn royalties until they have earned out their advance.
3. The publishing house provides professional services, such as editing, formatting, printing, supplying cover art, and distribution.
4. Traditionally published books typically have an easier time getting into physical bookstores. 

Cons:
1. Many publishing houses will not accept submissions unless an author is represented by a literary agent. This is an additional barrier to entry, since first, you have to find an agent willing to represent you. Having an agent is no guarantee of acceptance, and if you do sign a deal, the agent will be taking a cut of your profits.
2. The publishing house makes all significant decisions in regards to your work. They choose cover art. They choose the release date. They can even change your title if they want. If you are the type of person that likes to be in control, this will likely be frustrating.
3. This con applies mainly to new authors. It is a popular misconception that a publishing house will handle all of your marketing for you. Publishing houses have minimal marketing budgets, and most of these go to their best-sellers. They will give you a push in the right direction, but most of the marketing burden will fall on you.
4. Your publisher can choose to take your book out of publication at their discretion. 
5. Publishers only accept so many submissions each year. They accept based on what they think will sell. You could have an absolute masterpiece, but it could be rejected due to not being in the hot genre of the moment.

Now on to Self Publication
Pros: 
1. You are in total, 100% control. (If this kind of thing scares you, I guess you might consider this one a con). You pick your cover, and your title, and your release date, and everything else.
2. Royalties tend to be higher. Publishing houses have a lot of people they have to pay to make your book become a reality, and that money has to come from somewhere. 
3. There are no barriers to entry. Anybody can self publish a book. That being said, you owe it to your potential readers, and to yourself to ensure you are putting your best possible work out there. 
4. You are truly your own boss. In the end, you get to decide what is or is not right for you and your work.

Cons:
1. You are assuming all of the financial risks. Cover art? You're paying for it. Editing? Nobody is doing it for free. 
2. There is no upfront money. If your book does not sell well, you don't have an advance check to dance all the way to the bank with. 
3. There is a lot to learn about the world of publishing. Don't know the difference between a developmental edit, a copy edit, and a proofread? You better start doing your research. If you don't know how to format the interior of a novel, you better learn, or be prepared to pay up for somebody that does. How about an ISBN? If you don't know what that is, you're going to need to learn.
4. Self-published books have a harder time getting into physical bookstores. It's not impossible, but it's harder, and that's the truth of the matter. Bookstores prefer to buy from established publishing houses with whom they already have relationships and experience.
5. Some readers are skeptical of self-published books. You know how I said there are no barriers to entry? That has resulted in many unfinished, unprofessional products being sent out into the world. Is it fair that you are painted with the same brush? No, but there will be people that do it no matter what.

This is by no means an all-inclusive list of every pro and con, but I hope it is enough to give you at least a broad idea. There are many factors to consider while making this decision, and it will be personal to each writer. Nobody can tell you the right option for you. If you have questions, leave a comment, and maybe I will write up another blog on this subject in the future.

So which option did I decide? I've gone back and forth with this over time, but have concluded that I will be self-publishing my first book. My reasons are relatively straightforward. I want to be the one that makes the major decisions. I've spent too much time and poured too much of myself into this project to entrust it to anybody else, no matter how qualified. In the end, if it's a flop, I have nobody to blame but myself, and I'm comfortable with that.

Make sure to check back regularly or follow me on Facebook or Instagram to see future blog posts. I plan on documenting a lot of the process over the next year, so if you are on the fence about which publishing option is right for you, maybe it will help. Have a great weekend, everyone!

~Pete

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