In today's book publishing world, getting your stories in the hands of readers has never been easier. A quick google search will reveal dozens of online publishers eager to produce your works. But with so many options, which path do you take?
Finding the right fit all depends on you and the type story you want to tell. If you want to print some nice cookbooks to sell to family and friends, self-published would be the way to go. If you're looking for something a little more substantial but without the barriers of traditional publishing, becoming an independent author is probably the route for you. If you've done research on self-published versus indie author before, you've likely seen them grouped together as one. An opposing option to traditional publishing. That also carries with it the stigma of amateur versus professional. But let me tell you the big differences in them and you be the judge.
I am an independent author, having published a series of fiction novels through my publisher Breakpoint Publishing. When I first started writing, I started out self-published. That was... and experience to say the least. Anytime you first begin something, there are going to be hurdles to climb. You're not going to get everything right the first time, as much as we would all like to think that we can. But that's okay. It's all part of learning and honing your craft.
Before I go into the differences between Indie and Self-Published, I want to talk about traditional. The "professional" approach if you will. In traditional publishing, it's all about business. There are several rungs to a ladder that all want a piece of the pie you've painstakingly made. Excuse the double metaphor, but it was fitting. In traditional publishing you first must go through an agent. That person acts as your mediator, passing your manuscript along to the publishing house.
If you're an established author, you've probably formed a good relationship with your agent. When you're starting out, you don't have that to lean on. Your first step, then, is to find an agent. You pass your manuscript along, hoping that one of them will think it's good enough to present to the next level, the next rung on the ladder. It's also at this time you may begin to form a relationship with a good editor who begins to clean up your manuscript.
Once you've established that connection with an agent, they will then pass it along to different publishers in hopes that they will accept it. With the rise of indie authors, traditional publishing houses are stricter when it comes to accepting works, especially from unknown authors. The competition is fierce, so if you want to be traditionally published, you have to make sure your work outshines the rest solely on its content.
If you happen to be one of the lucky ones who manages to climb that ladder, the end results are nice. You get the publishing contracts, the advance on book sales, marketing campaigns, and write-ups in newspapers. The trade-off is that once you've made it, you've also sacrificed creative control of your work. Your publisher can dictate cover art, content, design, etc.
That's the advantage of being an indie or a self-published author. Full creative control is in your hands. You have the power to make your book what you want it to be and take it as far as you want it to go. The downside is that everything falls on your shoulders. The weight of that falls even harder on indie authors.
To understand the difference between and indie author and a self-published author, think of it as either a business or a hobby. If you're looking at writing as a fun, leisurely activity, you want to be a self-published author. Self-publishing is streamlined. You write your words down on paper and send them to the printer. You can create your own cover art or use one of the hundreds of templates available. You can do this because it's okay if it's not quite perfect. You're not setting out to be the next Stephen King or J.K. Rowling. Writing is your hobby, so your only concern is getting it in the hands of readers.
Another big plus to self-publishing is its cost effective. Self-publishing is cheap or in most cases free to start. Just submit your manuscript and you’re ready to sell. The printers and retailers just take a percentage of your royalties. It’s really that simple.
If you’re looking for that more polished, professional look and feel, that’s where being an indie author comes in. As an independent, you are your own publisher. That means you purchase ISBN numbers. You create your own marketing platforms. You hire your own editor. It’s costly, but you gain all the things you get from traditional publishers without the hassle of searching for acceptance.
I mentioned those three things for a reason. They’re vital to the success of an indie author. Purchasing your own ISBN numbers gives you freedom to spread your work out to multiple printers, whether that be print-on-demand, bulk printing, etc. Most retailers won’t sell self-published books in stores where retail space is limited. But as an indie author, it’s not a guarantee, but there is a chance you can find your book on the shelf of your favorite bookstore.
Marketing is another big contribution to make. So many authors write great works and yet they go largely undiscovered. Why? Because no one had heard of them. Word of mouth is a great advertising tool. It’s free and effective, but it’s slow. Very slow. Imagine, if you will, trying to light a fire where one stick acts as a match to the next and so on. Assuming everything is lined up just right, it will get there, but it will only get so far. Marketing acts as an accelerant. Social media, email, websites, blogs, all of these things help propel your message forward and get your work in front of more readers.
The final and biggest contribution to make is hiring an editor. Having an editor is critical to the success of your work. It’s that second pair of eyes to read through it. While you may think you have said something clearly, you know what you’re trying to say. An editor will tweak it just enough to make it better. In my self-publishing days, I used to forgo the editor. The work that was produced while I thought was fantastic, turned out to be very rough. An editor will polish out those rough spots making your work seem much more professional and build your credibility with your readers. Having inconsistent work or works full of typos will push readers away. If you want to be a professional author, the best way to do that is to build a fan base
. Hire an editor, your readers will thank you.
If you’re willing to put in a lot of hard work and treat becoming an author as a profession, go for the independent author route. If you still want that “professional” seal, take your manuscript to an agent and push through the rejection letters. Don’t be discouraged. Let the make you better. But if what you want is to just write without the worries or the hassles that come along with it, self-publishing is the route for you.