Artwork by Tom Torre (@CopernicusNerd)
By Laura Zats
Indie publishing is a very exciting development of the modern age. For the first time ever, writers have an economically feasible option to put out their own work rather than being forced to choose traditional means. And every day, independent authors are pulling away from the past stereotype that indie publishing is just for the sad, bad writers who aren’t good enough to land an agent and a book deal. There are tons of great books being put out by authors, and the reason why is because indie publishing has some AMAZEBALLS benefits:
- You get more creative control (read: 100% control)
- It’s quicker to produce
- You get ALL of the profits
For people working in the traditional sector of the industry, indie publishing is a completely different route to getting your book out there. And yes, some of us say will say that traditional is “better” (whatever that means) than indie, the fact of the matter is that they both a) get your book out there, and b) get you money.
Unless you’re E.L. James, you can’t switch between indie and traditional with the same work (traditional editors just view it as a lazy, down-and-dirty way to make some money while waiting). So think hard and choose wisely about what route you want to go. To have high indie sales you need to be a lot savvier in marketing than you normally would need to be. But to go the traditional route, you often need the patience of a stone statue. Think about your content (can it wait two years to be printed?). Think about your vehicle (print vs. digital). Think about the value of your time versus your own monetary investment.
I have enjoyed these posts very much. This one is particularly interesting.
Many writers salivate over the money to be made by self-publishing. However, there’s a sidebar seldom discussed: poor self-publishing numbers can hurt an author who hopes to springboard into traditional publishing one day.
It’s good advice to “think hard and choose wisely about what route you want to go”.
[…] in the literary world. Because ebooks are doing their darndest to take over regularly printed books, indie publishing has grown as a method for getting your work out there. Additionally, many publishers and agencies […]