Lots of people want to write books. And today lots of people can—with the advent of self-publishing. So what’s the difference between getting published the old (traditional) way, and the new (self-published) way? Here’s a quick run-down.
Traditional publishing involves getting a contract from a traditional publishing house (think Zondervan, Tyndale, Baker, Harvest House, Thomas Nelson and lots more). The publisher hires and pays the author to write the book. Authors typically get paid up-front in the form of an advance, then they’re paid in royalties after the book sells enough copies to earn out the advance. Traditional publishers generally provide editing, marketing, sales and distribution support. Authors are still responsible for helping promote the book, but the publisher usually leads the effort. Because publishing houses invest in and vet their authors, it is more difficult to obtain a traditional publishing deal than it is to self-publish.
Self publishing involves publishing a book on your own without obtaining a contract from a traditional publisher. This means you are responsible for your own editing and production, unless you hire someone to help. Many self-publishing companies are available to hire for assistance with editing, marketing, printing and more, but in this case the author pays the publisher to produce the book. Self-publishing can run the gamut from highly expensive (costing an author tens of thousands of dollars) to practically free (on Amazon’s platform, Kindle Direct Publishing). However, self-published authors typically take home greater profits from each book sale than traditionally published authors.
Most publishing companies offer either traditional or self-publishing services, not both. There are pros and cons to each option, and those may largely depend on the author’s preferences or goals.
Personally, I enjoy publishing through a traditional publisher with the help of an agent. I find traditional publishing offers the credibility and expert guidance I need to be most successful. I also like the idea of a guaranteed payment up front. Essentially, my publishers pay me to write the book, not the other way around. And I appreciate having a team of experts standing behind my book when it comes time to promote it to potential buyers.
However, many people choose to self-publish in order to overcome high barriers to entry (traditional publishers often require a substantial built-in audience or expert writing skills) or to maintain total creative control. And some authors just prefer knowing profits will go directly into their pockets rather than the publisher’s.
In the end, each writer must make the decision that’s right for them. If you are interested in traditional publishing, I have a unique opportunity coming up that you won’t want to miss. It’s called Book Proposal Bootcamp, an innovative training program that can help make your book dream a reality. More news will be coming on that next week; meanwhile, check out the details here.
And if your goal is to self-publish, I can help with idea development, editing and more. Contact me at becky {at} beckykopitzke {dot} com for more information.
Remember—we’re all in this writing thing together, with one common goal: to create great content that moves people. Such a worthwhile pursuit!
Write on,
Becky
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