Why Do Writers Choose Self-Publishing Over Traditonal, and Vice Versa?
I ran two one-day polls on Twitter. In one, I asked those who will choose or have chosen to self-publish why they mainly decided to do so. Self-publishing (or indie publishing) means to the formatting, cover art, editing, marketing, and distribution without a publisher's assistance, though one can use outlets like Amazon's KDP (e-books) and CreateSpace (physical books). I did the same for those who have or would like to traditionally publish, which means potentially having a literary agent and ultimately landing a publisher.
Here are the results for self-publishing:
Ultimately, despite the heavier workload, indie authors enjoy possessing the most creative control, and on platforms such as Amazon, pricing a book within a certain range allows the author to receive 70% of the profit, which is considerably more of a percentage than if one has an agent and publisher, though the trade-off is less access to bookstores, some contests, and some reviewers, as well as less exposure to readers overall depending on one's marketing strategy. Indie works also carry stigma and the assumption of being less edited than a work vetted by agents and editors.
However, some works, especially niche/"out" genres or illustrated stories, have trouble finding publishers willing to risk producing them. While agents and editors love books and are passionate about them, they often sadly cannot take on projects they do like or consider quality because they are unsure how to sell them because the potential readership is so small. Self-publishing ensures the book can at least possibly reach an audience, and the amount of people depends on many factors. At the same time, this process can go by quicker than querying agents and editors and, should the work be accepted, waiting for publication after the round of edits.
The results for traditional publishing:
Regarding fiscal stress, there's also the issue of general stress when one acts as their own publisher. Some of the poll takers indicated that traditional publishing reduced any compromising factors on their health because self-publishing would take too much potentially damaging effort for those who cannot physically or emotionally take on the massive undertaking of promoting their work. This is a valid concern. While services like Amazon or Smashwords don't charge authors to publish (self-publishing is not the same as using a vanity press), the monetary stress comes from those who want their work professionally edited and want a professional-looking cover, all of which a traditional publisher provides. Lack of access to these resources can be a barrier for many writers, and therefore they look to traditional publishing.
Others, however, argued that a publisher setting certain deadlines or number of yearly books would increase their stress, and therefore they prefer self-publishing and creating their own deadlines. This depends on the publishing contract, and others like being given deadlines. These are, of course, all valid reasons to make the choices best for the author and their readers.
Some writers seemed reluctant to admit their greatest reason for wanting to be traditionally published is professional validation―to know their work is good because an agent or publisher is willing to take a risk for it. If the book doesn't sell, agents don't earn their commission and publishers lose money, so offering representation and publication involves a certain amount of faith. I don't find this alarming at all because writing is often solitary and doubt is so rampant, so it feels great to affirm your work is quality and that others believe in it. That being said, if you aren't at that stage yet, that doesn't mean you're a terrible writer and that no one will need and appreciate your work. Whether the people who support you are editors, fellow writers on Twitter, or real life friends, it's important to know that your story is important and has the potential to mean something to another person.
When searching for the right answer on how to publish, it is best to ask what do you want out of the story, and what does it offer others? It's also entirely possible to do both; one story you write might work better with traditional presses while another might do better on the indie route.
What about you? What route would you pursue, or have you already done one or the other? Or both! Let me know!