You’ve poured your heart out into your manuscript, and now you’re standing at a crossroads. Or maybe you only have an idea for a book and now you don’t know what to do. What should you do? Is it better to self publish or get a publisher? The publishing world can feel confusing, but you don’t have to navigate it alone. In this post, I’ll outline the choice of self publishing vs traditional publishing, and tell you what steps to take next!
Self publishing vs traditional publishing
There are many different questions to consider when making this decision, and when I coach people to make their choice it usually takes us about half an hour to talk things through. (If you’re interested, make sure to schedule your meeting here!) But I want to help you make the decision faster, so I’ve made a straightforward flow chart to bring clarity to your publishing journey.Â
Before we go into the infographic, let’s unpack some of the core considerations that will help you answer the question “Is it better to self publish or get a publisher?” These are the topics that will help you navigate the flow chart to your best path.
Cost
Where a traditional publisher takes care of all the upfront costs, and takes a large share of your profits (80-97%, usually), when you self-publish the profits are all yours… But so are the costs! You’ll be responsible for hiring cover designers, editors, and everything else you might need. If you want your self-published book to sell, therefore, you’re going to need a sizeable budget (upwards of $3000).Â
Physical stores and libraries
A traditional publisher has networks to get your book into stores and libraries. But that’s not so easy if you self-publish! You’ll probably have to spend a lot of time and money to even have a chance at making this happen.Â
Publishing speed
The traditional publishing process is slow and filled with waiting periods and rejections. If you want to get your book out in less than 1 year, traditional publishing might not be the best way to go.
Credibility
Usually, a book that’s been published with a traditional publisher is considered more credible and authoritative than a self-published one. If you want the book to help your professional career, traditional publishing could be the more logical path.Â
Is it better to self publish or get a publisher?
To make the right choice for yourself, you’re going to have to weigh which of these considerations are more important for you. If speed is more important than credibility, for example, self-publishing can still be the best option!Â
On the whole, however, this flow chart will help you come to the right decision.Â
Once you’ve come to a conclusion, click the corresponding button below the image to learn about the next steps for you!
Next steps for self publishing
So, you’ve answered the question “Is it better to self publish or get a publisher”. Now that you’ve decided to self publish, you’re going to function like the CEO of your own book. And that means you’re going to need to build a team.Â
Why you need a team
If you want to, you can do everything yourself: edit your book, design the cover, and put together a marketing plan. However, there’s a huge risk if you want your book to actually be sold and read.Â
Did you know that every year about 4 million new books come out? No matter how good your book is, that is a very big hay stack to be lost in! That is why it is so important to hire a team of professionals to help you publish your book. Otherwise, yours might become one of the 90% of self-published books that never sell more than 100 copies in their lifetime.Â
What professionals should you hire?
There is a long list of professionals you can hire to be on your team. Here are the 7 most common ones:
- Structural / developmental editor – this professional will help you make sure the structure of your book works. (You can read more on my developmental editing service page.)
- Content / copy / substantive editor – a content editor will help you improve your spelling and grammar and make sure your text says what you want it to. (You can read more on my content editing service page.)
- Proofreader – a proofreader is brilliant at finding the final typos.Â
- Book indexer – if you wrote a nonfiction book, you might want a back-of-book index to help your reader navigate your work. An indexer can do this for you. (You can read more on my book indexing service page.)
- Cover designer – find a cover designer who specializes in your genre. Not only will they be able to design something beautiful, they’ll also know what kinds of designs work in your genre right now. Your cover is the first impression people get in the store, so make it a powerful one!
- Graphic designer – Do you have images, graphs and tables in your book? Make sure to hire an expert who can make them look good in all publishing formats: both on an reader and in print.
- Type setter / book formatter –once you have all the text and images you need, hire a formatter to make sure everything is laid out well on the page, and looks good in both print and ebook formats.Â
Where to start?
Yes, I know, that sounds like a lot! And it is!Â
So let’s make it easier.Â
The first thing you need to do is figure out what kinds of editing your book actually needs. Some books need all kinds, but it might be possible to skip the developmental edit for your work. How do you know? That is what a “manuscript assessment” is for!Â
So as a first step, I suggest you schedule a free 30-minute Strategy Session with me. During this call, we’ll talk about your specific project, identify its needs, and map out how to get you started on your self-publishing journey.Â
Next steps for traditional publishing
The answer to your question “Is it better to self publish or get a publisher” was traditional publishing? That’s great! This track will help open the doors to wider distribution, paid-for professional editing teams and the backing of a resource-rich company.Â
Now, it’s time to find the publisher that will be a perfect fit for your book.Â
How do you find a traditional publisher?
The first question you need to ask yourself is: do you want to contact publishers directly or get a literary agent to do it for you? Luckily, I wrote a blog post that will help you find that out.Â
Whether you want to contact literary agents, publishers, or both, however, you’re going to need some materials before you reach out to them.Â
If you have written fiction, you will need a query letter and a synopsis, as well as a completed manuscript.
If you want to write a nonfiction or academic book (and yes, a memoir counts as nonfiction), your manuscript doesn’t need to be finished. You’ll need only the first 3 chapters… AND a complete book proposal.Â
What is a book proposal?
A book proposal is a 20+ page document that kind of functions like a business proposal for your book. It will show a publisher that if they invest in your book, they will earn their money back.Â
A book proposal consists of at least the following components:
- A query letter – a cover letter with the cliffnotes of your book proposal.
- Short description & synopsis – descriptions that detail what your book is about and what it will do.Â
- Author biography – a biography that shows the publisher you’re the right person to be writing this book.Â
- Competitive titles – an analysis of your biggest competitors.Â
- Target audiences – who will be actively searching for this book?
- Marketing plan – how will you market the book before, during and after publication?
- Chapter descriptions — what’s the function of each chapter in your book?
- Sample chapters – add 1-3 chapters from your book.Â
Where to start?
A book proposal is a big deal! There are many components that go into a book proposal, and writing one requires very different skills than writing the book itself. I completely understand that this can be overwhelming!Â
Luckily, I’ve been a book publishing coach since 2020, and helped hundreds of writers complete and perfect their book proposals.Â
And because you made it all the way here in this very long blog post, I want to offer you something special: a free, 30-minute session to discuss your book, so together we can make a plan and help you get started on finding the right publisher for you.Â
Just use the tool below to find a time slot in my calendar that works for you!
If you’re not ready to chat but you do want my advise on where to start with your book proposal, you can download your free Book Proposal Playbook & Template here. Â
So, is it better to self publish or get a publisher?
As with any good question, the answer to “is it better to self publish or get a publisher” is: it depends. In this case, it really depends on what you want your publishing journey to look like. The goal is to find the path that best aligns with your vision, goals, and resources.
I hope that the flowchart has helped you figure out the right answer for yourself. With the decision made, it’s time to really get to work! Writing your book is only the first step, now the real work begins: getting it into the hands of readers. And you don’t have to navigate this alone, I’m here to help.
Your publishing journey is unique, and with the right strategy and support, you can achieve remarkable things. I look forward to connecting with you and being a part of your success!
Talk to you soon!
– Susanne
