As you know, I’ve self-published some of my books, and published traditionally others. When I posted a (somewhat cheeky) infographic about Self-publishing vs. Traditional Publishing, my friend Alex Hurst pointed out that there’s lot more to be gained from following the traditional path than suggested by the post.
After she had made a few great arguments in the comments, I asked her to write up a guest post on the subject, as she had obviously put a lot of thought into the subject. She came up with the great post below. Enjoy!
3 Reasons to Go Traditional
These days, self-publishing is all the rage, and with the prominence of DIY publishers like Amazon, Smashwords, and Draft-2-Digital, it’s not hard to see why. Authors can take full control of the creative process, editing only what they want to, choosing (or making) a cover they feel presents their book faithfully, and distributing to whatever marketplaces they want. There are no gatekeepers and no agents to query to. Self-published authors also have a direct line to their reader base, and retain all rights to their work (usually.)
Even using indie or cooperative publishers seems to have an advantage over the trade industry. Rarely do you need to have an agent to get a deal with these sorts of publishers, and publishing contracts tend to have a little bit more wiggle room during negotiations than what you could expect from a larger publisher. Vanity presses, which have earned a sordid reputation for being predatory and disingenuous, can be a more viable option for some authors than the arduous path to a traditional publishing contract.
For many self-publishing, indie, or upcoming authors, traditional publishing seems to offer little that another avenue can’t meet or exceed. It is being said more and more that the only reason any author would choose to be traditionally published these days is for the “bragging rights” of being behind a brand like Tor, Simon & Schuster, or Penguin Random House.
But is that really all traditional publishing can offer?
Despite popular opinion, there are a lot of things that a trade publisher can do that many of the other publishing channels can’t really offer without a serious time or money commitment from the author. These are the big three.
1. Traditional Publishers Have the Tools
Publishing a book by yourself from start to finish can be one of the most gratifying and alluring options of self-publishing, but for many, it’s not all its cracked up to be. Writing a novel is hard enough, but imagine editing your own work, designing a marketable cover, and formatting an attractive interior on top of it. This, while needing to continue writing to keep pace with any edge your current title might have in the rankings.
Putting on the hat of author, editor, formatter, graphic designer, marketing specialist, and distributor is a tall order, and not one many can reasonably fill for more than one title at a time. Yet indie authors are encouraged to keep their lists fresh, publishing at least 2-3 new novel-length titles a year to build their brand and not get lost in the thousands of other novels being published alongside their own.
Editing your own work can be difficult, and getting a professional editor (on par with traditional publishing) can be costly. Right now, the industry rate for editors is $0.05/word. Do the math on your current WIP. Can you afford it? While there are some authors who can remain objective over their work in the editing stage, most cannot, and many authors are aware enough to know that an eye accustomed to the text on the page naturally misses many mistakes.
Once your work is edited, it still needs to be formatted. The go-to for indie authors is Word, Scrivener, or Pages, but all of these programs fall short of the industry-standard InDesign by Adobe Suite. InDesign allows authors to have full control over margins, bleed, gutter, fonts, and even more recently, fixed ebook formats. The software is powerful, and can be learned, but that learning curve is high. Authors who do not plan on releasing more than three to four books a year might find the monthly subscription to the app ($20/month) costly. The other option is to hire a book formatter, and they’re not cheap either.
After formatting and editing, there is still cover design, another important element of book production that is often not stressed enough. Cover design causes many problems for self-published authors who either cannot afford higher-quality, non-stock image covers ($45 and up) or attempt to create the cover themselves without taking into account readability, color schemes, font choice, or (a big no) licensing rights.
Marketing, which I will cover in a later point, can also be a huge time sink for an author who needs to be writing, but spends whatever free time they have outside of their day job tinkering with social media, soliciting book bloggers, and writing content for their website. Many houses have been in business for decades, and have all of these tools at the ready for the engaged author to take advantage of.
All of these things are taken care of, in-house, at a traditional publisher. Of course, I am talking about the big trade publishers, their imprints, and well-managed indie presses. When querying to any house, you should make sure that these four elements of book design are covered by the press, and at no cost to the author (excluding marketing undertaken by the author personally).
2. Patience Pays Off with Traditional
Traditional publishers have the expertise and manpower to get your book in tip-top shape, and also give it a fighting chance upon release. Though one of self-published authors’ most frequent complaints is the year or more wait time to see their book on the shelf after sending in their final draft, the reasons for the delay are valid. Traditional publishing houses have entire departments (with staff!) dedicated to market testing your book: checking the book’s title, blurb, cover, and author name with focus groups; sending out ARCs to prominent newspapers, blogs, and readers; preparing large distribution channels to major bookstores and online sellers; setting up interviews to coincide with your release in market-tested locations.
All of this prep work requires lead time, something many self-publishers don’t take advantage of when preparing a book for release. In a world where the half-life of a book is decreasing by the day, these services, a standard service behind traditional publishing, helps boost a book’s visibility in ways a self-publisher might not be able to take advantage of.
3. Traditional Publishers Have the Respect
If you are an indie or self-published author and have tried to solicit your work to book bloggers in the past, you may have come across the phrase, “We’re sorry, this blog does not accept self-published works at this time.”
Say what you will, brands matter, and for many sought-after marketing spaces, having the backing of a known-publisher can open doors that would otherwise be blocked to you as an indie publisher. Many of the most prominent book bloggers receive their ARCs through NetGalley ($400 per title for six months) or similar distribution services. For the average self-publisher, these sorts of fees are too high. Traditional publishers have that budget.
Having access to these ARC channels, however, open up many opportunities, where readers come to you, rather than the other way around.
In addition, traditional houses have access to many more distribution channels (at home and abroad). Many bookstores will still not accept most self-published titles, and then Costco and Walmart are closed to the indie community. Translation options are much higher with traditional, as is the possibility of selling other rights, such as audiobook and film options. Their ability to saturate the market with your title in turn creates more buzz, which media channels (like USA Today, NPR, and The Daily Show) then take notice of. They can even send your book to well-known authors like Stephen King or Neil Gaiman to get blurbs for your cover. The traditional publishing house is a well-oiled machine: always in motion, and the push of one title helps every other title in the list.
Another element of being traditionally published that is often overlooked when comparing bottom lines is that as a traditionally published author, your income is not limited to royalty and advance. Traditionally published authors also have more opportunities for paid speaking at places like conventions, or writing commissions for magazines, newspapers, or blogs. Known-authors also tend to have an easier time the second time they go through the submission stage of a project, whereas a self-published author may have to keep starting from scratch for each title.
As well, book prizes and awards are generally only available to traditionally published books or pro-market short fiction.
Some More Reasons
So there are three reasons traditional publishing may still be the best option for you and your book. But let’s also talk about bragging rights. While the term itself is pretty derogatory, it has some validity. When I asked members of Fiction Writers Group what they believed traditional publishing could offer them, I received some interesting answers that back up that claim. Mostly, people felt that traditional publishing still offered “validity” behind calling yourself an author. Public perception is a powerful thing, and whether your book is successful or not, the traditional house brand stays with you forever. There’s still a big difference between saying “I was in the Amazon Top 100 in 2014” and “My book was picked up by HarperCollins,” or “I was nominated for a Nebula Award in 2015.” Of course, if you can manage the sales, as some self-publishers can, you could end up in the New York Times Bestseller List, and then this element of my argument would be invalid.
Finally, there are simply some genres that cannot do well without a traditional or high-end indie press’s backing, such as children’s books and nonfiction. The need for illustration and professional endorsement (respectively) are hard-gained for the self-publisher.
What are your thoughts on traditional publishing? Will you attempt it? Have you already tried? Let me know in the comments below.
Who is Alex Hurst?
Alex Hurst is a fantasy author, currently living in Kyoto with her long-time partner, N J Magas. She freelances as an editor for the Writers’ Anarchy anthology series, designs book interiors at Country Mouse Design, and admins on the Fiction Writers community on Facebook, assisting a community of over 6,000 emerging and established writers. She writes primarily character-driven fantasy, speculative fiction, and LGBT+ literature.
You can connect with Alex by email or on her website.
Darkly Never After
Alex has participated in Darkly Never After, a charity anthology (she also did the cover and interior design).
Darkness. The absence of light, hope, and direction. It is a word that is as pervasive in our language as its consequence is on society. A shot in the dark. To be in the dark. The darkest hour is before dawn. Darkness is the foil for all we consider good in the world––the natural enemy of good, and the virtues of the human spirit. Peter Benenson once said that it was better to light a candle than curse the darkness.
Darkly Never After, a diverse collection of dark fairy tales and fiction, chooses to light the world with its very mission statement. All proceeds from this international volume will benefit children in need. From classical re-imaginings of old classics, to brand new tales of adventure and deceit, Darkly Never After has fairy tales for the sophisticated and worldly mind. Visit the fantastical worlds your childhood books introduced you to, with a touch of maturity for the older reader. Light a path in the darkness. Become the candle for the lost.
You can read more about her contribution, “The Lady Koi”, on this blog post.
My personal comment: Alex has made some excellent points on her wonderful post. Indeed, I have made some of them myself on my recent The Ups and Downs of Indie Life post. Of course, the real question is, “that’s all good a great, but how many of us can realistically expect to be picked up by a traditional publisher?” This is the main subject of my post, Should I Publish Traditionally or Go Indie, if you wish to keep reading. You may also want to read three interesting counter-points by Steven Spatz on Bookbaby – while keeping in mind that Bookbaby makes its living by offering publishing services to Indie authors – and a great post by Christina Larmer on the subject.
Both Alex and I are eagerly awaiting your comments below 🙂
When my time comes, I expect to self-publish (digital and print-on-demand). I didn’t start out with that intention, but the more I’ve read about self-publishing the more it seems to be the way to go for me. I don’t do deadlines very well and I really don’t want to give up digital rights.
I reckon I will enjoy being my own publisher and learning how to wear the different hats. 🙂
I wish you best of luck, whichever path you take. Let me know how I can help, when the time comes 🙂
Thank you.
Nicholas, I took advantage of your free prequel on Goodreads after I left your blog yesterday. I went to Amazon Kindle checking out your children’s book, but ended up downloading the fantasy trio instead. Should I read the prequel first? I jumped straight into Book one. 🙂
That’s perfect – and thank you so much! The prequel is meant to be read last, in a sense, as it doesn’t really offer much except for the back story and various hints for what comes next.
Once again, thank you! 🙂
I would add another piece to the whole puzzle, as well, with my perspective as a librarian: self-published work is hard to get into a library. e-book self-published works, in particular, are likely not going to be seen in a library. The publishers, and their vendor distributors, are still working on complex setups for getting library patrons access to e-books from them. Something you’ve self-published on Smashwords? Not so much.
In terms of increasing your visibility, being in libraries is an important piece. Then you might have librarians writing reviews of your work; you can end up in reader’s advisory databases like Novelist; and you’ll pick up readers who might never have paid for your work without trying it out!
That’s very true. Alex briefly touched upon this, but thanks for expanding – and welcome 🙂
Reblogged this on George Kelly Fiction and commented:
Testing This Out
Superb article, thank you both. I’m a big fan of the self-publishing movement but you’ve said things here which need to be said more often. Sometimes passions get so flared up online that each side seems to regard the other with more disdain than makes sense in any argument.
I know, it’s rather silly. All they need to do is sit down and share a cuppa.
I see what you did there
Great article, Nick and Alex. It’s interesting because as much as publishing independently appeals to my inner control-freak, I must admit that after completing my first trilogy, and garnering great reviews, but almost no sales, and despite creating a pretty decent social media presence, but still unable to find that sweet spot where that presence boosts my books, I am now kind of exhausted. And man oh man, does going traditional seem totally appealing. I’m working on two books right now and have promised myself to query an agent and see what I can do…but I’m not naive and know it’s damn near impossible to snag a deal, am still willing to give it a shot. Cheers to you both and happy writing.
I wish you every success! 🙂
This post has certainly generated a lot of interest! There are a lot of positives for firth time authors to self-publish, which I did, and did again. But there is still the draw of having an agent and a BIG publishing house picking up your book, and I’m at the point of trying it. Can’t hurt. I totally agree the editing and marketing is a huge, time-consuming effort. I am keeping this post in my pocket to refer to!
I hope that you find what you’re looking for, be it Indie success or the perfect agent/publisher 🙂
Wonderful article! And I really appreciate how you respect both choices. Sometimes it’s the book that chooses which path is best: if it doesn’t fit into traditional genres well, or if the book is too long, and other such factors. I would like to try both publishing options some day.
And I wish you every success, regardless of the path you take 🙂
Thank you! 🙂
Reblogged this on isabel pietri.
This is a really good and informative article that makes some good points. I am no yet published, and, although I lean towards self-publishing, I’m curious about traditional. It’s something I’ve ruled out completely. As an unpublished author it’s really hard to know which path to take.
Sometimes the path chooses us; not the other way around. Whichever path you end up taking, I wish you every success 🙂
Reblogged this on The Writers' Room.
I think you’ve talked about the ‘hybrid’ author before, Nick, in fact I do believe you you now ARE one! I can certainly see this being the way forward. Whilst the big trad presses do have the weight and contacts etc to ensure success, they’re big clumsy dinosaurs floundering around in this new lithe Indie wave of publishing… if they only wouldnt resist but embrace the new technology and work alongside Indies… competition is always a good thing, and there’s room enough for all. The problem for most Indies is gaining visibility, that’s why so many still hanker after a big publishing deal.
Absolutely! There’s much to be gained from a collaboration between the two, if only they can stop putting each other down for a second 🙂
I went back and forth on which publishing option to choose when I had my middle grade novel finished. I started querying agents and soon that I was hoping they’d say “No!” So I cut my query time short and indie-pubbed instead. The problem with going indie with children’s isn’t just the illustration cost – I write for an age group that doesn’t often have illustrations with their fiction. The issue is that 8-12 year olds aren’t yet into e-books. I need print for them, and print is much harder to get into their hands when you’re indie. I’m working on it, with very gradual success, but if I had my druthers, I’d go indie with my future adult novels and have this children’s series traditionally pubbed.
On the other hand, I know one author who very successfully finished out a 7-book deal with a major publisher. He wanted to write other things, but found his agent and editor had him locked into that particular children’s genre. A romance writer I met had to go through all kinds of contortions to get around the contract clause that committed her to additional books with the publisher. I like the idea of writing what strikes me as interesting at the time – not always possible with trad publishing.
So funny you should mention that! I had the same problems with my children’s book, Runaway Smile, which is why I’ve published it traditionally in Greece. I still haven’t got any sales data (compared to Amazon, traditional publishers operate at glacial speeds). Much like you, however, I stopped querying when I realized I was dreading an affirmative answer from the agents I had contacted! 🙂
Reblogged this on Sara Letourneau's Official Website & Blog and commented:
An informative and well-argued article by fellow fantasy writer Alex Hurst, posted at Nicholas Rossi’s blog. I couldn’t have written my own explanation for wanting to pursue traditional publishing route over self-publishing any better myself.
It’s worth mentioning that Alex approached this topic from a respectful standpoint, too. She acknowledges that some writers will prefer to self-publish, and in her response to readers’ comments she congratulates each writer on their individual publishing choices. This show of support is so important. Writers should respect each other’s choices when it comes to publishing, and celebrate each other’s successes. I know a number of writers who have self-published or are planning to self-publish – and I’m thrilled that they’re doing what they think is right for them. 🙂
Many thanks for the reblog! As a hybrid author, I’m especially pleased to see you adopt Alex’s respectful attitude towards both publishing choices 🙂
You’re welcome, Nicholas! This really is an article worth sharing, which is why I reblogged it. 😉
I don’t think I could disrespect another writer’s choice of publishing route even if I tried. In some ways, it’s no different than respecting someone for other life choices that might differ from mine. Plus, I know quite a few self-published writers (or writers who plan to self-publish), and it would be extremely rude of me to not support them because I’d like to try the other route. We all want the same thing in the end. So, instead of debating or arguing, let’s support each other and celebrate the different ways we can achieve our goals. That’s the way I choose to look at it.
Hear, hear! 🙂
Fantastic article, Alex! Those three major points are all reasons why I want to go the traditional route when my WIP is ready. As great as it might be to be in control of every aspect of your book release by self-publishing, it’s not something I can afford financially right now, and I’d prefer to focus on writing, editing, and whatever promotion / marketing is needed from my end. That said, it’s great to know we have options when it comes to publishing our material. If traditional publishing doesn’t work out for me, I’d be willing to try self-publishing.
Also, I agree with some of the other readers who commented on the bit about choices. Every writer will have their own reasons for trying one route or the other, and we need to respect each other’s choices regarding publishing. I personally know more self-published authors or authors who plan to self-publish than traditionally published authors – and I’m excited for each and every one of them for putting their work out there. 🙂
Last but not least, it’s nice to meet another fantasy writer! 🙂
Thanks for the feedback and welcome! I wish you every success, whichever road you end up traveling 🙂
Hello, Sarah! Very nice to meet you, too. 🙂
Thank you so much for the comment, and the reblog! I agree with you on how great it is to have so many options open to us. Even vanity (which I don’t recommend) can be the “best” choice for some authors. All I really care about it that the decision is an informed one. 🙂
I’m excited to learn about what sorts of fantasy you write, so I’ve followed you on all the usual places. 🙂 Wonderful to connect.
You’re welcome! I thought the article was worth sharing, so I’ve “sent the waves out” in a few different ways. 😉 And I’m looking forward to learning more about your work, too!
Good points 🙂 But the assumption here is that the traditional publishers will ACTUALLY publish your book. The decision rests solely on them, not the authors.
You’re choosing the path, not the outcome.
Thanks, KN. That’s the point I keep making 🙂
This is true, of course. But I sort of see it like applying to college. College is something I wanted, and while I really wanted to go to one particular school, there were literally hundreds I could have chose from if the first attempt failed. It’s true that I could go to an open university instead, and get the same education for free, but a “brick and mortar” college was what I wanted. So, even if I hadn’t of gotten into my first choice, I would have kept applying until something stuck. 🙂
While this is obviously not a 100% sure rate to get published, I still believe determination (and understanding why a particular book is getting rejected) are key in optimizing your chances. Now, there are always going to be books that are just going to get rejected. Either do to an experimental format or maybe because it’s too [insert adjective] for a traditional publisher. I’d be silly to keep trying to query it if I realize this about it. 😛 Self-publishing is a great idea for many novels: for example, novellas (under 30,000 words), or serialized novels, etc. These formats, in particular, are notoriously hard to query.
This post is interesting in light of the indie popularity. Good to know.
Thanks, Tess! 🙂
You are welcome.
Thank you! These reasons are exactly why I’m busting my behind to go traditional. One caveat: sometimes a medium-sized publishing house is better than a large one. They may not as big of a budget, but they’re more likely to work closely with you and take chances on unpublished writers. Same goes for smaller imprints, though, if you go direct, you really need to be careful to read between the lines and not give away your world rights– something they often sneak into the contract. Loved this post, but you knew that already, didn’t you Nicholas?
I’m glad you commented, Sue, because I want to thank you for the “blurbs” point, which I added to the article. 🙂 So, thank you!
I agree about your caveat. It’s all about researching where you’re placing your manuscript in the end. Medium-sized publishers, and imprints, can be fantastic, as long as they have those action plans. I worked for an indie press that did not have those things, and ended up not getting paid for my work as editor (and now, oddly, the book is flat out of sensible price ranges). There is a tendency for very small indie presses to “pop up” because an indie author wants to be able to help other indies (a noble pursuit), but without understanding the business, they fail, taking the books with them.
I probably should have given them a nod in my post, given how many times I’ve mentioned them in the writing group I admin for and people still don’t know who they are, but Absolute Write has a great publisher info forum (though I don’t take part in the critique area of the forum anymore). In addition, Preditors & Editors, and Writer Beware are great resources.
I wish you the best of success with your pursuit of a trad. contract. 🙂
I always check Predators and Editors, even for agents. Heard too many horror stories, seen too many compromised agents lurking the pitch contests. I’m so very lucky that I have wonderful, generous, supportive friends who are traditionally published and are either “big names” already or well on their way– my go-to folks for all things publishing. Incidentally, I also have fantastic self-published friends, like Nicholas, that I wouldn’t trade for the world. 🙂 For that reason I tend to stay far, far away from the very small publishing houses you refer to. Not that there aren’t probably good ones out there– and I agree it is a very noble cause– but because I just can’t take the risk. The small houses I’m referring to are the sister(?) companies of larger imprints, or well-established small presses. For instance, Harlequin has several small imprints stemming from that house, each individually focused on certain genres. But again, an author really needs to read the fine print if they don’t have an agent.
Glad I could help with the blurb comment! That’s a huge plus in going traditional, IMHO. Imagine all the emails Stephen King gets from unpublished authors? I bet it’s mind-blowing.
Aww, you! 🙂
An experienced lawyer like the Passive Guy would probably be able to help you negotiate a publishing contract for about $1,000. In my mind, that’s the best money someone can spend in this business 🙂
Lol – I kinda suspected you might 😀
This is a very helpful and insightful post. Sharing with my writing peeps on Twitter!
Thank you so much for the signal boost, Kylie! I’m glad you found it useful.
Thanks, Kylie 🙂
Wow. Lots of great things to consider here. Every time I attempt to get my mind around self-publishing I learn something else indie authors have to be skilled at. All you guys have my utmost respect.
I’m really glad that you enjoyed the post. 🙂 Self-publishing is not any easier than traditional publishing, that’s for sure. What you trade for faster timeframes is workload. Some people can handle it. Some people can’t. Some people can, but would rather not! Haha. The beautiful thing about it is that there are so many options, and it doesn’t even have to a black or white answer – many authors are hybrid authors (like Nicholas!) and statistically, they’re the happiest. 🙂
Aw, thanks! The fact that you’re now reviewing Indie works is already a great help 🙂
I am with a traditional publisher, and also publish myself. I have a little time and money to do the latter, not to mention how much I enjoy the process.
My next larger novel might be more successful with a traditional publisher. I’ll submit and see.
I wish you best of luck! 🙂
You could totally rock it, H.M.C. You’ve got the following, and the charm, and the stories. I’m sure a publisher would pick you up if you’re persistent!
When it came to decide what I wanted to do with my book, I went for the trad route mostly for one reason: experience.
Sure, an indie author who has the time and the money to invest, can do all the things you mentioned by him/herself. But I am not that author. I work a day job, and that’s my only income. But I still want my book to be as professional as it can be, and this include learnign things I still don’t know.
Sure, it’ll still take time, but at least that’s something I can afford. And the counterpart is a wealth of experience and professional knowledge I’d probably never gather by myself.
That’s why I decided for the trad publishing process.
As Frostie pointed out, both routes have their pros and cons. Ultimately, it comes down to individual preference – and opportunity. One of the main problems with traditional publishing is the glacial speed at which everything flows. Another is the natural limitations to the number of books a publisher can realistically publish – or even check out.
That’s a perfectly valid reason to want to go traditional. In my case, I feel much the same as you. I don’t mind self-publishing short stories or novellas, but when it comes to my first novel, I would feel better having a “team” working with me, and showing me how I can really push the limits of my success.
I used to think it was the Holy Grail but having sampled the freedom I have as an indie author, being the sole decision-maker and able to take action as and when I please, I don’t think I’d associate myself with a trad publisher now, except maybe a really big one; not just for the bragging rights as you say, but also for the financial security this would provide. Small publishers are in financial difficulty and an association with them can lead to awkward disputes if not legal action, or so I hear from fellow authors who have taken this path and now struggle to become indie and take control. Of course, there is no smooth without the rough – whatever path you take has its pros and cons, but personally I prefer being the person calling the shots, even if it means I have to be a marketer, formatter, etc at the same time.
Ever since I discovered the joys of indie publishing, and that’s about 18 months ago, I haven’t applied to a single agent/publisher. So, for me to get a publishing deal, I’d have to be head-hunted really as there’s no way I’ll be looking out for it.
Effrosyni
As you say, both paths have pros and cons. That is, assuming one has the option 🙂
You make a very good point about small publishers. Many fold in this uncertain economy, and if contracts are not negotiated well, your rights to your work could die with the press. It is a very dangerous game to play, and it is why I suggest fully researching the press to make sure they have action plans in place (rather than making their authors rely on a leap of faith).
I am very glad that self-publishing is working for you! It sounds like you have the drive and the ability to self-learn. I think it’s great. For many, self-publishing can, and is, the smarter option for their work. In the end, it’s all about doing what you feel is best for you. I just wanted to address the murmurs of “bragging” rights being the only reason someone would choose traditional. 🙂
Agreed. For me, I would never go with a small publisher because I’ve known so many authors who’ve been displaced when they fold, and they are folding in the dozens. For me it’s big publishing or Indie publishing, and so far I’m Indie publishing.
I hate that people think bragging rights is the only reason someone would go traditional. Why is this such a hot-button topic, with sides bashing each other? It’s a personal choice, one that, frankly, is no one’s business but the author’s. To throw remarks like that, and like self-published authors “don’t have the skill to go traditional”, to me shows inadequacies in the one tossing those comments out there. *shakes head* Despicable. We ALL, regardless of publishing path, need to support one another! Now, I’m done with my rant.
Rant enjoyed as always, Sue 🙂
It’s a tough question, but i think it comes down to what has been billed as a dichotomous relationship, that one can not succeed if the other does. This is of course not true, the market is big enough to accommodate all types of fiction, and would both sides could probably benefit from each other if they were more willing to be inclusive. For instance, trad. publishing could learn a lot from the flexibility of self publishers, and the almost “grassroots” feel of indie exposure campaigns, while self-publishers could learn a lot about distribution, market analysis, etc, from trad. publishers.
It’s a shame they fight so much. Hopefully some day an author’s choices for publishing won’t be seen as indicative of one thing or another, namely that self-published authors are merely “impatient” or “sulking over rejection”, and that traditionally published authors (or those seeking that route) are “clique-ish” or “feel superior to others”.
We can only hope. Good luck to you!
Well-said, Alex. Part of the reason why I asked you for this guest post is that I am on a bit of a crusade to bring the two sides closer together 🙂
Well, I’m all behind that! I strive for the same in my writers’ group. 🙂 I was really thankful to the members who responded while I was pulling a poll for this post…. It was encouraging to see those that didn’t see trad. publishing in their future still speak respectfully about “the other side” and vice versa. 🙂 We’ll get there!
Yes, we will 🙂
Reblogged this on Alex Hurst and commented:
This month I’ve had the honor of writing my second ever guest blog over at Nicholas C. Rossi’s website. As an opinion piece inspired by an infographic, I think I did pretty well, but I’d love my fellow writers to check it out, and offer their own opinions.