{"id":39188,"date":"2015-01-07T07:12:12","date_gmt":"2015-01-07T12:12:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/horizonsmagazine.com\/blog\/?p=39188"},"modified":"2015-04-13T21:11:19","modified_gmt":"2015-04-14T02:11:19","slug":"publish-traditionally-solo-self-publish-or-something-else","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/horizonsmagazine.com\/blog\/publish-traditionally-solo-self-publish-or-something-else\/","title":{"rendered":"Publish traditionally, solo self-publish or something else?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Excellent info here — “Don\u2019t be in a rush! Although modern selfpublishing tools let you revise and tweak a naive edition, you cannot edit your reputation. Take your time. Do it properly. You\u2019ve got a lot to learn \u2013 about writing to a publishable standard and about publishing itself. The world will wait \u2013 but it won\u2019t forget if you mess it up.”\u00a0 From –> Publish traditionally, solo self-publish or something else? Advice for the 2015\u00a0writer:\u00a0 <\/a>Last year I wrote a post about whether I\u2019d advise an author to publish or self publish. A year on, the landscape for authors is remarkably different \u2013 or perhaps not remarkable if you\u2019ve been waiting for a bubble to burst.\u00a0 Indie authors have seen sales plummet because of the sheer numbers of books available, and subscription schemes such as Kindle Unlimited have created a breed of readers who won\u2019t shop outside a limited free list.\u00a0 Might this mean it\u2019s better to be traditionally published?\u00a0 Not from what I\u2019ve seen. My friends with trad deals aren\u2019t having a good time either. Leaving aside royalties and advances (which seem to offer little financial reward for all the hard work writing), their books aren\u2019t getting a decent chance for a long-term future. A friend whose first novel won a major award in 2012 has just watched his fourth novel launch with no more fanfare than a tiny paragraph in a Sunday paper. His only other support was a training day on a social media course. And don\u2019t even ask about rights grabs \u2013 where authors might wait years to reclaim a book to publish it themselves.\u00a0 Tough times, my friends. So savvy writers will be looking for smarter ways to publish.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

We\u2019ve seen a growing trend for indies to work in collaboration, teaming up with similar authors to release box-sets of ebooks, finding partners to exploit other rights such as translations or audio (either via ACX or other means \u2013 here are my posts on my own collaboration with my voice actor Sandy Spangler<\/a>). Collaborators might be paid up front or in royalty splits. Further back, indies have collaborated by teaming up to create products (like my course with Joanna Penn, now unfortunately nuked by EU VAT rules) or forming long-term collectives (Triskele Books, itself a collective, has been running a series on various well-established collectives<\/a> ). Joanna Penn has a mighty post about joint ventures with other creatives<\/a>.<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s just the start. I think the authors of 2015 will be watching out for advantageous ways to partner up and we haven\u2019t seen the half of them yet.<\/p>\n

Better together<\/strong>
\nIndies who collaborate get
\n\u2022 shared marketing muscle, to connect with more readers
\n\u2022 shared expertise (editorial feedback, blurb and press release writing)
\n\u2022 shared contacts (editors, proof readers, designers)
\n\u2022 a shoulder to cry on, behind the scenes \u2013 and tough love when necessary too.<\/p>\n

Does it sound familiar? Indie author collaborations are attempting to create the best of what a traditional publisher does. And this means we should\u2026<\/p>\n

View traditional publishing deals as collaborations<\/strong>
\nAnd so this means the smartest way to suss out deals from traditional publishers is to consider them as collaborations. What will they do for you that you could not do yourself? What are they asking from you in return? Is it reasonable?<\/p>\n

No one I know writes a book to sacrifice it to a bad deal (see my remark about rights grabbing above). On the other hand, no one wants to turn down an opportunity that would be good, as far as can reasonably be forecast in a world of fickle readers and luck.<\/p>\n

So this is what I\u2019d say to the 2015 writer who\u2019s asking my advice on whether to self publish or query traditional publishers.<\/p>\n

1 Whether you intend to go indie or not, learn about self publishing<\/strong><\/p>\n

– then you\u2019ll know how to weigh up the value of a publishing deal. As well as the advance (which usually won\u2019t cover the time you spent writing), a publisher offers editorial guidance, copy editing and proof reading, cover design as appropriate for the audience, print book preparation, publicity using their contacts and reputation, print distribution.<\/p>\n

Some (not all) are easy to source yourself or make good decisions about. Some can\u2019t even be priced, like the publisher\u2019s reputation \u2013 but see my remark above about the award-winning writer with his latest launch. Some of that value might be emotional \u2013 the confidence that everything has been done properly. This may not be as guaranteed as you think. There are traditionally published writers who sell enough to get meticulous attention from publishers, and others who get a tired, overworked editor who simply doesn\u2019t have time to do the job as well as they\u2019d like.<\/p>\n

The more you know about selfpublishing, the more you can assess a publisher\u2019s value as a partner. If you have tried to produce a quality book yourself, you\u2019ll have a realistic idea of the value a publisher adds \u2013 or whether you can do well without them.<\/p>\n

2 Be aware of the limits of traditional print and distribution<\/strong><\/p>\n

Distribution of print books is an area where traditional publishers have a clear advantage \u2013 (however, the Alliance of Independent Authors<\/a> is working on a print sales project for indies ). Books in a publisher\u2019s catalogue get promoted by a sales team. You get the heft of their mighty reputation! Result!<\/p>\n

But let\u2019s have a reality check. Go into Waterstones or another large book emporium. Look along the shelves where the books are spine-outwards. How many are there? Which ones catch your eye? Probably none of them. They\u2019re the store\u2019s wallpaper. You\u2019re already cover-drunk by the time you\u2019ve passed the books on the tables or in the window or in special display boxes.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Recording a radio show, surrounded by lovely wallpaper<\/p>\n

A book in a store needs more than a meek slot in the alphabetically-ordered shelves to be discovered by a casual browser, no matter how beautiful its title or cover. So even if your book is going into big stores, it\u2019s unlikely to be found unless it gets special prominence \u2013 both in the store and in the wider world. For that, the publisher has to spend money. Independent bookstores are a different matter as the selection is smaller and more personalised, but you still have to hope your book gets emphasised by the sales reps or the store will never hear about it.<\/p>\n

3 It isn\u2019t either-or<\/strong><\/p>\n

Whether you start as indie or traditionally published, you won\u2019t always stay that way. Traditionally published authors might leave their publishers (or be dropped) and go it alone. They might selfpublish their backlist. Indie authors might begin on their own, then strike a deal. Some do all of it concurrently (hybrid authors), choosing what\u2019s best for each project.<\/p>\n

Some publishers are experimenting with partnering deals, where an author who is experienced in production keeps control of some stages of the editorial process. I like this model very much \u2013 it seems a good way to use everyone\u2019s strengths.<\/p>\n

Publishing and self publishing is now a spectrum. Most writers will zip up and down it, according to where a project fits.<\/p>\n

3 Self publishing your first book<\/strong><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t be in a rush! Although modern self publishing tools let you revise and tweak a naive edition, you cannot edit your reputation. Take your time. Do it properly. You\u2019ve got a lot to learn \u2013 about writing to a publishable standard and about publishing itself. The world will wait \u2013 but it won\u2019t forget if you mess it up. See my post here about leaving enough time to use editorial feedback<\/a>.<\/p>\n

And finally\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

The self publishing world is maturing. Suddenly I notice there are a lot of us who have been in this game a few years now, building solid reputations and devoted audiences. I think 2015 will be the year of the exciting collaboration \u2013 with other authors, with translators, with artistes from other media (such as voice actors). Perhaps with editors too.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll choose what\u2019s best for each book. We\u2019ll also get more expert at putting a realistic value on contributions, including those of traditional players in publishing, both imprints and agents, and with luck this will lead to deals that are fair and fruitful.<\/p>\n

Writing may be solitary. Publishing \u2013 and self publishing \u2013 doesn\u2019t have to be.<\/p>\n

The ebook of Writing Plots With Drama, Depth and Heart: Nail Your Novel<\/em><\/a> is now available. Original article found at http:\/\/nailyournovel.wordpress.com\/2015\/01\/04\/publish-traditionally-solo-self-publish-or-something-else-advice-for-the-2015-writer\/<\/p>\n

RELATED:\u00a0 New self publishing authors: don\u2019t let friends proofread, hire a professional<\/a>
\nPublish traditionally, solo self-publish or something else?<\/a>
\nWriting your book? Vanity presses, self publishing, publishing<\/a>
\nNew Authors: How not to fall for an editing\/publishing scam<\/a>
\nBook not selling? You can\u2019t blame Amazon for what you attract<\/a>
\nGhost Writing, Being Behind the Scenes, Keeping a Secret<\/a>
\nCasper asks about ghostwriting<\/a>
\nWriters Be Warned: The Case Against Author Solutions<\/a><\/p>\n

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