For as long as I've been writing, I've waffled between the choice of traditional vs. self-publishing. Traditional publishing has always been my long-term goal, but there is something intrinsically alluring about having complete control of the publishing process that you just can't ignore.
But there are some ups and downs about both processes, as I've discovered after some extensive research. Let's pro/con this, shall we?
PROS
1. You get advance money
2. Professional editing and cover design
3. The publisher takes care of distribution
4. The bragging rights of being traditionally published
CONS:
1. You are almost entirely responsible for your own marketing
2. You may only get back %12 of what the book makes in terms of royalties
3. Little to no choice over cover design
4. You'll face a lot of rejection from agents, publishers, editors - you name it
PROS
1. Complete creative control
2. You can make anywhere from 35% to 75% back on your book's sales
3. You can save money on distribution if its an eBook
4. eBooks are getting increasingly more popular
CONS:
1. You are entirely responsible for your own marketing
2. It's all out of your own pocket
3. Takes a lot of marketing skill to pull off
4. Overall, isn't any "faster" or "easier" than successfully publishing traditionally
The main takeaway I had from all these revelations was that, if marketing isn't your strong suit, it better be - and soon, because no matter what route you take, that troll is still going to be waiting for you under a bridge somewhere down the path. The other takeaway here is that no matter which direction you take, getting a book published and sold - that's the catch word here - is always going to take an outstanding amount of effort, time, and smarts.
I thought I would take a crack at the self-publishing process, even as I still explore more traditional avenues. Shortly, I will be publishing my novella, You Will Make It, as an eBook for purchase on the Kindle store. Vampire romance meets The Fault in Our Stars, when Mickey, a teenage pulmonary fibrosis patient, discovers that there is a boy lurking around her hospital, feeding off the life of those in their final hours. She is determined to get to the bottom of this strange boy, and winds up falling in way too deep - and a little bit in love.
If you're of fan of vampire romances, but have started to bore of the usual tropes that come with the genre, keep an eye out for it. I wrote it years ago, around the time that Twilight was still all the rage, and when, in my research for an urban fairy tale I was writing, I found out about the concept of "pranic vampires" - vampires which feed off of life force rather than blood.
You Will Make It will be coming to the Kindle store soon, so have your eye out for it! Have you ever self-published? Published traditionally? I would love to know your thoughts in the comments down below. Stay tuned for more updates on You Will Make It!
