Submitting your files is both exciting and terrifying
I am often asked about the reasons why I chose to opt for self-publishing with my debut novella as opposed to the more traditional method and given that they are numerous, it seemed that the best way to try and explain them was to write a post solely for that purpose.
Firstly, the world of publishing is cut-throat. When a publisher has a seemingly never ending pile of manuscripts to get through, one submitted by a young writer with no previous book deals will inevitably be tossed to the side in most cases without so much as a second glance. They need ways to filter through the load and as harsh as it is, that’s the reality any budding author must face.
This is all assuming your manuscript even makes it onto a publisher’s desk in the first place of course, which brings me to my second point. Due to such demand on their time, most of the best and most successful publishing houses (the ones that will actually promote your book and help you earn some money) will not accept submissions directly from authors. Instead, those seeking a book deal must hire a literary agent to approach publishers on their behalf; an endeavour that while hugely helpful, is both time consuming and often very expensive.
Accepting that big publishers simply were not a viable option for my debut book, one could argue that smaller, more local publishers may have been an option. In reality however, most small publishers only handle the physical production of your book (formatting, printing, etc.) and while that is all well and good, it won’t amount to much if nobody actually knows about it being available. It is still the job of the author to promote, promote, promote and sell, sell, sell, which in reality is often the most arduous and important step anyway, meaning you sacrifice a substantial cut of profit and control but are still expected to put in the hard graft.
My own personality was another important factor in my decision to self-publish. My desire to retain control over my creation and my hesitation to jump in at the deep end right away meant that dipping my toe into the water of the industry by taking the process at my own speed and doing things in my own way really appealed, especially since this was my first book. It was gaining experience and achieving a dream that were my goals with The Vessel, not fame and fortune. Thus, self-publishing was ideal.
All in all, I made the decision because it was the right one for me and more importantly, the right one for my book, which is now available in the UK and the US, among others. Will I self-publish again? Definitely. Does that mean I will never attempt the more traditional method? Not necessarily. There is no set formula to decide the path to take, as both have tremendous benefits to offer. You must instead weigh up your options, trust your instincts and go for the method you feel will best accomplish what you hope to achieve with your own work. Whichever route you take, good luck and I hope to see your books out there in the world one day!
To any other writers, I would love to know: Which method of publishing did you use and what made you decide to do so?
Callum McLaughlin 
Since my work does not fall neatly into any genre, I’ve long been aware of the difficulty of breaking into the publishing industry, especially as the vise began tightening in the ’80s and even sympathetic agents were replying with bewilderment at the changes.
I did have one novel published by Fithian, a Santa Barbara press, in 1990 and another by PulpBits as an ebook in 2005, and the experience opened my eyes to the difficulties afoot.
Now that the ebook has finally arrived as a major segment of the market, and one that’s infinitely more affordable for both the reader and the writer, I’m plunging ahead that way at Smashwords.
Getting the work out there, even for a small but active readership, beats the frustration of getting it out only to overwhelmed agents and overwhelmed editors and overwhelmed critics. You know the odds on their reactions anyway.
Exactly; managing to reach a small audience is better than never having an audience at all. Best of luck with everything.
Great post
Thank you! I’m glad you liked it.
I’ve published traditionally. Even with some manuscripts I haven’t been able to publish, I haven’t wanted to self-publish. First, my work doesn’t fall into a neat genre, which makes it hard to publicize; there’s no ready-formed community to address. Second, I’m not particularly good a self-publicizing, so self-publishing isn’t a natural fit for me. Third, and maybe most important, I really value what a traditional editor can do for my writing. I worked as an editor, but I can’t do for my own writing what I can do for someone else’s–I’m too close to it. It takes someone coming in from outside to see how it could be more, where it’s not working, where it could be pushed further. I’ve been lucky in my editors–each of the three has understood the book she was working on and made it better. It’s true that writers can hire freelance editors, but a freelancer (and I’ve been one) doesn’t have quite the freedom than an in-house editor does and may not push as far. So although I’m glad self-publishing’s a possibility, and I don’t argue with anyone who chooses it, I don’t.
It’s interesting, because I wrote this post so long ago that I haven’t thought about it for a while. I think the more experience I’ve gained the more I’ve been convinced that everyone’s path is different – no matter if they choose the traditional or indie methods.
Like you say, I think it’s good that both routes exists and offer their own pluses. Thanks for your input, Ellen.
Glad to have found your blog. Great poetry and about this subject of publishing is good to have another perspective. My own wrtings, not the ones on the blog that´s mostly poetry which is an art I haven´t mastered but I have too much fun doing, but the short stories and my novella in progress i find it that it doesn´t fit nicely in a specific genre as I see in Amazon or I even looked at the New York Times best sellers. So self publishing is certainly something I´m looking at, but a question- how much do you spend money wise in doing so?
Thank you very much. I’m glad you stopped by.
As for the cost of self publishing, sadly there is no definite answer, as much as I’d love to give you one. It all depends on the route and methods you take for various aspects of the process – It really can go from nothing at all up to thousands, depending on how much you actually do yourself and how much you hire others to do.
For example, there’s editing, proof reading, formatting, cover design and marketing that all need taken care of (to name a few). If only it were as simple as just writing, eh? 😉
Sorry for the rambling. I’m sure it wasn’t the concise, coherent answer you wanted but it really is the truth that no two experiences of self publishing (or traditional publishing) are ever the same. If you have the finances to spare, you can go all out and get lots of help, but if you’re on a strict budget, there definitely are ways to reduce the price, so long as you’re willing to embrace the true DIY approach.
Thanks again for your comment. I wish you the very best of luck with whatever decision you end up making! 🙂