Self-Publishing VS Traditional Publishing
A phone call changed this post entirely. I had written the first paragraph when the phone rang. The story that followed illustrated our point exactly.
We receive emails from authors relating to the question above on a daily basis. They are frustrated. They have a good story but agents won’t take it. Publishers don’t reply. What should they do?
Well, it depends on what you are looking for from your writing career. It also heavily depends on where you are as a writer. What writing experience you have.
We of course champion self-publishing and this story will illustrate why.
Best-selling author, Larry Jeram-Croft spent thirty years in the Royal Navy as a helicopter pilot and engineer. He then worked in industry for seven years before retiring. When he retired, he and his wife went to live in the Caribbean. It was this experience that led to the idea for his ‘Jacaranda trilogy’. Where his self-publishing journey began.
Larry approached a number of agents but was unsuccessful. He decided to stop this pursuit after receiving conflicting feedback from agents.
One agent loved the story but told Larry his writing was no good. The second agent said his writing was great but the story was terrible.
Frustrated with the traditional process. Larry decided to self-publish. He has gone on to sell 50,000 copies. Not bad for someone no agent thought couldn’t get published. Let the readers decide.
This is not to say that agents don’t know what they are talking about. The point of this post is to show they don’t get it right all the time. Additionally, Larry enjoys a 70% royalty on all his sales. Something you would never see with a traditional publishing deal.
Here comes the big surprise! Larry is not unique. He is part of a growing number of successful self-publishing authors. We have already written about this here : 1,340 authors earning $100,000/year or more. Half of Them Are Indies.
The benefits of self-publishing:
- Speed. You can complete your book and upload it today. You may have to wait for 1 to 2 years to secure an agent, publisher and finally see your book available for sale.
- You control the final version, cover and pricing strategy.
- Higher royalties. Up to 70%
- Very minimal costs. You can publish your book for as little as £490 if you choose to have a professional cover created and formatting done for you. Proofreading and editing have also become more affordable.
- Higher chance of securing a traditional publishing deal with proof of sales and positive reviews.
Ultimately our message is to believe in yourself. Cheesy but true! Don’t give up because an agent won’t take your book. They don’t always get it right. So push through and continue to perfect your craft!
For more information on self-publishing and book marketing get in touch: PublishingPush.com
