Stan C. Smith
  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Books
    • Peregrine Outpost Series >
      • Primal Eclipse
    • Across Horizons Series >
      • Genesis Sequence
      • Obsolete Theorem
      • Foregone Conflict
      • Hostile Emergence
      • Binary Existence
    • Fused Series >
      • Training Day
      • Rampage Ridge
    • Bridgers Series >
      • Infinity: A Bridger's Origin
      • Bridgers 1: The Lure of Infinity
      • Bridgers 2: The Cost of Survival
      • Bridgers 3: The Voice of Reason
      • Bridgers 4: The Mind of Many
      • Bridgers 5: The Trial of Extinction
      • Bridgers 6: The Bond of Absolution
      • Bridgers 1-3 Box Set
      • Bridgers 4-6 Box Set
    • Diffusion Series >
      • Diffusion
      • Infusion
      • Profusion
      • Savage
      • Blue Arrow
      • Diffusion Box Set
    • Resonant Dust Series >
      • Resonant Dust: Stories - Volume 1
    • Parthenium's Year
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Books
    • Peregrine Outpost Series >
      • Primal Eclipse
    • Across Horizons Series >
      • Genesis Sequence
      • Obsolete Theorem
      • Foregone Conflict
      • Hostile Emergence
      • Binary Existence
    • Fused Series >
      • Training Day
      • Rampage Ridge
    • Bridgers Series >
      • Infinity: A Bridger's Origin
      • Bridgers 1: The Lure of Infinity
      • Bridgers 2: The Cost of Survival
      • Bridgers 3: The Voice of Reason
      • Bridgers 4: The Mind of Many
      • Bridgers 5: The Trial of Extinction
      • Bridgers 6: The Bond of Absolution
      • Bridgers 1-3 Box Set
      • Bridgers 4-6 Box Set
    • Diffusion Series >
      • Diffusion
      • Infusion
      • Profusion
      • Savage
      • Blue Arrow
      • Diffusion Box Set
    • Resonant Dust Series >
      • Resonant Dust: Stories - Volume 1
    • Parthenium's Year
  • Contact
  • Subscribe

#5: Self-Publishing vs. Traditional Publishing

11/30/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
My fifth post about writing and publishing as an indie author.  The last post was ‘Create a polished manuscript’ (bottom line: finish it, edit it, have friends edit it, have a professional edit it).

Topic #5: Self-publishing vs. traditional publishing.
 
You’ve finished writing and editing your book. Now you’re ready to do something with it. The question is, publish it the traditional way or self-publish it?
 
You can read endless debates on this question online. I will take a streamlined approach and explain what is best for me.  First, quick summaries of the two choices (for fiction novels):
 
TRADITIONAL PUBLISHING: For novels, typically you find an agent to represent your work to sell it to a publisher. Send a cover letter, the first few pages, and perhaps a synopsis of your novel to several agents at a time. If an agent thinks it might be of commercial value, she will request the entire completed novel. It can take months or years to procure an agent willing to represent it. Your agent will then try to sell your novel to publishers. This can take months or years, or may never happen at all. Once your novel is sold to a publisher, there is an extensive period of negotiating, editing, and printing. Expect 18 months between signing the contract and seeing the book in print.
 
SELF-PUBLISHING: First, choose a publishing service (Amazon is the largest, but there are others such as Lulu, Bookbaby, Barnes and Noble). Create a free account.  Format your book for an ebook and for a print book (if you want a print version). Upload the two formatted files. Upload your cover design (cover designs are a topic for another post). Set the prices for the ebook and print book. Your book then becomes available for sale on the service’s web site. There is no cost involved, other than a percentage of sales.
 
Yes, both descriptions are oversimplified for the sake of brevity.
 
Two reasons self-publishing is best for me: First, it is much faster (traditional = 2 to 6 years, self-publishing = a few days to a few weeks). Second, self-publishing allows far more creative control (including editing and cover design).
 
I want people to read my stories now. I am 55 years old and simply not willing to wait years. I also love being in control of the design of the covers of my novels, not to mention the plot, tone, pacing, and voice. I can set the price. I can have promotions and giveaways. I can switch to a new cover design. I can make improvements to the text and upload them to replace previous versions.
 
When I finish the sequel to Diffusion and Infusion, it will take about a week to make it available to readers (by the way, the title of the third book will be PROFUSION!).
 
Think you cannot become successful by self-publishing? Hugh Howey, Joe Konrath, and a growing number of best-selling self-published authors might disagree.
 
Bottom line: For me, self-publishing is best, hands-down. It’s faster, and you have more control.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Stan's Cogitations

    Everyone needs a creative outlet. That's why I write.

    Subscribe to my newsletter for even more fun stuff!

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    February 2017
    December 2016
    September 2016
    June 2016
    March 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015

    RSS Feed