Ramblings-n-Writings

The first post in Traditional Publishing vs. Self-Publishing series addresses the publishing process and promised to discuss some of the difficulties of self-publishing. I briefly mentioned the idea of marketing at the end of the post and would like to pick up there.

When an author publishes with a traditional publishing house, the basic marketing is already in place. The publisher promotes the book on its website, in its catalog, in other sources like magazines, and on other websites, such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble. They also typically provide authors with resources to create press releases, arrange book promotion events, and issue preview copies to start the book “buzz.”

As a self-publisher, all of that work would fall into the author’s lap. To me, if I wanted to be a successful author, I wouldn’t want to concentrate my time on marketing per se, which could very easily happen if I felt the necessity of selling a certain number of books to cover the costs of production. My concentration should be on starting the next manuscript, not figuring out the details to publish this one.

Think of it this way – do you know the qualifications and process for submitting a book to Amazon? It’s probably safe to say that most of us don’t. (I have a vague knowledge of the process simply because I work closely with a publisher, and if I remember right, it isn’t the easiest process.) Do you know how to obtain ISBN numbers and apply for copyright? What about submitting Library of Congress information? If you quote other sources in your manuscript, are you ready to request permission to use those sources? What are the recommended margins for a 6×9 book? How much of the edge of the cover will be lost in the trimming process? What’s the difference between 60 lb. text paper, 60 lb. cover paper, and 10 pt. cover? Do I want a printer who uses a sheet fed press or a web press? What should the book price be? Wow! The list could go on, but every one of those questions is one a self-publisher must ask and are all questions a traditional publisher will handle for the author. How much time do you have to invest in educating yourself about the nitty-gritty details of publishing?

Another factor to consider in self-publishing is the cost. In self-publishing, the author must pay for all services; traditional publishers pay you to use them. Self-publishing costs include hiring an editor, a designer, and a printer. If you prefer to design your own book and cover, replace the cost of the designer with the cost of software. Some printers are very specific about the types of files they will accept, so the self-publisher may need to spend $500-1500 on software. If that’s the case, also consider the cost of time to learn to use the software efficiently. Some will opt to use programs already available such as Microsoft Word, which is fine, but realize the options for layout are extremely limited in Word (yes, this is the designer in me speaking out for the usage of true design software, not word processing turned designer). While I’m not sure what the current printing costs are for books, I do know that a substantive edit of a 250-page manuscript can easily start at $1000, if not higher depending on the editor’s experience. Should every manuscript have a substantive edit? Yes!!!

Another minor factor to consider when self-publishing is storage of books. Do you have some place to store 5,000 books or however many you would like to publish? Can you keep detailed sales records and inventory? Will you be able to afford re-printing when the first stash runs out or did the first printing drain the bank account?

So, if self-publishing is beginning to seem like less of an option, what options do you have? That seems like a great question for another post!

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