On Publishing

I've just finished the third draft of what will end up being my second self-published book, and I was just thinking over the publishing options again and why, to me, self publishing is the only sensible route for 99% of new authors. When I completed a much earlier draft of Space Junk than the one that exists now, I shopped it around to agents and publishers in hopes of hitting that lucky break most first time authors dream of. But as time has passed, I'm grateful none of them accepted it.

I reiterate, this is my opinion, and I expect some people have had a lot of luck with traditional publishers. But unless you're an established entity with a built-in following, I can't see how it makes any sense to follow that route. From what I understand (based on what author accounts I've found), even in the unlikely event that you get signed by a publisher as an unknown author, what you can expect is a couple thousand dollars advance (to be paid back through sales), editing, cover art, and placement in book stores. But the things you're giving up are far more valuable - creative control over content and cover, publishing rights and the ability to ensure your book stays in print, and the lion's share of any profit made (I've been led to understand that a new author will make less than 10% on an ebook sale through a traditional publisher vs. upwards of 60% self-publishing on Amazon or other online platforms). What about marketing, you might ask. Again, from what I gather, publishers will provide virtually zero marketing for an unknown author. So, the hardest part for most writers is still up to them.

You have to do some work to find an editor and cover artist, but it's worth some money and internet sleuthing to have your book turn out the way you want, rather than what some executive thinks is going to sell (in other words, an inferior version of whatever the top seller currently happens to be). You will also miss out on getting in book stores, but in a world in which most sales are already made online, it's a small price to pay to keep ownership over your work. Remember, by publishing yourself, you can reap the benefits directly for as long as you decide to make your book available. Even if you're only selling a tiny amount, it will always have a chance to find its audience. Maybe I'm missing something important to this equation and will be severely corrected. But I'm just calling it like I sees it...