Why I Chose Indie Publishing {Guest Post by Jenna Terese}

[image error]

Today we have a guest poster talking about something very near and dear to my heart … why she chose indie publishing! Jenna Terese is listing pros & cons of self- and traditional publishing as well as her personal reasons for the decision.

Meanwhile, I’m up on Mt. Hood. I mean … *glances at watch* … not quite yet. But I will be soon! So if I don’t reply to your comments right off, that’s probably why.

No more delays. On to the post!

[image error]

Why I Chose Indie Publishing

A lot of writers are confused as to which publishing path to choose. Traditional? Indie (also called self-publishing)? There are a lot of opinions out there, and they can just confuse the matter further.

Even worse, some writers write off indie as “not real publishing.” Unfortunately, some still cling to the idea that indie publishing is where you go if you couldn’t make it in the “real world.” They think the self-publishing side is filled with people who couldn’t get an agent or publishing house, who aren’t good writers, and who put out awful books.

Sadly, this used to be the case. But that was many years ago. Indie-publishing is different now. It’s changed. People are making a good go at it, some doing just as good or better than traditionally published authors.

As you might have been able to tell, I am partial to indie-publishing. I am not published yet, but I chose indie publishing.

I am by no means trying to put down traditional publishing, authors that are traditionally published, or writers who want to go that route. These are just my opinions and advice for you, because I care about those stories that you’re writing. I want them to reach the world in the best possible way.

THE PROS AND CONS OF TRADITIONAL PUBLISHING
Pros

The experience of the publishing house. You have industry experts here, with years and years of combined experience ready to hone your book into an awesome product.

More resources. Publishing houses have more resources and connections to market your book well and get it out there in front of readers.

You’re left to just write. This is a big pro for some people, if you don’t want to be bothered with a lot of the business side of publishing and want to be left to just create.

The status of an “actually published author.” Sadly, if you go indie, a lot of people won’t see you as a real published author. Even though people’s minds are changing, it’s a sad truth that still lingers.

You don’t have to pay any upfront costs. You don’t have to pay a formatter, cover designer, editor, anything. Publishers’ in-house experts do these things for you.

Cons

Gatekeepers. It can be really hard to get into the traditional publishing world. I’m sure you’ve heard it all before; writers getting rejection after rejection for years. Those popular stories that are so great, had to go through a long chain of rejections first.

It’s a really long process. The long process of getting a traditional book out there can take years. It can make it hard to follow the trends in the market and publish when a book would be most successful.

You only get a small share of the profits. I don’t want to sound greedy here, but this point pretty much speaks for itself. But coupled with the experience and marketing abilities of the publishing house, it’s still possible to make good money.

You don’t really own your story anymore. Once you sign that contract (of course, the contracts probably vary somewhat), you don’t own your story like you would if you went indie. You can’t do what you want with it. Ultimately, the final decisions are not up to you, but the publisher.

PROS AND CONS OF INDIE PUBLISHING
Pros

There are no gatekeepers! You have the advantage of speed! There’s nobody holding you back from publishing your book in the indie world. You have the freedom to publish as quickly as you’d like, and can follow the trends of what’s most popular to get better sales.

You keep the profits. All that money is for you.