When an author is done writing their book, the question that comes to their mind is, which publishing path should I choose, traditional or self-publishing?
Many authors are confused about choosing the right publishing path. Hence, they end up making the wrong decision. Therefore, when they want to publish their book, it is important for them to know about the major differences between self-publishing and traditional publishing.
There are several differences between traditional publishing and self-publishing. But, the one major difference between the two is rights and royalties. In the self-publishing process, the author owns the rights and royalties of their book. On the other hand, in traditional publishing, the publishing company takes all the rights and royalties of the book. Moreover, in both of these paths, book publishing experts will help you publish and promote your book.
So, in order to make the best decision for publishing your book, you need to look at the differences between self-publishing and traditional publishing.
Self-Publishing
In the self-publishing process, the author needs to pay an upfront cost to publish their book. They can have full rights and royalties but have a small distribution channel compared to traditional publishing. However, several publishing houses are now trying to match the offerings of traditional publishing.ย
The biggest advantage you get in this publishing service is that you have the entire control over the process. If you want to do everything according to your choice, self-publishing is how you can design and publish your book how you want.
The creative control you have over the process includes layout, book cover design, and many more. You can have several services to assist you in making your book a bestseller, such as promotional packages, professional editing, etc. Hence, you can make the final decisions at every process step.ย
Traditional Publishing
Traditional publishing takes control over the entire book publishing process, giving the author less chance to be creative. Hence, it can be frustrating for the author if he wants to get involved at every step and wants to add his vision to the book.
Traditional publishers tell the story to the audience in a way they think will get more attention. Because of this reason, your manuscript will be changed by the publishing team that you donโt typically agree with or even accept the book cover you have not picked for your book.ย
But, on the positive side, you do not require any big following to sell more copies because traditional companies usually have a big distribution network. Moreover, an anonymous author can sell several copies of their book with the help of a traditional publisher.
Difference Between Traditional Publishing And Self-Publishing
| Traditional Publishing | Self-Publishing | |
Cost |
Traditional companies do not charge any money from the authors. These traditional publishers just want your book to succeed, as they take a significant portion of money from the bookโs sales. Traditional companies do not ask for an upfront payment from the authors. | Self-publishing authors pay a thousand bucks from their pocket to publish their books. Every step of book cover design, costs, development, production, marketing, and distribution has its specific price. The money spent on these things is never recouped. Comparing the self-publishing process with the traditional one, you will have to pay for each service. |
Rights And
|
In traditional publishing, when an author signs a contract, they typically sell all the rights to their book. This means that when the author sells all the rights to their books, they cannot sell, republish, or use the material anywhere else. So, do you want to lose complete control over what you have put your efforts into? | In self-publishing, the authors usually get high royalty rates. This means you can make more money than the traditional publishing process if you have similar book sales. |
Time Of Publishing Process |
Once you have completed writing your book, you are willing to see it in bookstores and libraries. In the traditional publishing process, if you hire an agent to publish your book, it can take a year or two to complete the work. | When you get your book published through the self-publishing process to get good-quality production, including editing, proofreading, cover design, etc., an author can self-publish a book in fewer weeks or months. |
Control Over The Process |
Traditional publishers control how the book will be presented, such as the book cover design, title, blurb, and how and where it will be marketed. Sometimes, publishers change the manuscript and modify the vision of the story the author has created. Many authors do not appreciate this, and that is why they move towards the self-publishing process. | One of the potential benefits that author gets when they choose to hire a self-publishing company. Authors can retain full control over the book. Compared to the traditional book publishing process, in self-publishing, you can have opinions over your book content, the title of the book, the book cover design, and where and how your book will be marketed. |
Credibilityย |
Authors who traditionally publish their books hold prestige as they are connected to publishing houses. Bookstore managers usually support traditionally published authors as compared to independent self-published authors. | Bookstore managers typically shun self-publishing authors for promoting their books. They also receive cold behavior from the media that refuse to interview them, organize a book signing event for them, or agents give them marketing help. |
Final Thoughts!
It is up to the author to choose between traditional publishing or self-publishing. These paths provide you with book publishing experts to publish your book effectively. When the author wants to publish their book having full over the process, they select self-publishing. But, if they want to sell more copies of their book and gain credibility, they frequently go for self-publishing. Therefore, the author needs to look at the pros and cons of both before making the final decision.ย
