Note from the editor: Below is the text of an email I received from a member of My Memoir Education asking about which was best: self-publish or traditional route. I have edited it for brevity and to preserve the writer’s anonymity. Dear Denis, I finally finished my manuscript. What a long journey it has been! […]

Note from the editor: Below is the text of an email I received from a member of My Memoir Education asking about which was best: self-publish or traditional route. I have edited it for brevity and to preserve the writer’s anonymity.

Dear Denis, I finally finished my manuscript. What a long journey it has been! I think it is in good shape, and I am ready to publish. However, I am finding deciding on the next step to be quite challenging.

I have received conflicting advice: some people have suggested that I find a literary agent who would then find a publisher for me to go the traditional route; others have said that this traditional route—agent or publishing house—has little chance of success unless I have a large social media following for the company to market to so I would better do the self-publishing route.

What are your thoughts on the subject?

Dear writer,

My own experience has been with self-publishing so whatever I can tell you is going to be colored by that choice.

Finding an agent

I believe a regular route for many writers is to publish with small house first and, when they have a track record, to then look for an agent. You are not however there in your publication history to be ready for the larger houses—possible but not probable.

My reading and my contacts tell me that finding an agent can be just as time-consuming as finding a publishing house. Agents, of course, live by their book sales and so they cannot be faulted for holding out for books they believe will earn them money.

Recently, I communicated with two writer acquaintances who have gone the traditional route, albeit with small publishers rather than the large publishers. In the first instance, the writer has had two books go “dead” at two publishing houses. At one house, the book simply seems to have gone into a sinkhole while, at the other, the book started well but then the publisher had a change of direction that did not include the topic of my friend’s book and that second book has also “died.” In both cases, he does not have access to book rights to take over the sale of the books. The publishers continue to hold on tightly to those rights. In effect, he has lost several years of work.

The second writer I communicated with had a more upbeat experience with her small publisher which puts out about 20 books a year. She told me that, for the first three months after her books were launched, they were supported in advertising, print promotion (mailings to bookstores and libraries), readings and trade shows. After six months max, however, the books were placed in back lists and there, without her own promotion, they would languish. While her publisher did arrange for several speaking engagements in the first few months, it soon became apparent to her that she would have to do all additional bookings herself. It must be said that this woman is very energetic in finding and delivering public events.

So when I asked her the self-publish or traditional route question, if she had to do most of the work herself, why did she go with the small publisher instead of self-publishing? She said it was because they were able to take her manuscript and turn it into a book without her having to involve herself directly—or pay others to do the work. Secondly, she is able to buy books from the publisher and resell at a profit without incurring the expense of publication. The resale price is not the printing cost. The publisher sells to her at a higher price—one can then conclude that she is, in fact, paying the publication price every time.

Self publishing

For me, the attraction of self-publication lies in several areas

• I can be responsible for the entire look of the book—inside and out. I control my branding.
• I am the one who sets up production schedules. I’m never in a situation where I have to alter my schedule to meet the publisher’s.
• Since I am doing all the promotion, I am in charge of ramping it up or toning it down.

A shot at the big time

Working with a large publisher (PenguinRandom House, etc.) will certainly give you a shot at the big time. Stephen King and James Patterson, for instance, would not have the careers they have had they not gone with big publishers. True, but unless we are writing horror stories, adventure tales or romances, most of us do not have much of a future as best-selling writers. So unless your book has something about it that you feel, with some backup research, will speak to a large audience, then your book, if accepted, will simply languish in a large publishing house.

I have read that, of ten books published by large publishers, two will make money two will break even and six will lose money. After a few months, it is understandable that large publishers will simply terminate the relationship with the eight books that are not earning them money. We tend to think of ourselves as being part of the two that will make money – but that is probably not the case. This might help answer the dilemma or self-publish or traditional route.

So, the eight writers who are dropped have wasted years of their lives writing? In some ways yes—unless they can get rights back and promote their books themselves. People may ask why would they be successful when the large publishers were not? I believe the answer lies in the saying that “no one will wipe your baby’s tush with as much love and attention as you will.” The same is true of your book. No one will care as much about the future of your memoir as you do. You will not give up; you will continue to hustle it. No one will keep promoting your book over time as fervently as you will.

In the case of my friend who went with a small publisher and buys books which she resells, you have someone who has taken on the best aspects of self-publishing. This might work for you. Just remember that it was the publisher who chose the layout in the book cover and the inside not her. I love being able to make these decisions on my own.

With print-on-demand publication, it is now possible for an author such as yourself to order a print of ten, fifty, or a hundred books from the printer and resell these at events. There is no longer any need for a self-published writer to have to order one thousand or two thousand books necessary to get a good price per book for the printing—and have them stored beneath your bed! Print on demand has eliminated that need for a huge layout which was the biggest obstacle to self publication.

In conclusion: self-publish or traditional route?

I do not know the answer for you. Only you can know what feels best. I do not feel, certainly, that self-publishing is a fearful experience.