 Hello, hello, writers. I'm Kristen Kiefer, author of fantasy fiction and creative writing resources. And you are listening to the Well-Sturried podcast, where I share insights, encouragement, and actionable advice designed to help you craft sensational novels and build your best writing life. Always in 30 minutes or less, so you can get back to writing, of course. Ready for the show? Let's get talking. Writers, grab a cup of coffee, settled in, and let's get started with today's episode of the Well-Sturried podcast. I'm your host, Kristen Kiefer, and today is Monday, July 3rd, 2017. If you are considering which publishing path is right for you, pursuing a traditional book deal or going the self-publishing route, then today's episode on the pros and cons of self-publishing your fiction is going to be a great listen. If you would like to read along as you listen in, simply head on over to well-sturried.com slash self-pub-pros. I'll leave that link for you in today's episode description. All right, without any further ado, let's dive in. Think you might like to self-publish your book? Great. There are many valid reasons to opt out of the traditional publishing industry in favor of sharing your work independently. But to truly ensure that self-publishing is right for you, it's important to understand the advantages and disadvantages of both publication paths. In today's episode, we're going to explore the pros and cons of independent publishing, the chosen path to publication for millions of writers worldwide, myself included. You can also check out our episode on the pros and cons of pursuing a traditional book deal using the link in today's episode transcript. All set? Good, let's get started. By first talking about the advantages of self-publishing. Just as one man's trash is another man's treasure, the pros and cons of traditional and independent publishing can be somewhat subjective. Nevertheless, here are nine reasons that many writers are drawn to the idea of self-publishing their work. The first advantage? Complete creative control. Traditional publishing is an industry, which means most publishers are far more concerned with a book's marketability than with the author's creative vision. Often, this leaves traditionally published authors with little to no say over their book's title, cover design, or back cover blurb. A publisher may even insist upon manuscript revisions that authors aren't comfortable making. This is an understandably appalling reality for many writers. No author on earth wants their literary drama wrapped up in pink glitter or their favorite emotional subplot cut for the sake of slicing off more zombie heads. Thankfully, independent authors don't have to worry about sacrificing their creative visions for misguided marketability. Writers who choose to self-publish retain full creative control over the content and presentation of their stories. Advantage number two? A handpicked publishing team. Speaking of creative control, self-published authors have the responsibility of handpicking their publishing team, that is, the freelance editors, cover designers, formatters, etc., who will work on their book. While some writers might see this responsibility as a burden, others will sleep better at night knowing they have full control over who they work with to bring their stories to life. Advantage number three? Higher royalty rates. Traditionally published authors typically take home 15 to 25% of their book's revenue after the book earns out, meaning after sales exceed the initial advance they receive upon signing their book deal. And that's before their literary agent takes their own 15% cut. So when all is said and done, a traditionally published author may earn as little as 12.5 cents for every dollar their book rakes in. It's no wonder that many writers are drawn to these 60 to 80% royalty rates that self-published authors typically enjoy. Advantage number four? Little to no deadline stress. Publishers maintain fairly strict publication timelines via deadlines by which authors must submit completed drafts of their manuscripts. And while it isn't uncommon for authors to request deadline extensions from time to time, the stress of consistently producing work on deadline regardless of extenuating circumstances can be exhausting. Self-published authors enjoy much more leeway. The only deadlines they ever have to meet are the ones they set for themselves. And even then they can always readjust to accommodate for any curveballs that life or the creative process throws their way. Advantage number five? A much quicker publishing process. Despite strict deadlines, the traditional publishing process can actually be quite slow. After inking their book deal, an author may not see their book on shelves for another two to three years. Talk about a frustrating wait. Self-publishers, on the other hand, can list their books online as soon as their files are ready to go. Editing and production may take a few months, but the ability to hit submit and see your book on shelves within 48 hours? Priceless. Advantage number six? No gatekeeping or rejection. Most traditionally published authors spend years querying their manuscripts before landing an agent or a book deal, making that long publication timeline even longer. Never mind the emotional toll of so much rejection. It's no wonder that many writers are drawn to self-publishing. The ability to publish what you want, when you want, with no questions asked, is infinitely attractive to those who simply want to get on with the business of writing. Advantage number seven? More frequent paydays. Most traditionally published authors receive royalty payouts twice a year, whereas self-published authors earn monthly royalties. When it comes to organizing one's personal finances, need I say more? Advantage number eight? Maintaining your rights. When an author inks a book deal, they sell the rights to their manuscript to a publisher for a set amount of time. This exchange isn't without risk. A number of circumstances can leave a contract in limbo, with the book unpublished and the author unable to regain their rights for months or even years. Meanwhile, self-published authors never sign away their rights, so they don't have to worry about the possibility of being left in a creative lurch. Finally, advantage number nine? Greater opportunity for niche publishing. Marketability is a publisher's number one concern, meaning that authors may struggle to nap book deals if their manuscripts fall into niche subgenres or contain storylines that aren't considered mainstream. On the flip side, most of self-publishing's key advantages can be summarized in a single word. Freedom. And that certainly applies to the freedom to publish whatever you enjoy writing, no matter how out there or unpopular it may be. But of course, no publishing path is without its disadvantages, so let's talk about the disadvantages of self-publishing your fiction next. Subjectivity be damned. Here are eight reasons that many writers shy away from the creative freedoms that self-publishing has to offer. First up, and most likely the biggest, the upfront costs. Self-publish writers can earn such high royalty rates because they don't have publishers who shoulder the upfront costs of publication for them. Instead, every dollar required to produce their book comes out of their own pocket. While one can certainly self-publish on the cheap or even for free, producing a high quality book that readers will actually want to buy doesn't come cheap. Most independent authors spend between one and five thousand dollars before their book ever hits shelves, and upfront costs that traditionally published authors simply don't incur. Disadvantage number two, finding a reputable publishing team. The ability to handpick your publishing team, editors, your cover designer, interior formatter, and so on, is both a blessing and a curse. Finding reputable sources that work within your genre, fit your budget, and have availability in their schedules can be difficult, and the process is only complicated by the host of scam companies and poorly trained freelancers who loudly tout their services online. If you're looking to get started with building your reputable publishing team, I recommend checking out the free download linked in today's episode transcript. If you're looking for reputable sources, however, you may enjoy checking out the free download included in the article that corresponds with this podcast episode. The ultimate self-publishing toolkit is a directory of editing, formatting, cover design, and distribution options for self-published authors that won't have you wanting to tear out your hair as you seek to put your publishing team and publishing plan into action. But back to our disadvantages of self-publishing. Number three, potential financial loss. Because self-published authors pay upfront to produce their books, they may face financial loss if they fail to recoup their expenses via sales. This isn't a concern that traditionally published authors ever have to face given that their publisher covers all production costs for them. Disadvantage number four, self-publishing stigma. Most readers now buy books online, and very few take the time to determine whether or not a book is self-published. So long as a book is professionally produced and has an engaging blurb, readers are likely to gobble it up. Nevertheless, independent authors still face some degree of stigma concerning the legitimacy of their work, and that stigma can be easy to internalize. I talk at length about how self-publishing stigma can impact writer's egos in our episode on determining which publishing path is right for you. You can find the link to that included in today's episode transcript. Disadvantage number five, no agent support. Literary agents don't just negotiate book deals. They help authors forge their writing careers by providing advice and encouragement, fighting for their financial and legal rights, and pushing for valuable subsidiary contracts. Without external support, some self-published authors may find it difficult to formulate a strong game plan for publishing success, as well as to expand their books' reach into foreign language markets and other subsidiary streams. Disadvantage number six, less opportunity for acclaim. When most writers dream of successful writing careers, they envision their books on shelves worldwide, translated into a dozen languages. Then there are the bestseller lists, the book tours, the literary awards, and the adaptations. While most of these possibilities are indeed available to independent authors, they are also highly, highly improbable. Self-publishing success typically has more to do with sales figures and financial stability than it does with literary acclaim. Disadvantage number seven, the stress of running a business. Building a career as a self-published author is very much an entrepreneurial act. The author is the brand, their books are the products, and readers are their customers. Every aspect of the small business, from product development to production, marketing, and financial accounting, is in the author's hands. And that can be an exhausting reality. While traditionally published authors face some of this responsibility, the extent to which they must operate entrepreneurially is limited by the aid of their literary agent and publisher. And finally, disadvantage number eight, waiting through a sea of fiction. While publishers can actively work to position a promising book as visibly as possible on the market, self-published authors don't have this advantage. Sure, they can select the genre, subgenre, and age market by which an online retailer will categorize their book, but otherwise, where their book is shelved online is largely determined by algorithms that rely on sales figures, ratings, and author rank, all of which debut authors don't yet have. So, in simpler terms, no matter how high quality a self-published author's debut book may be, it'll still have to wade through a sea of low quality fiction as it fights to gain readers' attention. Without any form of platform or pre-launch marketing in place, this can make earning those first few sales a nearly impossible task. Overall, self-publishing certainly has its advantages and disadvantages. While higher royalty rates and creative control can be especially alluring, the expense and difficulty of operating as a business can lead many authors to choose traditional publishing over the independent path. Think self-publishing might be right for you? Before you commit, make sure to consider the pros and cons of pursuing a career in the traditional publishing industry. You may also wish to check out the other articles and episodes in our publishing blog series, which you can find at well-storied.com-publishing. No matter which path you choose, I wish you nothing but success in your publishing journey, writer. Thank you for listening to today's episode of The Podcast, writer. I hope you found it helpful to your writing journey. If so, make sure to subscribe to the podcast so you never miss a new episode, and to give the podcast a quick rating or review. Doing so goes a long way toward helping the podcast reach new writers and lets me know that you're enjoying what I'm creating. You can also give me a shout out directly on Instagram at christen underscore keeper. For additional guidance as you work to craft sensational novels and build your best writing life, be sure to head on over to www.well-storied.com, where I share blog posts, workbooks, e-courses, and other helpful resources for writers. Again, that's www.well-storied.com. Thank you again for tuning into today's episode, my friend. Until next time, happy writing!