Why I didn't wait for a book deal to publish Writing through Fear. Here's a thorough overview of the pros and cons of traditional vs independent publishing.
Each publishing option has its pros and cons. It's really a matter of weighing the available opportunities and the amount of time, money, and energy you're able to put in--not into your writing, but into your publishing efforts. I doubt that most authors would turn down a Big 5 offer, but it comes with challenges of its own and consequences that are mostly out of your control. Self-pub has the same issues in reverse. And small press is a combination of the two. In the end, each writer must decide what they want and what they're willing to give--or give up. The opening line from a great article about publishing with small presses says it all: "If you want to hear a writer complain, publish her." Read more at https://www.clereviewofbooks.com/writing/art-over-numbers
Hahaha- great line, Judith! Thanks for sharing this link and article.
Everyone will enjoy hearing my conversation with Judith on the Secret Library where we go more in-depth into the big vs smaller press experience as Judith has had both experiences:
This was an amazing interview with great questions. It resonated with me because I've done all three: indie pub, Big 5 and self-pubbing. Some of my friends have gone with Regal too so it's interesting to hear about that experience. Eager to check out Judith's book.
Wonderful interview on the podcast. Enjoyed your positive attitude about marketing and how authors shouldn't apologize for getting the word out. Your book also sounds fascinating. Our experiences are similar in that I've done Big 5 and an indie press. I have three friends with Regal, and one, Mindy Friddle, is pubbing very soon.
Thank you, Karen! Well done trying all three options and fun to hear you know others published at Regal. You’ll enjoy Judith’s book, for sure — it’s a great one.
Karen, thanks. I try to be positive about my publishing experiences across the board. I've learned a lot, and isn't that what life is ultimately about? Mindy Friddle is great, as are all the authors I've met through Regal House. What a journey it's been, right?!
Thanks so much, Bill. I truly don’t feel there’s a right or wrong in this area, only a path that may or may not achieve the goals the writer has. And those goals are often different than we expected once we dig a little deeper.
This was very interesting. Thank you for sharing your experiences. What do you think about hybrid publishing? I talked to one last week and although I liked the lady I was shocked at the price she quoted me.
I’m thinking of self publishing my book. Can you recommend cover designers? 🙏
Hi Georgia, can you specify the hybrid model you were looking into? “Hybrid” is a term that gets used a lot, ranging from models like Scott Carney who published traditionally for print and eBook, but kept the audio rights, to presses that are pay-to-play, where they handle everything but you finance the process, which can be expensive and if it isn’t print-on-demand, may leave you having to buy a lot of books you may or may not be able to sell later. I’d proceed with caution.
As for cover designers, I worked with Jessica Bell, who is wonderful and does both fiction and nonfiction covers. Joanna Penn also has an excellent (and extensive) list of cover designers and resources here: https://www.thecreativepenn.com/bookcoverdesign/
Thank you so much. The hybrid publisher I was talking to was Greenleaf Press. I thought hybrid meant that they take some of the costs but the lowest she quoted me was 20k! So it seemed to me that I’d be paying for it all.
Oh wow - that is quite expensive. I didn't spend anywhere near that, even having the book edited and a cover professionally designed. I would explore additional options and make sure that's absolutely the place you want to work with before you commit. I don't know them personally, nor have I had any direct dealings with them, but that price sounds like there is a markup involved. I'd ask for a full price list of what that 20k gets you. Even if you published yourself and hired a PR person, I think you could still spend a good deal less.
This is a fascinating read. I know nothing really about publishing, only a lasting impression that anything I write I’d have to self publish, because I wound have no idea and no hope of getting it published by a publisher - big or small… my friend and I are self publishing children’s picture book that she has written and I have illustrated, mainly because we chose each other and didn’t want a publisher wanting to use one of their own illustrators. I have never had thoughts of being an author myself, until a story popped into my head that I would now like to write, regardless of whether anyone else ever wants to read it…! I’m just going to learn as I go! 🙈
Way to go, Emily! You’re absolutely right that going traditional makes it less likely that you’ll choose the illustrator. The one exception is that author/illustrators can get deals where they do both. More on this for anyone who’s interested can be found in interviews I’ve done with Heidi Fiedler and Jo Loring-Fisher, both of whom work on and write children’s books. Those interviews are here:
There is also the in-between solution of small presses. They are traditional publishers (not with the reach of the big 5). They don't pa advances but they handle editing, cover design, formatting, and distribution. Marketing is mostly on the author but unless you're a famous writer, that is also the case with big publishers. You don't get all the profit but you have less hassle....
Great point, Martine! If you want the editing, design, and formatting handled small presses are absolutely a solid option. In addition, smaller advances mean you earn them out faster and can sometimes publish more often. I know a writer who opted to change from a Big 5 to a smaller press because he wanted to publish a book annually rather than every other year, which was the timeline with the big 5 option due to earning out that advance.
I didn’t include this option in my consideration for this book because small presses also tend to have the longer turnaround time of big presses, not because of the huge number of titles, but because they have a smaller team, understandably. It didn’t feel like a match for this nonfiction book but I will absolutely be open to smaller presses for my fiction. There are many wonderful small presses and imprints for mystery in particular, so I’m excited to connect more with that world.
Thanks for this very balanced article on the pros and cons of both formats. I've done the trad and indie route and much prefer the latter.
Oh, fascinating, Karen— what do you like best about the indie route?
Each publishing option has its pros and cons. It's really a matter of weighing the available opportunities and the amount of time, money, and energy you're able to put in--not into your writing, but into your publishing efforts. I doubt that most authors would turn down a Big 5 offer, but it comes with challenges of its own and consequences that are mostly out of your control. Self-pub has the same issues in reverse. And small press is a combination of the two. In the end, each writer must decide what they want and what they're willing to give--or give up. The opening line from a great article about publishing with small presses says it all: "If you want to hear a writer complain, publish her." Read more at https://www.clereviewofbooks.com/writing/art-over-numbers
Hahaha- great line, Judith! Thanks for sharing this link and article.
Everyone will enjoy hearing my conversation with Judith on the Secret Library where we go more in-depth into the big vs smaller press experience as Judith has had both experiences:
https://www.book-alchemy.com/p/moving-from-a-big-5-publisher-to
This was an amazing interview with great questions. It resonated with me because I've done all three: indie pub, Big 5 and self-pubbing. Some of my friends have gone with Regal too so it's interesting to hear about that experience. Eager to check out Judith's book.
Wonderful interview on the podcast. Enjoyed your positive attitude about marketing and how authors shouldn't apologize for getting the word out. Your book also sounds fascinating. Our experiences are similar in that I've done Big 5 and an indie press. I have three friends with Regal, and one, Mindy Friddle, is pubbing very soon.
Thank you, Karen! Well done trying all three options and fun to hear you know others published at Regal. You’ll enjoy Judith’s book, for sure — it’s a great one.
Thank you!
Karen, thanks. I try to be positive about my publishing experiences across the board. I've learned a lot, and isn't that what life is ultimately about? Mindy Friddle is great, as are all the authors I've met through Regal House. What a journey it's been, right?!
Absolutely!!!
Nicely balanced presentation of what can sometimes be a contentious subject.
Thanks so much, Bill. I truly don’t feel there’s a right or wrong in this area, only a path that may or may not achieve the goals the writer has. And those goals are often different than we expected once we dig a little deeper.
This was very interesting. Thank you for sharing your experiences. What do you think about hybrid publishing? I talked to one last week and although I liked the lady I was shocked at the price she quoted me.
I’m thinking of self publishing my book. Can you recommend cover designers? 🙏
Hi Georgia, can you specify the hybrid model you were looking into? “Hybrid” is a term that gets used a lot, ranging from models like Scott Carney who published traditionally for print and eBook, but kept the audio rights, to presses that are pay-to-play, where they handle everything but you finance the process, which can be expensive and if it isn’t print-on-demand, may leave you having to buy a lot of books you may or may not be able to sell later. I’d proceed with caution.
Alternative models that might suit you are running a kickstarter to cover production costs, which Joanna Penn does with great success and describes in this post: https://www.thecreativepenn.com/2023/01/24/why-im-launching-my-book-on-kickstarter-and-not-on-the-usual-stores/
Greta Solomon also participated in a crowdfunding model that ended with a traditional pub deal that she explains in detail on this episode of The Secret Library podcast: https://www.book-alchemy.com/p/154-finding-fresh-language-a-new-8df?utm_source=publication-search
Hope these give you some ideas that suit you!
As for cover designers, I worked with Jessica Bell, who is wonderful and does both fiction and nonfiction covers. Joanna Penn also has an excellent (and extensive) list of cover designers and resources here: https://www.thecreativepenn.com/bookcoverdesign/
of designers here:
Thank you so much. The hybrid publisher I was talking to was Greenleaf Press. I thought hybrid meant that they take some of the costs but the lowest she quoted me was 20k! So it seemed to me that I’d be paying for it all.
Thank you for the links. I’ll look at them now.
Oh wow - that is quite expensive. I didn't spend anywhere near that, even having the book edited and a cover professionally designed. I would explore additional options and make sure that's absolutely the place you want to work with before you commit. I don't know them personally, nor have I had any direct dealings with them, but that price sounds like there is a markup involved. I'd ask for a full price list of what that 20k gets you. Even if you published yourself and hired a PR person, I think you could still spend a good deal less.
Yes. My thoughts exactly.
This is a fascinating read. I know nothing really about publishing, only a lasting impression that anything I write I’d have to self publish, because I wound have no idea and no hope of getting it published by a publisher - big or small… my friend and I are self publishing children’s picture book that she has written and I have illustrated, mainly because we chose each other and didn’t want a publisher wanting to use one of their own illustrators. I have never had thoughts of being an author myself, until a story popped into my head that I would now like to write, regardless of whether anyone else ever wants to read it…! I’m just going to learn as I go! 🙈
Way to go, Emily! You’re absolutely right that going traditional makes it less likely that you’ll choose the illustrator. The one exception is that author/illustrators can get deals where they do both. More on this for anyone who’s interested can be found in interviews I’ve done with Heidi Fiedler and Jo Loring-Fisher, both of whom work on and write children’s books. Those interviews are here:
Heidi: https://www.book-alchemy.com/p/23-heidi-fiedler-rocks-structure-bf0?utm_source=publication-search
Jo: https://www.book-alchemy.com/p/childrens-book-publishing-now-jo-a78
There is also the in-between solution of small presses. They are traditional publishers (not with the reach of the big 5). They don't pa advances but they handle editing, cover design, formatting, and distribution. Marketing is mostly on the author but unless you're a famous writer, that is also the case with big publishers. You don't get all the profit but you have less hassle....
Great point, Martine! If you want the editing, design, and formatting handled small presses are absolutely a solid option. In addition, smaller advances mean you earn them out faster and can sometimes publish more often. I know a writer who opted to change from a Big 5 to a smaller press because he wanted to publish a book annually rather than every other year, which was the timeline with the big 5 option due to earning out that advance.
I didn’t include this option in my consideration for this book because small presses also tend to have the longer turnaround time of big presses, not because of the huge number of titles, but because they have a smaller team, understandably. It didn’t feel like a match for this nonfiction book but I will absolutely be open to smaller presses for my fiction. There are many wonderful small presses and imprints for mystery in particular, so I’m excited to connect more with that world.
Thanks for filling this gap in the post!