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Even before I decided to seriously peruse writing, I dreamed of being a traditionally published author. I wanted nothing more than to be signed to one of the big named publishing houses - but recently, that's all changed.
Don't get me wrong, if the opportunity ever presents itself (in the right way) I'll hop on it, but it's no longer my "dream". Truth is, with the right marketing, a little bit of luck, and a whole lot of hard work & support, self-publishing can not only be more satisfying, but it can be a lot more lucrative too. Here's a few reasons why I've recently arrived at this conclusion.
I Can (possibly) Do Better By Myself. Quiet as kept, the publishing industry has long been a racist market. Whether it's unintentional or by design really doesn't matter. Just this year, black twitter exploded with authors telling their truths about writing while black with the now popular hashtag, #PublishingPaidMe. You can read about it here for yourself. If you don't have time, don't worry, here's a few receipts.
Even without all the unfair treatment, it's common knowledge that the author usually takes home the smallest piece of the pie. After editing, marketing, agents, and whatever other expenses get their cut, you're left with whatever's left. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that "whatever's left" usually isn't anything to write home about. Unlike traditional publishing, self publishing allows the author to make more and enjoy more freedom with their project.
I Like to Break the Rules. Speaking of freedom, I like to break the rules. While I understand some things are in place for good reason, I'm all about the push back. A lot of guidelines are FAR too rigid for my taste. For example, why does a romance novel have to be between 80,000 and 100,000 words? My personal rule is that I write until the story is done. If I can complete a romance in less words (likely because I omitted a lot of fluff that didn't matter & was simply added to hit a word count) why not? Quality over quantity.
I Want Control. Did you know that even some of the most successful authors don't get to pick their own cover art? 😮 You mean to tell me I can come up with an idea, create the characters, plot, scenery, etc., write the story & make various edits, but when it comes to choosing a picture to represent what I wrote, that's too much? Yeah OK. 😒 I've never had a problem listening to suggestions and considering other peoples opinions. However, when it comes to MY work, I want the last say, even if that say is simply telling someone they're right and I like their idea better.
I Can Manage My Timeline. Just because you've finished your book doesn't mean that it gets released right away. The average time from from producing a edited book to it being available in stores is 24 months. That's a long time! In 24 months, your fresh new idea just might become redundant. With self publishing, after a book is edited, it can literally appear on the market within 72 hours - that's more my speed. After a book is done, I want to get it to readers as soon as possible and hope they will enjoy it.
Lately, these reasons have become more prominent, causing me to nearly abandon my desire of being traditionally published. Old desires are sometimes hard to shake, so I can't say that I would never go the traditional route. If I'm completely honest, I already have the story with the query letter typed up and ready to go 😜, but still. I would have to genuinely consider if it's the right move. There's pro's and con's to everything, but I lean more towards self-publishing every day.
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