There have been so many changes to publishing lately, especially with Amazon, in the last several years. The good news, though, is that no one has to go without publishing a book. The amount of opportunity for your voice to be heard is really beautiful!
There was a time when publishing was only for the victors, and there were a lot of voices that got lost. Today, I could purchase an ISBN tonight and, in 24 hours on Amazon, have an e-book. It gives authors a lot of power.
But when figuring out how to publish your book, you probably have many questions! Keep reading to discover the differences between Indie (Self), Traditional, and Hybrid Publishing.
1. Indie Publishing
My latest book, Divine Turbulence with Gary Lee Price, was Indie-published. We know that, eventually, this will be picked up by a traditional publisher because Gary is the famous sculptor of the Statue of Responsibility and thousands of other works of art. However, Gary wanted two things in publishing his book: 1.) to protect his intellectual property and 2.) that the proceeds of the book go to the Statue of Responsibility nonprofit. As an artist, it was important to him to have more say about where his story is shared and how it gets out in the world.
When you indie-publish your book, you take on the responsibility of writing, editing, formatting, designing, and marketing your book. This is often done with the help of service providers, such as Inspired Legacy Publishing.
While indie publishing offers creative freedom, it also could present challenges such as the need for self-motivation, financial investment, and competition in the crowded marketplace.
But Indie-publishing also has benefits! You’ll have complete control over your work, including artistic direction, cover design, pricing, and distribution. You are not bound by the preferences and decisions of traditional publishers.
2. Traditional Publishing
Traditional Publishing is the conventional process for bringing your book to market through established publishing houses.
When I was working with Rebecca Musser on The Witness Wore Red, she was going up against a prophet and pedophile. There was national coverage of the trials. It was a big reveal story that would work best for traditional publishing because people across the nation were fascinated with people breaking free from polygamy.
Once you sign a contract with a traditional publisher, your book may take months or even years to hit the stands. Traditional publishers are highly competitive. Only a small percentage of submitted manuscripts get accepted. They also expect their authors to have between 30,000 and 50,000 followers on their social media channels.
Traditional Publishing is known for its prestige and validation. It carries a certain level of credibility in the literary world. It also means that you have professional editing and design, broader distribution, and advance payment. Publishers also invest in marketing and promotional efforts to help the book reach a larger audience.
3. Choices in Publishing, Including Self-Publishing
There is also a third option that I call Hybrid Publishing, meaning that the author uses different types of publishing, depending on what benefit they are seeking at that time.
For example, an author may have a book with a Traditional Publisher every couple of years. Then, they’re seen on big stages (10,000+ arenas) and indie or self-publish a book that gets sold in the arena, so they have more control over the timing and the sales. We often see this from people like Tony Robbins and Brendon Burchard.
They are deciding what their focus is with the book and making a decision on the best way to publish this particular book. They often self-publish with their own team, or will hire a hybrid publishing company that does exceptionally professional publishing and launching, but in a time frame that is much quicker than traditional publishing.
No Right Or Wrong Way to Publish!
As you can see, there are several options for publishing! It depends on timing, the big vision of your book, how big your following is, and what doors you want this book to open.
There is simply no right or wrong way to publish your book. The beautiful news for every author is that for a high-quality book, there are many avenues to have your voice heard, and make the impact you deserve.