Publishing – Your Choice

Today I'm going to talk about publishing, be it Traditional, Small Press or Self-Publishing.  And I'm going to apologize ahead of time in case I start to rant.  This has been a hot button for me lately.

I'm going to state this up front, there is no right or wrong in publishing no matter which options you pursue. 

It is your choice.  I'm going to repeat that your choice.

Over the last few months I've seen more and more blog posts that if you go Traditional you don't know what you're doing, same for Self-Publishing, not very much about Small Press.

Everyone has their own reasons for doing what they're doing with their publishing careers, but no one is stupid, an idiot, doesn't know what they're doing, etc. because they've chosen one area of publishing over another.

Self-Publishing is up and coming, only because Amazon has made it so with their KDP program.  Some authors are making lots of money, getting recognition from Tradition publishers, even Amazon's own publishing arm.  And there are authors who are not. There are horror stories and outstanding success stories. And authors have to be prepared to front money up front for content editing, copy editing, cover art and even possibly having someone create all the files for all the e-readers out there.

Small Press not a lot is being said for these publishers, these are e-publishers who have established business.  Most of their authors put out e-books only with some POD (print on demand).  Again, there are authors making lots of money, getting recognition from publishers and authors who are not.  There are horror stories and outstanding success stories. The author usually does not pay the small press publisher a dime, the author makes their money on royalties, although some small presses do give an advance.

Traditional publishing, this is the tried and true method of publishing. Traditional publishing has the distribution that Self-Publishing and some of the Small Press do not.  In many cases, world-wide distribution. Again, some authors make lots of money, others do not.  There are horror stories and outstanding success stories. Here authors make their money on the advance, and once the advance is earned out then royalties.

I am currently with a Small Press publisher, and I'm still pursuing Traditional publishing.  I've had dozen of people tell me, "don't go Traditional, and give up your Small Press just do KDP." 

Sorry but that's not for me at this time.  There is nothing wrong with KDP, Amazon's business model works for them.  It doesn't work for me.  I have a pretty good idea of what I want out of my writing career, at this point in time, and Self-Publishing isn't it.

Self-Publishing maybe for other people, and that's fine.  But it is my choice on what I do.  I'm really tired of people saying, "Do this, do that, you're stupid if you don't, etc."

I am a small business, I've research Self-Publishing, Traditional and Small Press.  I know where my stories fit and who my audience is. I'm well aware of contract pitfalls, what to look out for and the knowledge of how the publishers pay. And I was always taught that money flows to the author not from the author, with Self-Publishing I would have to pay cost up front (content editing, copy editing, cover artists) before I even put my work out and them hope I can make back that money.

This is my responsibility as a small business, to keep my small business going, I have to weigh the pros and cons of the choices I make.  Again my choices.  I've seen so many people in the last few weeks not taking responsibility for their choices in publishing and bemoaning the facts when things don't go their way.

Who you publish with is your choice, no one else's.  What you decided to do is not wrong or right, it's your choice.

Publishing is fluid, it is changing daily.  I don't have problems with anyone's publishing choices, for they are your choice, just don't tell me I'm wrong because I've chosen to follow my own path.