Decide

Happy Monday!

Sorry I didn’t post many pictures from when I was gone, signal was far more sparse than I anticipated. Colorado Springs was just lovely though, and I had a great time. I’ll try to post some more pictures for you all now that I’m back.

For now, we’re on to the next step in our progress toward picking a publisher and getting published. By now, we’ve finished the manuscript, we’ve done a bunch of research into the market, and it’s finally time to look at ourselves, to get introspective, and see what we want to do.

Step 7:

Decide What You Want

After doing all this research, have you figured out exactly what you want in a publisher? Or maybe you’re still unsure between sending your book to a traditional publisher or going the self-publication route? As I’m sure you all know, there’s a lot that you have to consider.

So here's the basics, between self and traditional publication.

Self-Publication

This option leaves literally everything in your hands. There are some pretty good self-publishing and POD companies out there, but the thing is, unless you have a massive pocketbook, that doesn’t really mean anything. They’ll publish your book for you, yes, but you’ll have to pay them. Everything, from editing to designing to marketing, ends up left in your hands—unless you’re willing to pay for it.

But, more than that, a lot of the editors hired by these companies are not first rate. In fact, the editor I had when I self-published, was a woman in India, who didn’t understand the basic tenants of English. So in some cases, all the editing really is completely left in your hands. And if you’re not confident in your self-editing skills, this might not be the right route for you.

Traditional Publication

Unlike self-publishing, this option takes pretty much everything out of your hands. The manuscript is still your property, yes, but you’ll have to accept edits according to the specs of your publisher, and they’ll likely end up doing most of the designing and marketing for you. They’ll publish your book, and they’ll usually pay you up front for the right to do it, as well.

Also unlike self-publishing, the editors at traditional houses really do know what they’re doing. They wouldn’t have been hired for the job if they weren’t good at it. So, you’ll have a better chance of being able to trust who you’re working with (and remember, we already did all that research into their editors, so you know which ones you like).

So what you have to decide is, what do you want? Do you want to be the one pushing out dollars to get your book on every shelf in the country, the one pushing sales everywhere you go, the one editing the manuscript to perfection? Or do you want someone to help you, and potentially lose some of your creative control along the way?

Don’t fret, friends. Some publishers really do let you have a say in what you’re book is going to look like, and what the final product will be. We did all that research already, remember? Every traditional publisher wants the final say, but some of them will make the final say match with what you're looking for.

And don't worry, if you're still not sure (because really, are we ever?), then I have a few more things for your to consider. You know what you want now. But... do you know what you don't want?

[love]

{Rani D.}