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There is a wealth of information, forums and blogs on the internet that extol the virtues and pitfalls of both traditional publishing and independent publishing. Our opinion is that both Traditional Publishing and Independent Publishing offer viable routes to market but that each route has its own advantages and disadvantages. The following table is by no means exhaustive nor meant to be the last word on the subject but we thought it might be useful to try to jott down what we see to be the main differences between Traditional Publishing and Independent Publishing... |
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Summary |
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A Traditional Publisher will take a commercial and creative interest in the exploitation of your work. A Traditional Publisher will pay you an advance, pay for editing, copy-editing, printing, cover design, sales and marketing and your book should make it into all major bookstores. Traditional Publishing is definitely the route if you're looking to make a career out of writing - your book and your career will be all the better from expert editors and agents putting your interests first. |
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With "Independent" or "Self" publishing you are effectively becoming your own publisher. Think of it as a business - you will need to invest in the editing, copy-editing, printing, cover design and marketing with the aim of making money back through sales that you will need to drive yourself. All of these services can be sourced independently or can be obtained from a good author services company. You need to set your budget, work out if you'll generate sufficient royalties, drive sales and distribution and be responsible for the creative and commercial success of your book. Or, if commercial success is not your aim, you can simply get your book in print for your friends and family. |
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Distribution and Sales
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Traditional publishers generally look to sell in large quantities to recoup their financial investment. Few publishers would target less than 1,000 books and sales of 10,000 to 100,000 are achievable. However huge sales are by no means guaranteed with a Traditional Publisher - for example, the Society of Authors estimates that its members (traditionally published authors) average only around £6,000 a year in income from writing.
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Print on Demand technology means that you don't need to invest in a big print run - your books are printed when they are ordered online or in stores. However, in order to ensure your book gets sold beyond friends and family you, the author, will need to drive sales. Whilst your ISBN gives you an online and wholesale distribution presence it does not guarantee your book will be stocked by bookstores. Authors who are not savvy in this area may therefore only sell in the region of 200 books. The most successful sales for indie-authors are where they know how to promote their book or have an established distribution network.
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Barriers to Entry |
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There are some very high barriers to entry in the Traditional Publishing world. The biggest one however is not writing a book that is worthy of commercial publication. Although Literary Agents take about one in one thousand manuscripts that come their way they are looking for new, unpublished & non-celebrity talent. If your manuscript is strong enough, Literary Agents will take it and respected agents will be successful in selling the work of new authors to Traditional Publishers. Literary Agents therefore act as a gatekeeper to a traditional publishing deal and if you can secure a good agent you'll be more than likely to secure a traditional publishing deal. |
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There are no initial barriers to entry to become an indie-author. You are investing your own money so the quality of your book and impact it makes in the literary world depends on the amount of money you're prepared to commit to your book. However there are barriers to producing a successful indie published book - the author should ensure that the quality of the writing, the promotion drive and a realistic expectation of the book's success are comparable to how it would fare in the Traditional Publishing world. |
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Income |
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There are some very big numbers thrown around the press for book deals but unfortunately these are usually with respect to celebrities with a guaranteed readership. The realistic view however is that, for first time authors, average advances have decreasd in value – and they still are. These days, a leading agent may onlye be able to secure an advance of around £30,000 for a new author. Bear in mind that amount would be for two books and the author will need to deduct the agent’s fee of 10-15% (plus VAT). Be realistic about the chances of becoming the next JK Rowling. |
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This completely depends on sales and again, be realistic in your expectations. Try to gain the best possible book cover design, some good editing to improve the quality of your writing and obtain some great PR on your book - if you can do that you can give your book the best possibility of success. One of the most successful authors to do it himself is Richard Parsons who, in the last decade, has sold a total of 9,363,795 books, amassing sales of £48,293,826. This however is very much the exception rather than the rule! |
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What's the best that could happen? |
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Ask Stephen King, Dan Brown, John Grisham, Bill Bryson... |
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Some indie authors do make money (see Income above), and they have the satisfaction of controlling every element of the design, production & sales process themselves. Traditional Publishers are also taking note of successful indie-authors - e.g. HarperCollins setting up its own online talent scout - Authonomy - and some do end up getting a traditional deal. |
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What's the worst that could happen? |
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Not every writer becomes an international bestseller, in fact most don't. And plenty of authors get fed up with their Traditional Publisher. While there are obvious benefits to having a team of professional editors, designers and marketing people looking after your book, you do lose control over your work. Sometimes PR and marketing for your book is neglible to naught. And if you were thinking of quitting your day job, read the income section above! |
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Some first time authors get scammed by author services companies who promise an author's publishing dreams will come true. No one can guarantee that and some authors get duped out of thousands of pounds that they can't afford to lose because they thought that by simply printing their book they would make millions. Authors, particularly first time authors, should understand that just because they've written a book that doesn't necessarily mean there is a market for it.
If, however, you set publishing goals that are realistic, choose a reputable author services company and don’t mortgage your house to publish your book then not much should go wrong. Spend only what you can afford to lose. If you are calculating to the penny how many books you need to sell to recoup a £1,000 investment, don’t indie-publish your book.
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Our Verdict |
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Traditional Publishing should be where anyone, especially a fiction writer, should start at the end of their writing process. This route is the one the majority of professional authors go down as having experts who are willing to invest in you and your book is invaluable. Plus Traditional Publishers have the sales and distribution networks to sell your book en masse. |
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Independent Publishing is a viable alternative to Traditional Publishing although authors going down this route need to treat it as a business and be realistic about their book's potential. Independent Publishing does make sense for those who have an established distribution network or marketing angle or for those who simply want to see their book in print. Traditional Publishers are also taking note of successful indie-authors who use Independent Publishing to prove their book is commercially viable. |
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Most people forget that publishing is a business. Although all involved in the industry have creative ambitions, publishers and author services companies exist to make money. For Traditional Publishers it means that if your book doesn’t seem like it will be a commercial success on some level or if it doesn’t fit their ‘list’ then they are unlikely to take it on. Similarly, author services companies need to charge authors for their services in order to stay in business. For you, the author, you need to know that making a living from writing is hard work and regardless of which route you take to market, your writng career is ultimately your responsibility.
On a more positive note, we can help guide you through the publishing maze. We work with authors whether it be to secure a traditional publishing deal or to independently publish their own book. Equally, if you're a traditionally published authors who wants a bit more PR or you already have self-published with another company, we can help you market your book. We like to give our authors a highly personalised service from start to finish, whatever its route to market. We hope that if you do decide to work with us, you’ll find these virtues to be true.
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