Downloadables for this Module

• Ebook - To Self Publish or Not to Self Publish

Why You Should Publish Traditionally

Traditional publishing is when a publisher offers the author a contract and essentially buys the rights to print, publish and sell your book through bookstores and other retailers. In return, the author gets paid a percentage of the sales, which are called royalties. In the past, this was the only way to effectively publish your book, and most of the bestsellers you know of today were published traditionally. If you were to go through the books on your shelf and look at the copyright pages, you’ll often notice the big names like Random House and Penguin listed as the publisher. However, there are small publishing companies as well, and the process is all the same.

Pros

1. Traditional publishing can be a stamp of approval for your book.

The major publishing houses are seen as the professionals on the topic, and they are credited with knowing good books from bad books, and what will sell versus what won’t. If they accept your book, it’s essentially a higher source that says, "this book is good enough for us to publish." It can act as a right of passage because it requires obtaining approval from the gatekeeper.

2. Similarly, it can be a source of personal pride.

It’s natural to want our efforts to be validated by a governing body and a traditional publisher can do just that. For a lot of authors, this can feel like getting through a gated system, or passing a test. You’ll get a stamp of approval for your ego.

Ask yourself:

• Will you feel accomplished if you self publish or do you want the stamp of approval from a traditional publisher? 
• Will self publishing feel cheap or like you cut corners? 

3. Media and most platforms will take you more seriously.

Thanks to the filter, media doesn't have to wonder if your book is actually good. It's already been verified. It’s an unfortunate truth about self publishing and hybrid publishing that most media platforms and other publicity won’t take you seriously. If you publish traditionally, you will have already “passed the test” so to speak, and they will automatically understand that if a publishing body found your book credible enough to put their name on your work, it must be worth looking further into. In short, you’ll have a much easier time promoting your book if you publish it traditionally.

4. Traditional publishers will do a lot of the work for you.

They’ll cover all editing, printing, set up and design costs for you, so you won’t have to spend that money out of your pocket. This can cost thousands of dollars if you choose to do it on your own. Traditional publishers will also do some marketing for you, but it will likely be minimal and you’ll still need to market your own book.

5. You'll be able to get into bookstores.

Traditional publishers aren’t guaranteed to get your book into bookstores, but most publishers have connections with booksellers and will take care of the distribution for you. What most people don’t know about self publishing is that you won’t be in bookstores unless you pitch to bookstores yourself. This means you’ll likely have to limit yourself to only your local bookshops. In all honesty, however, it might not matter if your book is in bookstores. Most small authors will have more success online where it’s easier to find readers.

Cons

1. They won’t do much marketing for you.

Traditional publishers will do some marketing for you, too, but it's not enough to make a difference. You’ll still need to market your own book (there's no escaping it!).

2. The longer timeline.

Traditional publishing can be slower because it can take months or years to secure an agent, find a publisher and negotiate a deal. This is perhaps the biggest perceived con of traditional publishing, but the truth is that self publishing isn't much faster. The actual publishing part takes about the same amount of time, but to get through the gate, so to speak, can take months or years because it requires finding an agent, who will then pitch your book to publishers, or pitching directly to publishers yourself. A perk of the longer timeline, however is that you could use the year it takes to traditionally publish to build your platform, which we discuss in detail in our forthcoming Book Marketing Course.

Do your goals align with traditional publishing?

• If you want the stamp of approval / validation 
• If you’re trying to build a career as a writer
• If you want the best chance of success 
• If you want to get into bookstores