How to choose what suits you
You have an idea for a book. Or maybe there is already half a manuscript beckoning from your desktop. And then it comes: The Big Question. Are you going to publish it entirely yourself? Or do you look for a publisher?
Well. The answer is (nicely unhelpful): it depends. Because there is not one holy route. What works brilliantly for one person may not fit someone else at all.
In this blog I lay out the pros and cons of both options for you. Not to push you one way, but so that you make a choice that suits you and your book.
Option 1: Self-publishing
Self-publishing means you are the boss. From A to Z. You arrange the whole process: editing, design, printing, promotion, sales… everything. Yes, the boring bits too. But also: the fun stuff!
✅ Pros:
- Full control: You decide. About the title, the cover colour, the font, the price… Even about when you launch it (and whether there should be confetti 🎉).
- Higher margin: You keep more per book sold. As long as you go about it a little cleverly.
- Faster to act: No months of waiting for a publisher's green light. You set the pace. Vroom.
❌ Cons:
- You do (almost) everything yourself: Or you have to buy it in. But someone has to do it. And that someone is you. Think: editing, finding a printer, making a promo plan.
- Not automatically in bookshops: Want to see your book in shop windows? Then you have to make that happen yourself. The bookshop does not just call you.
- No 'known name' behind you: For media attention, festivals or press, it can make a difference whether there is a publisher behind you.
Suits you if: You like arranging things. You are a touch entrepreneurial. Your book might fit your business or mission. And you do not find it scary to stick your head above the parapet (or you just do it anyway).
Option 2: Publishing through a publisher
With a publisher you hand in your manuscript, and if they are enthusiastic, they get to work on your book. They handle the design, production, distribution and often part of the promotion too. Sounds like a dream? Sometimes it is. Sometimes also: reality check needed. Here is everything laid out.
✅ Pros:
- You get a team: Editor, designer, publisher, promo people. You write, they arrange the rest.
- Bigger reach: You get into bookshops and newspapers more easily. And sometimes onto radio, TV or podcasts.
- A 'seal of quality': For many people a book through a publisher still feels like: 'ooh, serious work'.
❌ Cons:
- Less freedom: A publisher wants (understandably) to have a say about the title, timing, sometimes even content.
- Smaller income per book: You get a percentage of the sale price. Often between 5 and 15 percent. That is not much.
- It. Takes. Long.: From first contact to publication you are easily a year (or two) further. No joke.
Suits you if: You enjoy working together. You thrive on professional guidance. You want your book to become something 'big', and you would rather not juggle all the balls yourself.
And then there is this…
There are in-between options too! Think of hybrid publishers (where you pay for guidance), or publishers that only distribute your book. Some people self-publish first and bring in a publisher later after all. Anything goes. Anything is possible.
Above all, ask yourself this question: What do I want with my book? Do you want to make something lovely for your coffee table? Do you want to use it in your work or talks? Do you dream of nationwide visibility?
If you know why you want to bring your book into the world, you often know how, too.
To finish
Self-publish or work with a publisher? It is a matter of choosing what is right for you.
Have you already figured out which way you want to go? Or is it still bubbling away on all sides? Let me know. I am happy to think along with you 💛
Love, Anke 💫