Self-Publish or Traditionally Publish?

One of the biggest questions for authors are whether or not they wish to self-publish their work or traditionally publish their work.

Speaking from experience where I have been on both paths, I can shed some light on the advantages of each:

SELF-PUBLISH:

If you choose the self-publishing path, be aware that you, yourself, are in charge for everything. It is an exhilarating feeling! You will have to, however, dig deep into your pockets, investing in yourself, unsure of whether or not that investment will win back any profits at all. It's taking a chance on yourself and that's okay because you're worth taking chances on! However, bear in mind that if you are to self-publish, you need to be prepared. That means, you need to know your target audience, your competition and you need to be organized; that may mean keeping spreadsheets and digitally-documented information. Also, if you self-publish, you don't need to wait on that long cue that may take years before getting published. Self-published authors who made it big include J.K. Rowling, Rupi Kaur and Stephen King. Remember, rushed work will never make quality work so edit, edit and edit; ask your group of selected readers for their honest opinions and develop your work accordingly. Diligence is the making of an author.

TRADITIONALLY PUBLISH:

If you choose to traditionally publish, the path may take longer because there is no guarantee that a literary agent or an independent publisher will be interested enough in your book or believe in its potentiality enough to represent it. The literary agent and the publisher are subjective; just because they don't like it, doesn't mean someone else won't. It's a waiting game. The positive thing is that if and when you do get representation, then you don't have to dig deep into your pockets nor worry about keeping spreadsheets and documented information. You can if you want to, but you don't have to. You are still very much involved in the choosing of the title, the cover image and formatting, but you do not need to organize, for example, your own book signings. Some say that if you traditionally publish, you've really made it in the book business! But then again, J.K. Rowling, Rupi Kaur and Stephen King did initially gain success through self-publishing.

Ultimately, the choice is yours. Either way, you will not be judged on your credibility as a published author. I feel so blessed my words have impacted my readers, through both channels.

Happy Writing!