| Around twenty years ago the publishing houses | | | | of unsold books languish in a storage shed or |
| started cutting down their losses by narrowing the | | | | basement. The fact remains, however, that if you don't |
| stables of authors to the few they knew could | | | | learn to write, your books will go unread. |
| produce blockbuster books. Anyone who tried to learn | | | | Next to money, control is probably the next most |
| to write in order to break into that rarefied world was | | | | important consideration for most people. With traditional |
| in for a long, hard slog. And it looked like the trend | | | | publishing, the publishing house controls just about |
| would only become more pronounced. It actually has, | | | | everything: the edits you have to make as well as |
| but another funny thing has happened to the publishing | | | | typeface, design, cover art, list price, and even the |
| world: the internet. | | | | author photo. They're also the ones that market the |
| Publishing, whether it be books, periodicals, music, or | | | | book, arrange for reviews, and plan book tours. For |
| films, is a very different concept today than it used to | | | | some people, this is an immense relief. They would |
| be. Consumers have grown tired of a shrinking handful | | | | much rather have seasoned professionals deciding |
| of big publishers determining what they can find to | | | | these things while they concentrate on writing. |
| read in a given year. And enterprising writers have | | | | Other people know what they want the cover to look |
| entered the world of self publishing in droves. Some | | | | like, how much they want to sell the book for, and |
| have succeeded, and some have not, just like in | | | | whether they want their photo on the dust jacket. |
| traditional publishing. If you're a writer, what should you | | | | These are the people who may be happier and more |
| do: try to get a deal with a traditional publisher, or strike | | | | successful with self publishing. They will, however, be in |
| out into self-publishing territory? There are definitely | | | | charge of marketing the book, and sales will be directly |
| arguments for and against both. | | | | related to marketing efforts. |
| If you're like most people, money is a consideration. | | | | Everyone knew that the publishing industry would go |
| Say you're interested in publishing a children's book. | | | | through changes as the end of the 20th century |
| With traditional publishing, a promising author will be paid | | | | neared, but few could have predicted just how that |
| in advance against future sales of his or her book. | | | | would happen. Traditional publishing is no longer the |
| When the book comes out, the author has to sell | | | | sole maker of reputations and fortunes, and self |
| enough books to make up for the advance and then | | | | publishing is no longer the vanity vehicle for sub-par |
| sell more for further profit. That's what book tours are | | | | writers who can't get work into print otherwise. |
| for. | | | | Both approaches have advantages and |
| With self publishing, the author does it everything: edits, | | | | disadvantages. You will have to balance your financial |
| proofreads, gets it in final format, and has to have it | | | | needs and obligations with your need for control and |
| printed. To make a profit from the book, the printing | | | | ability to market yourself. Either way is respectable |
| expenses must be made up in sales. This is hardly an | | | | these days. But one thing hasn't changed: and that is |
| issue with many self publishers nowadays, however. | | | | the obligation to learn to write well. That's because, |
| Print-on-demand services ensure that the only books | | | | books with good quality content - traditionally or self |
| that get printed are the ones requested. Thus, no piles | | | | published - are the ones that people actually buy. |