Is it better to self-publish or get an agent and publisher?
Depending on your goals, and whether you wish to sell your manuscript to a publisher, will be the key deciding factors when it comes to making this choice. When taking into account your personal expertise, preferences, and the specific circumstances of your book – not forgetting to mention your skill set – your options open up vastly.
Self-publishing means you get to keep full rights and ownership of your work, and it offers more control over how you market both yourself and your books. It does require significant effort in marketing and the time you spend building out your author business, but for some, that kind of investment is worth it.
With many publishing companies available at the moment, you really do need to do your research on who really does know what they are doing, because there are a lot of publishers who are not authors and do not understand the connection authors have to their manuscript – something Dawn knows about first-hand.
Some publishers, like ourselves, know how to help you self-publish by providing a one-stop shop of all the services you will need to get your book into stores, libraries and the hands of the key influencers. We also publish authors under our own brand, which does have additional benefits such as support in distribution, pr and sales.
Traditional publishing through an agent and one of the big four publishers can provide broader distribution and support, and the upfront ‘advance of royalties’ may seem attractive, but you are actually selling your manuscript and copyright to the publisher losing control of your book. Plus, they dictate deadlines to you, what you are allowed and not allowed to create in terms in merchandise – and for creatives, that can be an inspiration crusher and soul destroying.
You also have to ask yourself what you define as ‘better’ – better in what way? Once you know that, then you can make a more informed choice.
Dawn can help you make an informed choice when you book a consultation call with her.