A client and friend is near completing the rough draft of her project. Rather than jump in and write the end, she moans about all the work still left to be done to finish and then in the rewriting (I’ll include another one or two or three or more of those — and rewriting), and then all that comes after that.
Early-on she decided when the book is finished, she wants to self-publish. Now that I am going the traditional route after having self-published my first book, she asked me my opinion.
I share with you here what I shared with her. The following is based on first-hand experience having:
1) self-published Blockbuster Plots Pure & Simple, my first book, and on what I have observed of clients and friends who have gone that route
2) having been invited into the traditional realm and now, working with Adam’s Media a traditional, east coast publisher who will release The Plot Whisperer: Secrets of the Universal Story Structure Any Writer Can Master (which is now available for pre-order!) this October and on what I have observed of clients and friends who have been published by a traditional publisher
Comparison:
Self-publishing: the book can be written and published in a day.
Traditional publishing: the process takes longer
Self-publishing: you make all the choices about content
Traditional publishing: you work in partnership with an editor who keeps in mind the publisher’s style
Self-publishing: you make all the choices about the layout and the cover design
(This is only as far as I am in the process with Adam’s Media so the rest of my points are based solely on what I have gleaned through friends and family and clients who have been published through the traditional route)
Traditional: a team approach where your choices are based on a contractual agreement and respect
Self-publishing: you make all the choices about printing and distribution
Traditional publishing: this is your time to begin writing your next book
Self-publishing: you send out review copies
Traditional publishing: this is your time to fully walk into you part of the promotional, marketing and pr for the book
Self-publishing: you incur all the costs up front
Traditional publishing: you pay no expenses
Self-publishing: you earn all the profits
Traditional publishing: you earn royalties based on a contractual agreement
For my client: The sudden idea to perhaps query agents instead of self-publishing her book as she has had planned all along is simply another form of procrastination and sure to yank her off course.
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