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