People in the traditional publishing camp are often very quick to point to the things the traditional method of publishing can give you that you don’t get as a self-publisher.

I think, therefore, it is definitely time to point out the things that self-publishing gives you that traditional publishing doesn’t, especially as all the things you can benefit from through a traditional deal are also available to self-publishers. As self-publishers, we have access to editors and designers and people who understand rights and others who are great at marketing. And, on top of that, we have the following things…

Ability to create your own sales plan

If you go down the traditional publishing route, it’s likely that someone else will have a significant input on your strategy for selling your book. In self-publishing, it’s all down to you. You decide how you want to market your book, and you can adapt and change the plan as necessary, rather than having to get approval from someone else before you act.

The choice over what and when to publish

With a traditional deal, you have to fit in with the publisher – you have to write books they want to publish, and then you have to publish them at a time the publisher sees fit. This works for some, but if you’re an author who wants to decide exactly what you write and exactly when you want to publish it – whether you want to publish three books a year or one book every three years – then self-publishing is undoubtedly the better option.

The control to do what’s best for you – and your book

Finally, self-publishing gives you the control to do whatever is best for both you and your book. The only business plan you have to fit into is your own. You get to make all the creative decisions about your book, and choose the people you want to work with. In short, there is much more freedom and flexibility in the self-publishing model.

What do you think?