Electronic or Self Published - Are You Really Published?

I have defended my position on this issue until I'm blue in the face, but I'll do it again. If your book is contains an ISBN#, is being sold and/or distributed, available for public consumption, and someone is making money off of it (preferably you), then yes, you are really published!

In this article we will look at some advantages and disadvantages to both types of publication while comparing them to being traditionally published.

We'll begin with E-Publishing:

Sporting growth of up to 46% a year and reported sales of over $2million, what was once thought of as a passing fad, E-publishing is quickly becoming a force with which to contend.

Advantage: Higher Royalties (40-60% in lieu of 8-20%)

Disadvantage: Not recognized by many (agents, editors, publishers, writers' organizations) as 'really published' however, with organizations like EPIC (Electronically Published Internet Connection) this is quickly changing. EPIC attends events like Romantic Times Book Fair, CBA and ABA Bookseller Events etc., and works tirelessly to bring recognition to ebooks.

Advantage: Quicker turnaround between acceptance and publication and longer shelf life. Most e-books are available within 90 - 120 days compared to 2yrs in traditional print publication. Also, where most print publications have a shelf life of around 30-90 days, an ebook can be available forever depending on your contract.

Disadvantage: No advances. Is this really so bad considering that you make $0 in royalties until every penny of that advance is earned back? Many times new or mid-list author doesn't make enough sales to pay back the advance which means they never see any royalties and are sometimes in debt to the publisher. This also usually determines whether or not their next book is accepted.

Advantage: Professional products to offer your readers in several formats. Ebooks come in a variety of formats including pdf, html, rtf and even pod (print on demand) which gives you a better chance of making that sale!

Disadvantage: POD is not always offered and sometimes the expenses are left up to the individual author, again dependent upon your contract.

Advantage: Available to the world! This is not necessarily true in print publication due to the short self life of many print books.

Disadvantage: People ask you "where can I get it, is it in the stores?" Despite the growing popularity, it is still difficult to find ebooks and POD books stocked and/or carried in chain bookstores. However, your independent booksellers may offer to carry them on consignment.

Advantage: Rights returned at time of cancellation of contract. Most epublishers only ask for digital rights and return those upon the termination of the contract (or within a reasonable time after termination). This is not always true of traditional publishers.

Disadvantage: Can't think of a single disadvantage. Termination of contract with the return of all rights leaves you the opportunity to submit that same material elsewhere.

Now we'll look at Self-Publishing. There are many well-known authors who have self-published works only to have them picked up by a traditional publisher. This offers hope to the rest of us, but self-publishing is wrought with stigma of being "not worthy of traditional publishing." After all, if the work is good enough, a "real" publisher would be foolish not to pick it up! Right?

Not necessarily. There are numerous good books out there that are self or E published. Publishing is a business and many times -though they do look for new talent- publishers stay with the tried and true. Unless you can show exceptionally well why they need you and your book, it is very difficult to get in. It's just as difficult to get an agent for the same reasons.

Advantage: You have all the control, editing, artwork, pricing, distribution.

Disadvantage: You have all the control, editing, artwork, pricing, distribution. This is not as easy as it sounds. One of the reasons there is so much negativity surrounding self publishing is because there are numerous books out there that are poorly done. Should you choose this route, spend the extra time and expense to hire a professional editor and make sure your work is as clean as possible. Getting your self-published work into book stores can be a difficult and lengthy process, not to mention expensive since the distributors get their fair share of your retail price. Then there's the cost of printing. Usually the more books you order, the cheaper the price; but then you are stuck with a garage full of books until you sell or give them all away. However, with the invention of Print on Demand (pod) the expense is still there, but you can order a few as 1 copy on up to print runs in the thousands. This technology enables nearly anyone with a few hundred dollars to self-publish their book. But the challenge still remains to get that book through distribution channels and past bookstore guidelines and into the stores.

So, is E or Self publishing 'really' published? I think we've determined that yes it is!

Is it worth the expense or better to wait for the ever-illusive 'real' publisher to pick up your work? That depends on the individual author. If you've tried the traditional route, are tired of the rejections and have the money, then I say go for it! But be willing to put twice as much time, effort and money into promoting and distributing than you put into writing, editing and publishing.