Traditional vs. Self-Publishing: Which Path is Right for You?

You've poured your heart and soul into writing your book, and now you're standing at a crossroads: should you pursue traditional publishing or take the self-publishing route? If that sounds like you, you're definitely not alone. Countless authors are wrestling with this exact question right now.

The short answer: it depends. This decision involves multiple important factors, so in this post, we'll break them down and compare them side by side. By clearly understanding the fundamental differences, you’ll be better equipped to choose which one aligns best with your specific goals. Let’s get to it! 

The difference, in a nutshell

Before diving into the specifics, let's quickly clear up the overall differences, just in case they aren't already crystal clear.

In traditional publishing, an author usually sells the rights to their work to a publishing house. In exchange, the publisher handles most aspects of book production, including editing, cover design, marketing, and distribution. 

A self-publishing author, meanwhile, remains in the driver's seat. They retain all rights to their work but also take on the responsibility for every stage of publishing — from hiring freelance editors and designers to managing marketing and distribution themselves.

Clearly, one of the key considerations at play is how much creative control the author keeps versus how much free professional support they receive, which brings us to the first factor...

1. Control vs. support

This point usually comes down to whether you have a strong entrepreneurial nature or not. Some people are more comfortable with taking the process in their own hands, while others are perfectly fine (and in fact, prefer) trusting the publisher’s leadership.

👨‍🎨 Self-Publishing

Authors who self-publish have total creative control over every aspect of their book, from the content and title to the cover design and pricing. This freedom lets them bring their exact vision to life without any external interference. However, it also means they're entirely responsible for every decision — good or bad.

How many authors truly have a sense of what makes a story (or even a book cover) a winning one? It’s not easy to replicate the industry wisdom of publishing houses. Still, with careful choices and the right support, self-published authors can surely produce books that are just as compelling, both inside and out.

🤝 Traditional Publishing

Traditional publishing typically involves a loss of significant control. While publishers often seek author input, they ultimately make the final decisions on aspects like the story plot, book title, and cover design, among others.

This can lead to disagreements if your vision differs from the publisher's. However, this also means that you benefit from the expertise and experience of a full team of publishing professionals. You’ll be supported by developmental editors, copy editors, fact-checkers, cover designers, and publicists who will all work together to develop and market your book.

This is invaluable, especially if you are new to the publishing process or prefer to focus primarily on writing.

🤔 Ask yourself:

• How much creative control do you want over your book? Would you be okay with a cover you're not crazy about? What if you're asked to remove a supporting character or change your book’s ending?
• How comfortable are you handling the various parts of publishing, such as editing, design, marketing, and distribution? Would you feel confident hiring and managing freelancers to help you out?

2. Financial considerations

The next key factor to consider is money, since the financial realities of traditional and self-publishing differ quite a bit. While it's possible to self-publish your book practically for free, achieving results comparable to a traditionally published title usually means hiring freelancers for services like editing, cover design, and marketing. For the sake of comparison, we'll assume you're investing in these professional services throughout this post.

💸 Self-Publishing

When self-publishing, you'll need to shoulder upfront costs for editing, cover design, and potentially marketing and other services. These expenses can vary significantly — according to recent Reedsy data, self-publishing authors typically spend between $2,940 and $5,660 per book. 

It's important to be realistic: while some self-published authors find incredible success, most don't sell enough copies to fully recoup their initial investment. That said, since self-published authors retain full rights to their work, they receive a much higher percentage of royalties, often keeping every dollar earned from book sales.

💰 Traditional Publishing

If you land a book deal, you'll receive an advance payment against future royalties. This advance can range from a few thousand dollars to significantly more, depending on your author platform, your book's potential, and the size of the publisher. Plus, you won't have to pay out-of-pocket for professional services like editing, design, or marketing (support that's easily worth thousands!).

However, assuming your book sells enough copies for the publisher to recoup their investment, your royalty rates for each sold copy would be fairly modest — typically just 10%-15% of the book's list price, compared to the 40%-60% commonly earned by self-published authors.

🤔 Ask yourself:

• Is making money from your book essential, or are you comfortable seeing the upfront costs as an investment — even if you don't earn them back?
• Are you okay with paying expenses upfront for a chance at higher (though less certain) returns, or would you prefer the stability of receiving an advance, knowing you'll earn lower royalties down the line?

3. Time to market and getting published

The time it takes to get your book published is another critical factor, and once again, there's a striking difference between traditional and self-publishing timelines.

⏱️ Self-Publishing

Once your manuscript is complete, your book can be available for sale relatively fast — often within days or weeks. The exact timeline is up to you and how quickly you set everything up on platforms like Amazon or IngramSpark. Another big advantage: no gatekeeper stands between you and publication, giving you total control over when and how your book reaches readers.

⏳ Traditional Publishing

If you're aiming for a traditional publisher, get ready for a long journey. First, you'll likely need to find an agent who’ll help you secure a publishing deal — a process that can take years (and will likely come with many rejections). Then, if you manage to land a publishing deal, expect at least another year (or even more) for editing, design, printing, and marketing before your book finally hits shelves.

This drawn-out timeline can be very frustrating, especially when you're eager to share your story sooner rather than later.

🤔 Ask yourself:

• Are you okay with facing plenty of “No, thank yous” and waiting years for your book to (hopefully) be released? Or would you rather publish on your own terms?

4. Marketing and distribution

Now, let's talk about getting readers to actually buy your book and hold it in their hands. In this area, the differences between traditional and self-publishing aren't as drastic — each path offers its own unique advantages and challenges.

🎤 Self-Publishing

When you self-publish, you're not just the author — you're also the marketing department (yay!). This means crafting your brand, growing an email list (still the most powerful tool for authors!), managing social media accounts, running ads on platforms like Amazon or BookBub, and actively pursuing book reviews. Obviously, this requires a substantial investment of time and a willingness to learn marketing skills — something not all writers are naturally comfortable with.

In terms of distribution, you can easily publish your book "on demand" using services like Amazon KDP and IngramSpark. Amazon also lets you reach highly targeted, niche markets through keywords and categories, meaning that you can more easily and directly reach your target readers, which could help with sales. 

On the other hand, physical bookstore placement remains a challenge. The model simply isn't built for self-publishing authors 一 bookstores typically expect wholesale discounts of 40-55%, returnability, and the convenience of ordering through established distributors. 

📣 Traditional Publishing

Traditional publishers come with built-in distribution networks and marketing muscle that would take years to build on your own. They have established relationships with major bookstore chains, independent shops, and librarians who trust their curation. Their publicity teams can secure coveted media spots, from NPR interviews to magazine features that might otherwise be out of reach for debut authors.

That said, it's crucial to manage your expectations. Unless you're a lead title (which is rare for new authors), you might receive a modest marketing budget and limited publicity support (between $2,000-$5,000). And if your book doesn’t immediately gain traction after launch, much of the marketing responsibility falls back to you. Think social media outreach, book signings, and proactively building your own author platform (similarly to an indie author!)

In terms of distribution, publishers have the logistics infrastructure and long-standing relationships needed to place your book in physical retail spaces like Barnes and Noble. They also handle returns, an essential aspect of bookstore partnerships. Plus, traditional publishers can facilitate international rights sales, getting your book translated and distributed globally, typically with minimal effort required from you.

🤔 Ask yourself:

• Is it important to you to see your book on the shelves of physical bookstores? Or are you comfortable primarily targeting Amazon and online sales?
• Are you open to learning marketing fundamentals and taking charge of promotion? Or would you prefer professionals to handle most marketing activities? If so, do you have the budget for that?
• Do you have a strong enough social media presence to book podcasts and interviews with influencers in your genre on your own?

5. Prestige and validation

Finally, let's talk about prestige.

🏅 Self-Publishing

While self-publishing was once widely dismissed, it's increasingly seen as a legitimate business choice rather than just a fallback option these days. Success stories like Andy Weir (The Martian), Amanda Hocking (Switched), and Hugh Howey (Wool) have shown that quality storytelling finds its audience, regardless of the publishing route. Yet, typically, broader recognition and prestige tend to follow after these authors secure traditional publishing deals. 

For self-published authors, validation often comes directly from readers. After all, generating strong sales, enthusiastic reviews, and a devoted fan base without a publisher is impressive in its own right!

🏆 Traditional Publishing

There's undeniably still significant prestige in saying, "I'm published by Penguin Random House" or even a reputable indie press. This recognition can open doors to literary festivals, speaking opportunities, and other forms of professional validation. Additionally, major literary awards overwhelmingly favor traditionally published works.

The bottom line? Literary prestige is still very much rooted in traditional publishing. Some authors highly value it and accept the hurdles involved with securing a publishing deal. Others are happy to self-publish — potentially building their success independently before transitioning to traditional publishing later.

Interestingly, even established traditionally published authors (like Brandon Sanderson and Cassandra Clare, for example) are increasingly turning to self-publishing for certain projects, drawn by the direct reader relationship and creative freedom this path offers.

🤔 Ask yourself:

• How important is industry recognition to your personal sense of accomplishment?
• Would you feel more validated by a publishing contract or by directly seeing reader engagement through sales and reviews?
• Are you looking for a long career in publishing, or do you only have a few books planned?

Ultimately, there’s no single "best" publishing path. Both traditional and self-publishing have clear pros and cons, and the ideal choice depends entirely on your unique goals, your book, and how comfortable you are taking on certain responsibilities. You might even find yourself switching between the two, depending on the specifics of each book project you undertake.

Remember, many successful authors have achieved great results with both publishing routes. I hope this guide helps you navigate this important decision in your author journey!