Self-Publishing vs. Traditional Publishing: What Should I Choose?

Yes, you’ve finished writing your children’s book, but the next step — publication — can be a daunting one. What are the pros and cons of self-publishing and traditional publishing? And how do you decide which is the better option?

In short, that depends on you, your budget, your patience, and a little bit of luck.

Traditional publishing

Let’s start with traditional publishing. Typically this involves sending your manuscript to agents first. Your agent will then send your manuscript to publishing houses in the hopes of scoring you a book deal.

Traditional publishers pay authors an advance, then a certain percentage of royalties based on book sales, and your agent will get a cut of those fees.

While publishers retain a lot of creative control over your book, they also take charge of getting your book publication ready. They use their own editors, designers, proofreaders, marketing teams, and connections to get your book exposure and in bookstores. Meaning you don’t have to worry about the gritty details or business side of getting your book published.

Pros

• Less startup costs.
• You write, and your publisher handles the rest.
• You’ll benefit from a publisher’s resources, expertise, and connections.
• Greater exposure for your book.

Cons

• It’s extremely competitive.
• Loss of creative control.
• If you’re a picture book author, you’ll have a limited say regarding illustrations.
• It can take years to get a book deal and/or get your book published.

Self-Publishing

Self-publishing puts you, the author, in the driver’s seat. You’re in charge of writing, editing, designing, formatting, marketing, and selling your book. Depending on whether you decide to do these tasks on your own, or hire various professionals to do them for you, this can become costly.

However you retain complete creative control over your book baby.

And using sites like Amazon KDP, Barnes & Noble Press, Apple Books, Kobo, and more has made it easier for authors to self-publish.

Pros

• You retain creative control.
• You can get published quicker.
• If you’re a picture book author, you choose your illustrator and work directly with them to maintain your vision.
• You’ll get higher royalties.

Cons

• High startup costs.
• You’ll need to wear all the hats: writer, editor, designer, marketer, etc.
• You’ll have to research each step of the publication process and determine how to go about it on your own.
• You’ll have fewer connections and less exposure for your book.

How do I choose between self-publishing and traditional publishing?

Choosing between self-publishing and traditional publishing depends on you. Ask yourself the following questions to determine which avenue to take.

1. How much creative control do I want over my book?
2. What’s my budget?
3. How much do I know (or am willing to learn) about the publishing industry?

If you want creative control, have a big budget, and are knowledgeable about the industry, then self-publishing is the way to go.

However, if you’re OK losing some control, have a limited budget, and don’t know anything about the publishing industry, then a traditional publisher is your best option.

What’s better?

Neither is inherently better than the other. And authors can self-publish one book, but traditionally publish another. Ultimately it comes down to what works best for you.