CornerScribe

Which route?

For those of you planning on publishing a novel — whether it was part of NaNoWriMo or not — will you choose the traditional publishing route or a self publisher or print on demand publisher?

I don’t agree that POD or self-publishing are strictly vanity presses. I think they also have benefits to offer serious writers as well. From my readings, here’s what I’ve gathered about the alternatives.

1. Time. It may take a year or more to find a traditional publisher, and then you’ll need to go through their publishing process. Your book won’t see the bookshelves any time soon with a traditional publisher. If you choose POD or self-publishing, you can have something ready in a matter of days.
2. Money. A traditional publisher won’t charge you anything, and you may get an advance. Depending on the route you choose for self-publishing, you may have to pay set up fees. You might want to check out Lulu . They seem like a reputable POD publisher, and you won’t pay to set up your book.
3. Promotion. Many traditional publishers will expect you to do some of your own marketing, but you’ll certainly need to plan on doing even more if you self-publish.
4. Prestige. Obviously, being published traditionally offers more clout, but self-publishing doesn’t have to mean a vanity press. If you market your work and achieve respectable sales, you can do a lot to offset that impression. Of course, there’s always the chance that you’re self-published book will be successful enough that a traditional publisher will want to pick it up.

In my opinion, it all boils down to time. If you think the work is marketable, then it’s worth a shot at a traditional publisher. However, you may not want to wait for months (or longer) to find a publisher. If that’s your situation, then self-publishing might be a better choice.

Either choice you make, you’ll want to put your best writing forward. If you self-publish, you may want to pay someone to edit your book. If you’re looking for a freelancer to do just that, check out elance . I’ll give more information on elance and choosing a freelancer in another post.

I’m leaning toward making at least a few overtures toward a publisher and/or agent. If things don’t go well, then POD is always an option.

Good luck everyone, and keep writing!