As someone who has traditionally published books and self-published books, I can say the journeys are incredibly different. Here is what I’ve noticed:
| Traditional Publishing | Self Publishing | |
| Gatekeepers | Agent, Editor, Sales Reps | None |
Editorial Process | In-house developmental Editor, copy editor, proofreader | Hire your own – or don’t |
Interior Design | In-house | DIY or hire ($500+) |
Cover Design | In-house | DIY or hire ($800+) |
Sales Copy | In-house with input from sales reps | DIY or hire |
| Marketing/PR | Ranges from minimal to lots, depending on whether your book is picked to feature | DIY or hire |
Time to Market | Minimum 18 months after manuscript is accepted | Minimum of a week after manuscript is done. |
Cost To Author | $0 | $1000-Unlimited |
Pre-PublicationFun Factor | Low | High |
Post-Publication Fun Factor | High | Low |
With traditional publishing, once I sold my books to Random House, I worked so incredibly hard to meed the demands from my agent and editor: revision, revision, revision.
But after the books published all that pent up energy and a giant team of professionals hurtled the books toward a successful launch. I could relax more and enjoy the ride.
With self-publishing, I was free as a bird during the book creation process. I loved not answering to any gatekeepers. I could let my own intuition be the ultimate guide.
But now that my book has launched (just a few weeks ago), I am on my own to bring it to market, unless I hire help which can be expensive. So, only now that “Poof! The Disappearance of a Writer in the Age of AI” is officially published, I’m really doing the heavy lifting.