Traditional Publishing vs. Self publishing

Now that the holidays are over, many of my friends and myself are gearing up for our new books. What needs to be finished, what needs to be started and most importantly, how is this going to be published? As an author, this is our end game.

I am traditionally published, which means that I have a contract with a publisher, who after reviewing my work opted to publish it. I don't pay them any money to do this, and when sales occur, I receive royalties from them. Royalties are a percentage of the sales amount that I agreed to accept in my contract.

I finish a book or a short story, I submit it to my publisher. Which in this case is, Solstice Publishing. If they like it, it's published. If not, I hear that big Wha, wha, and either move on to the next book or decide if I want to submit to another publisher. It's in my nature to stick to what I know and this process is comfortable for me. But many of my fellow authors and friends choose another a route, they self publish their books.

Since my experience in the author world is not self publishing, I'll do my best to give you my take on the process. After their book is written and edited, they choose the means by which to publish. Just about everyone I know has gone through Amazon/CreateSpace. There are other companies that charge an exuberant amount with the promises of total saturation, they are referred to as vanity presses. Now I'm not saying they are all bad, but I am saying I have heard some first account horror stories by authors who were duped. So be careful when you're choosing your publishing method. Do your research and check reviews, the companies financial stability if you're able, and contact authors that have used them. Referral is one of the best ways to make an educated decision.
So now your book is published and similar to a contract, Amazon get's a percentage of your sales. You have a bit more control than with traditional publishing, and can enact your own contents changes if you deem it necessary. I bet you're thinking it sounds fairly similar in the end, and it is. But there are differences that I feel are important to point out.

On several occasions, me included, authors have found their books on sites that were not sanctioned by the author or the publisher. When this has happened, Solstice has been right there to help. If you're self published, this is left primarily up to you.
You get professional editing at no cost, you get a beautiful cover at no cost and you get one of the most important things every author needs ... marketing assistance. Now in all fairness, you can opt to have Amazon assist you with marketing, at a price. Now of course I partner with my publisher and market the hell out of my work too. Every author needs to be active with promo, but at least there's someone helping you. And while we're on the subject of help, there are a plethora of authors contracted with Solstice who assist each other with marketing. Another benefit. I should add that Amazon does offer editing and cover design packages for a fee.

It may seem like I'm carrying a banner for traditional publishing, I'm not. I'm merely giving you my vision on how it works for me. I have spoken to many self published authors who feel that what they gain in control, far outweighs the pluses of traditional publishing.

What it boils down to is this ... ultimately it is what works best for you. There is no true comparison because one could argue all day long on the level of comfort they feel choosing traditional or self publishing. You can't validate based on emotions. It results in an endless loop of frustration.

The lesson I've learned. There is room for everyone. If you want to go the traditional route than submit. Be patient, rejection is part of the process. But if that's not time you're willing to spend or comfortable waiting for, than choose self publishing. Get your work out there. We're authors and this is what we do. Even if our means of travel are different, we all have the same destination.