Going Hybrid

Ever since I began writing I have held onto the dream of being a traditionally published author. I used to imagine the moment when I would receive first my acceptance letter from my new agent followed shortly by the contract from the major company eager to publish my book. I could close my eyes and see the launch party and book signings that would follow. The idea was a dream come true. Well part of that is still true, it is a dream. It also isn't the way things work anymore.

It is possible, of course, to get that acceptance letter. It is just as likely to receive a contract for publishing my book. The idea of of the launch party and book tour though are just a whisper of a dream at this point. Those things still happen but they are reserved for people like Stephen King, Jonathan Maberry, James Patterson, or JK Rowlings. These are people who can sell books simply because their name appears on the cover. I may be there someday but right now I am still unknown. It is also very difficult to reach that level and become a household name.

Many authors don't want to deal with the drama of submitting agents or negotiating contracts. They choose instead to go the independent path, also known as self-publishing. Along with not having to find an agent and hold their breath until they get an offer from a publisher there are other benefits. The two most often brought up when I speak to other authors are keeping all of their royalties and having full control. Traditionally published authors must wait a year or more to see their work released while Indie authors choose when to publish their books. They create their own covers, set up their formatting, and run their own marketing campaigns.

Because of the control though, there is no team helping design a cover with the experience to know what sells. There is no distribution channel already established for marketing and you have to know formatting before self-publishing companies will approve your book. You need to make a cover that will catch the eye of potential readers, write a synopsis to capture the attention of those readers, and find a price to give them value while making you those royalties. When it comes to marketing you have to take full advantage of every connection you have while always reaching out to make new ones.

One of the biggest concerns of readers I've found is the quality of the work. A great cover can't mask poor editing. A good story idea can't be understood if the writing style is choppy. Because anyone can self-publish there is a stigma as soon as you tell someone that is what you did. On the other hand there is a certain level of credibility when a book is traditionally published. Whether earned or not, people tend to trust something put out by a member of the big five publishing companies. There is an entire team working to put out the book when you go through a publishing company but remember, that whole team has to get paid.

After examining the pros and cons I think my best option is to actually walk both paths. By choosing certain books to submit while maintaining control an my own personal touch with others I will be a hybrid author. I will have the credibility of having a traditional publisher behind me while still having the design and elements of the books I created. I have three different names I write under and am hoping that I can keep one of those names as my own while the other two will be under the traditional publishers. It's time to start walking my dual journeys and see where it takes me.