When It Makes Sense To Go The Indie Route

Authors with traditional publishing deals can also make the most of advantages offered by independent publishing. Here’s a look at when it makes sense for a traditionally-published author to self-publish.

You are writing in an experimental genre that traditional publishers won’t touch

Independent publishing is great for targeting niche markets. As an indie, it is not only possible to react quickly to changes in the marketplace, but it is less risky financially to go after niche subgenres, such as Steampunk or Sword and Sorcery.

If you are blending genres in a new way, you will find hardcore fans online, but the best way to reach them might be to do so alone. For a traditional publisher, the numbers might not be persuasive. Authors can make good money, however, by heading directly for digital venues, with little competition from traditional publishing.

Your traditional publisher can’t publish you as fast as you can write

For the most part, traditional publishers are slow-moving compared to their indie counterparts. The larger your trade publisher’s backlist, the longer it may take to see your work published.

One of the reasons Stephen King published under the pseudonym Richard Bachman was that his publisher wouldn’t change its publication schedule to keep up with his production schedule.

With indie publishing, you set the publishing schedule. If you are able to publish a book a week, you are welcome to do so. This gives you the opportunity to build up your backlist, improve your digital footprint, or create promotions involving multiple books.

As a hybrid author, you can coordinate with your traditional publisher to use indie novels to bridge the gaps between traditional publication.

You’ve written a short-form piece such as a novella that wouldn’t be appropriate for traditional publishers.

Digital publishing has demonstrated that there is a market for novellas, but they are prohibitive to traditional publishers due to the cost of producing and shipping them, shelf space, and limits on for how much they can sell them. Unless you are a huge name with a following, novellas are a tough sell with traditional publishers.

As an indie, you can overcome most of these issues. Novellas are a viable product for an eager audience that appreciates shorter reads.

You have backlist titles whose rights have reverted and you want to get them back on sale

As an indie, you can very quickly get your old books back on sale. You can control how you manage your backlist, including where they are listed, how much you will sell the books for, and any promotions.

If you have out of print books, you can digitize them with a service such as 52 Novels, upload them, and start making money the same day.

You want to participate in writing projects with other authors

As an indie, you can try new things for creative expression or cross-promotion. Anthologies, story collaborations, and linked novels, in which authors share worlds and/or characters, are increasingly common in the indie space.

If you want flexibility, look to indie-publishing. And remember that your choice of traditional or indie publishing need not be mutually exclusive. Use the best of both approaches to get the most out of your writing and publishing.