SHOULD I publish my own book?
Trad publishing vs self publishing? Which is the best option for you and how and why I made the leap to being an indie creator.
Photo Paolo Chiabrando at Unsplash
I like to think of myself as entreprenuerial and forward thinking but it took me over twelve years to take the plunge and indie-publish a new Tasmina Perry novel. TWELVE YEARS!
The idea of self-publishing first came on my radar in 2009 when I’d taken myself off to Australia to write and spend time with my sister who was living out there. Every day I’d go for a walk with my husband around Sydney’s beautiful bays, and one afternoon, the conversation turned to my career and the future of the publishing industry.
We walked and talked for three hours and by the end of it we’d decided that the future of books was probably tied to a new device that Amazon had just released - the Kindle and its program KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing,) which allowed writers to publish their work independently.
Even now, I can remember the excitement of feeling that we were at a pivotal moment in publishing. I remember thinking that this was probably a way to make a great deal of money. I remember feeling bold - and quite smug - that we were exploring the new frontier in the book industry.
And then I didn’t do anything about it for eighteen months when we half-heartedly put By Midnight - a YA mystery I’d co-written with my husband up on KDP because we owned the US rights.
It was another 10 years before I wrote another book - The Singles Table - and didn’t give it to a traditional publisher but released it myself.
Lots of people ask me why it took so long to make the leap from traditional publishing to self-publishing, particularly when one of my best friends, Bella Andre, had made a killing and was a self publishing superstar.
The reason? I was too comfortable. In 2009 I’d scored a seven-figure book deal. I was living the writer’s dream, making great income, doing something I loved, with all my books going into the Sunday Times top ten bestsellers list.
I ignored cautionary tales from friends - authors who had once got big deals but suddenly got ‘bad sales track’ which meant their advances got slashed and their financial situation became perilous. For some, it happened so quickly that they didn’t realise what was happening until they had to sell their houses.
You see, life as a successful author is amazing, until it isn’t.
When it is good, it is incredible, but as a traditionally published writer there are so many things out of your control. You might write the story, but you don’t control the narrative.
I finally took the leap when a thriller I’d written was delayed for over 18 months because of Covid. It had been finished nine months prior to lockdown, but publication was delayed, then delayed again and when your book doesn’t hit the news-stands, you don’t get paid. So I took action and in February 2021 self-published a romantic drama I’d written over lockdown. The Singles Table was an Amazon bestseller for over two months and although sales have slowed down on that book, I still get a nice cheque from Amazon every month.
Left: My trad published book Private Lives. Right: The Last Supper published through my Sunflower & Co imprint
The past four years have been a rollercoaster ride. I’ve self-published seven more books, made a great six-figures doing it, and set up my own boutique publishing company called Sunflower & Co where I have started taking on other authors.
There’s a lot I miss about being with a traditional publisher and I certainly haven’t closed the door on taking another traditional deal, but I’ve also loved the freedom and control of doing my own thing.
Today, one of the questions I get asked most is ‘should I self-publish or try and get a traditional deal?’
And the truth is, there is no right answer. But having done both, to a successful level, I thought I’d outline some pros and cons in case you were wondering which to pick. Is indie publishing the right fit for you or are you better suited to a traditional deal?
Just one piece of advice first - don’t take twelve years to make your decision!