| It sometimes seems like too much is changing too fast in the publishing world. But there’s at least one area where all that change is for the better in our view: self-publishing. (Often called “indie publishing” to distinguish it from older and more difficult self-publishing methods).
This is partly because self-publishing has become so much more accessible and affordable in the past few years. And since incomes for self-published authors are steadily increasing (see links to sources below) self-publishing can be, in many cases, more financially rewarding than traditional publishing. This means publishing your own book can make more financial sense—and be more satisfying of an experience overall—than ever before.
This doesn’t mean self-publishing is right for everyone. But if you’re interested in getting better informed about why it may be worth considering—or in getting guidance on and assistance with doing it right—we can help. (Click here for more information.)
A Glimpse Of What’s Possible
It’s a little-known secret that a good number of self-published authors are making six figures a year. An even lesser-known secret is that some of them are making six figures a month. Such things are generally not talked about in an industry dominated—in the public eye, at least—by traditional publishers.
One stunning success too big to ignore came when hybrid author Brandon Sanderson presold four self-published books directly to readers, for $42 million—in 30 days. Our point isn’t that anyone can do that; obviously, they can’t. The point is that not so long ago, no one could do that because the now-robust indie publishing and promotional infrastructure that allowed Sanderson to do it simply didn’t exist.
Another success that we’re particularly proud of is Scott Pratt, a debut author whose first novel we edited and (at Scott’s request) steered into the hands of a terrific literary agent, who went on to score him a three-book contract with a major publishing house. Following a less-than-stellar traditional-publishing experience, though, Scott went indie and has now sold over five million books, with hundreds of thousands of glowing reviews on Amazon.
Meanwhile, Back On Earth…
While it’s important to recognize that these stories—and the incredible success enjoyed by top-selling indie authors like Andy Weir, Mark Dawson, Rupi Kaur, and Hugh Howey—are not typical, it’s also important to note that many talented but lesser-known indie authors (fiction and nonfiction) are making four or five figures a month, year-in, year-out. In many high-selling categories, fewer than half of all books sold now come from the big traditional publishers, which insist on running a business model that’s 150 years old.
Here at The Editorial Department, we’ve worked with plenty of authors who’ve done quite well with traditional publishers, and we’ll continue to assist those who choose that path. But indie publishing offers so many advantages these days that for many, “trad publishing” has become a distant second choice.
Why You May Want to Consider—Or Reconsider—Going Indie (Even If Your Book Is A Good Fit for Traditional Publishing)
The traditional publishing model demands that you pay an agent 15 percent to hook you up with a publisher that takes two years to get a book out, calculates royalties based on wholesale prices, and pays you once every three months (if that). As well, traditional publishing’s reluctance to adapt to modern times has forced an industry-wide contraction, causing increased competition among aspiring authors, who must chase an ever-shrinking number of understaffed publishers—so understaffed that many (if not most) now outsource their editing and employ AIs to review draft manuscripts.
This seems to us to be a very big deal. (What would Maxwell Perkins say?) Landing a traditional publishing deal has always been tough, but it’s getting tougher in a way that puts even the best and brightest new writers at a huge disadvantage, before they’ve even put a book out. This is why an increasing number of seriously talented writers are turning to indie publishing. It gives them a shot they might otherwise be unfairly denied, vastly speeds up the publishing process—and gives them a huge measure of control over their own destiny as published authors.
Other Benefits
Try finding a traditional publisher who’ll pay you 70 percent of the cover price (and let you choose the price). And if you want to change something after the book comes out, well, good luck with that. You say you want to keep the movie rights? Good luck with that, too. And don’t even think about putting out another book the publisher might consider a “competing work.” That’s typically forbidden. So most authors get to release maybe one book every two years, if they’re lucky. Whether you’re happy with the way your publisher handled the first book or not, you’re usually obligated to offer them the next book, too. And let’s not even talk about marketing (or lack thereof) for non-household-name authors.
Self-publishing puts control where it belongs—with the author. This is the fast lane. Once your book is ready, and a good editor can help you make sure it is, you can publish in a day. And update in an hour or two. You keep all the rights and most of the money. And if you want to publish a book a month, you can. No speed limit, no more gatekeepers. You can even revise or republish older or out-of-print titles, giving them new life.
And you don’t need a publishing deal to catch Hollywood’s eye, either. The Martian was self-published. So was Wool, which is currently airing as Silo (Season Two) on Apple TV+. There are now multiple billion-dollar streaming companies competing for viewers, and every one of them needs content 24/7/365. With trad publishing slowing down, and indies on the rise self-published books are sure to factor more prominently as source material for successful movies and series.
New Indie Vs. Old Indie
It’s no secret that publishing your own book used to be terribly expensive and a real pain, like finding your way through an unknown jungle without a map. But formatting and page design, once time-intensive and costly, can now be automated in seconds. Cover art, once a hefty expense, has become reasonable and in some cases free. Uploading your book and getting it online, which used to be a nightmare, is now (once you know what to do) simple. And you can make more money in royalties by selling one e-book online for $3.99, than any major publisher will pay you for selling a $25 hardcover. (And you may choose to sell at $4.99, or $5.99.) With Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited, you can give your book away and still get paid when people read it. No traditional publisher can compete with that. Welcome to the new indie publishing.
The catch—you knew there had to be one—is that it takes time to come up to speed on all of this. To know which paths lead where, to find the right tools, to navigate the various platforms and programs and backends, and to make the dozens of decisions that need to be made (now and later) in order to give your work the best possible shot at success. In other words, everything you need is out there, but the learning curve is a steep one, and who has time?
How We Can Help
Our revamped indie publishing consultation service allows us to play the role of advisor/mentor,
showing you the ropes, answering questions, and offering custom-tailored support as you travel your chosen path. We’ll start by finding out what it is you want to do, explaining the best options to get you from here to there, and detailing the steps you need to take (and the pitfalls you’ll want to avoid) along the way.
There is no one-size-fits-all here, because every author’s journey is different, and the best moves for, say, a science fiction or thriller author may be different from the best moves for a romance writer, which will in turn be different from what a nonfiction author needs to do.
Our goal is to empower you to make the most of today’s self-publishing resources, without the hefty fees of ‘assisted’ publishers (AKA hybrid publishers), who basically charge a fortune to do things you can do yourself—once you know how. Our rate for this support is $75 per hour, and often an hour or two is all that’s needed to set you on the right track.
Whether you need full guidance, a little support in the rough spots, or just answers to a few pointed questions, we’re here to help you navigate the self-publishing process and make the experience as smooth as possible.
Your guide will be John Marlow, a traditionally-published author of fiction and nonfiction, who’s making the jump to indie in 2025. He has researched the field extensively, interviewed indie bestsellers, and helped first-time indie authors with editing, promo copy, formatting, publishing, advertising, and more. He’s also an Academy-honored screenwriter, who literally ‘wrote the book’ on adaptations—so he can answer Hollywood questions as well.
Quality Control
As a final reminder, remember that we have a terrific team of editors at your service to provide everything from critiques and professional beta reads to developmental, line, and copy editing, and also promotional copy, to ensure your book is the best it can be when it’s introduced the world, through indie or traditional channels. With us, you have the luxury of choosing your own editor—one who’s not limited by the rushed demands of trad publishers, which juggle hundreds of manuscripts at a time.
Sure, self-publishing is more hands-on, but we can help take care of almost everything—so all you have to do is write.
Get In Touch
We welcome inquiries online, by phone at 520.546.9992, or by email at admin@editorialdepartment.com.
Thank you for reading and we hope this helps you on your publishing journey!
RECOMMENDED READING
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY: Survey Finds Self-Published Authors Making Gains (Subscription required but free signup is offered that allows you to read this article.)
Alliance of Independent Authors Indie Author Income Survey: Media Links & Summary of Findings (The best and most in-depth resource we’ve found on indie authors are actually earning.)
PATHS TO PUBLISHING: A Decision Guide on Traditional and Independent Publishing Options for 2025 (A discussion of the pros and cons of indie-vs-traditional publishing.)
Education, planning, and editorial support for self-publishing authors
A series of blog posts on the basics of adapting books for Hollywood, no matter what the book’s path to publication. |
