Nowadays authors have much more options when it comes to choosing how they publish, distribute and reach people with their work. Due to significant developments in the industry like the emergence of Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing, there has been a great increase in the number of people who have chosen the self-publishing route. We have made this infographic to help people compare the pros and cons of each of these options and decide what is best for them. Infographic version: https://wordwave.pub/self-publishing-vs-traditional-publishing-infographic/ More resources for self-publishers: https://wordwave.pub/blog/

1. vs
Self-Publishing
TRADITIONAL PUBLISHING
Which path should you take?

2. benefits of
Self-Publishing

3. The power is in your hands
YOU ARE IN COMPLETE
CONTROL OF YOUR BOOK
Editing, formatting, cover art,
where to sell and for how much...

4. For every book you sell, more of the
money makes its way to your pocket
up to 70%
YOU’RE ESSENTIALLY CUTTING
OUT THE MIDDLE MAN
Higher royalty cut

5. YOU HAVE MUCH MORE FLEXIBILITY
WHEN DECIDING WHAT TO DO WITH
YOUR WORK
E.g. if a studio wants to make a movie out
of your book – you’re the one to talk to.
You retain all rights

6. Creative freedom
YOU AREN’T DEPENDENT ON
ANYONE ELSE’S OPINION
There is no tyrannical figure to
decide for you. You are the boss.

7. THERE IS A STEEP
LEARNING CURVE
PRINT DISTRIBUTION
CAN BE DIFFICULT
Challenges & Drawbacks

8. YOU GOTTA HUSTLE
INVESTING YOUR MONEY
You’ll need money for design work,
formatting work and marketing
You have to bring out your entrepreneurial side
to get your book produced, published and sold
Challenges & Drawbacks

9. Quick facts
30%
E-BOOKS NOW MAKE UP APX.
of all book sales, and
Amazon has a 65% share
within that category

10. of books on Amazon’s
e-book bestseller list25%
Quick facts
INDIE BOOKS REPRESENT

11. TRADITIONAL
PUBLISHING
BENEFITS OF

12. No learning curve
Traditional publishers will take care
of marketing tactics and most of the
technical elements
YOU WILL HAVE TO PICK UP
LESS NEW SKILLS

13. You aren’t responsible for all of the
upfront costs
YOU DON’T HAVE TO INVEST
YOUR OWN FUNDS
LESS FINANCIAL INVESTMENT

14. You don't need to think about
marketing either
MANY TRADIONAL PUBLISHING
HOUSES HAVE THEIR OWN
DISTIBUTION WEB
MARKETING Distribution power

15. YOU GET TO WORK WITH AN
ESTABLISHED TEAM OF
PROFESSIONALS
The whole production process is held by
a number of specialists
access to a Professional team

16. YOU DEPEND ON THE JUDGEMENTS
AND SUBJECTIVE VIEWPOINTS OF
OTHERS
YOU LOSE CREATIVE CONTROL
You can end up with a title and/or cover that you
do not like due to marketing and other factors
Challenges & Drawbacks

17. Challenges & Drawbacks
Getting an agent, going through the
edits, getting a publishing deal etc.
CAN BE A REALLY SLOW PROCESS
LOW ROYALTY RATES STATISTIC
On average7.5 - 15%

18. Challenges & Drawbacks
Giving up rights to your book for the rest of your
life (and longer), agreeing to give up a royalty
percentage of whatever you publish in the
future, do-not compete clauses etc.
DISADVANTAGEOUS CONTRACT CLAUSES

19. It doesn’t always have to be an either-or
choice. You can also opt-for a path in the
middle - self-publish some books and
publish others traditionally.
HYBRID MODEL
AN ALTERNATE OPTION

20. self-publishing
In summary
MORE CONTROL
CREATIVE FREEDOM
HIGHER ROYALTY CUTS

21. MUCH LESS INVESTMENT REQUIRED
MORE MARKETING POWER
ACCESS TO A PROFESSIONAL TEAM
TRADITIONAL PUBLISHING

22. THe middle way
A Combination
Hybrid model

23. Time to pick your path!
SOURCES
July 2014 Author Earnings Report
http://authorearnings.com/report/july-2014-author-earnings-report/
Amazon Vs. Book Publishers, By The Numbers
www.forbes.com/sites/jeffbercovici/2014/02/10/amazon-vs-book-publishers-by-the-numbers

24. More Valuable Resources
for Self-Publishers At
https://wordwave.pub