Does Traditional Publishing Hinder Storytelling?
From ancient scripts to new-age classics, authors have been penning books for centuries. It was not until a few hundred years ago, however, that works were made available for mass printing and distribution to share their stories far and wide.
Thanks to publishing houses, authors could get their work into the hands of thousands; and today, millions. In the digital age, new opportunities have emerged that can create the same success for authors: self-publishing.
From blogs to print-on-demand, authors can retain total creative control and share their work with the push of a button. Here is the question you might be left wondering; is this better for writers?
A Case for the Self-Publishing Route
Self-publishing is certainly more accessible.
The traditional publishing model relies on organized businesses with access to resources like printing presses, distribution networks, and a sizable budget to spend promoting the sale of each title. Without them, authors’ works would not reach beyond their neighborhoods. Now, in this new age of globalization, titles are translated into hundreds of languages and shipped worldwide.
Getting a book published by a major publishing house, however, is no simple task. Many authors spend months or years querying for agents to represent them and pitch their novels to publishing houses on their behalf: and some, to no avail. If that’s not enough, monopolies and mergers of major houses have left authors with fewer opportunities for submission.
Soon-to-be author Ashley Weiss says she:
“ … spent all of 2022 querying, and it was exhausting.”
The Querying Struggle
Querying for an agent can feel like applying for jobs;
“You end up writing, rewriting, customizing, and pitching more or less the same 300 words over and over again.” — Ashley Weiss
Some authors are fortunate to be chosen by an agent ready to take on their work, but that is merely a battle won in the war. The agent then pitches the author’s work; this time to publishers in the same repetitive fashion.
Many authors in 2023 are facing a similar struggle to Weiss; they receive several polite rejections with little to no feedback. Why? Not because the work is not good. “It’s just not the right fit,” many agents report.
Often, that “not right fit” boils down to two major factors:
The work’s genre and the author’s identity.
Ashley Weiss reports that:
“The young-adult market is just oversaturated. Everyone is writing YA.”
Competition for the attention of an agent is fierce. Moreover, agents reserve the right to select whom they sign on. In 2023, we are seeing the rise of agents advocating for, and consequently primarily taking on, authors of color and authors identifying with marginalized communities, as these authors historically have not been advocated for by major publishing houses.
There is still major room for growth in author representation in the publishing industry, as just a few years ago, only 11%of books published were written by people of color: reported by the New York Times.
So, how does this impact what is written and, consequently, what is published?
Authors who publish with major houses write for the market. Publishers want “what sells,” or else, they do not make a profit. Book publishing is not a particularly lucrative business model. In fact, most books are a loss for publishers. Publishing houses rely on the outlying “runaway hit” novels and the consequent production, entertainment, and merchandise profits from said works and ownership of the story rights.
What is “the market?”
From this industry professional’s perspective, here’s a brief overview of the current state of the book market.
What’s always been hot; World War era historical fiction and accounts, celebrity memoirs, self-help, and modern adaptations of literary classics
What’s hot now; zombies are back (due to our last three pandemic years), dystopian fiction is on the rise (as we spiral toward another economic depression), witches, LGBTQ+ romance, and (be warned) young adult remains oversaturated.
If you write YA, consider including one of the above niches within your story if you choose to pitch traditional. Alternatively, research smaller publishing houses that align with the niche of your work.
The Dark Side of Self-publishing
Alternatively, there’s the “wild, wild west” of self-publishing; where anything goes and every man for himself — as it were.
This new-digital-age industrial revolution fosters ever expanding opportunities; like independent and smaller publishing houses as well as print-on-demand services that allow authors to be their own publishers. Now, thousands of novels are published annually in America, creating an endless array of entertainment options for readers and exposure for aspiring writers.
The good news: you can publish anything.
The bad news: you can publish anything.
The barrier to entry is low, which is excellent news for accessibility and, alternatively, not-so-great news for quality control. The latter factor feeds the assumption that the traditional publishing route is the “better” option for writers. While, currently, traditional publishing is certainly more respected, the truth is; the “best” option varies from author to author and even work to work.
Which route should you choose?
When self-publishing, you own all the rights to your work and are free to do with it as you please. Whereas publishers traditionally purchase your story and own the copyright and reproduction rights to do with it as they see fit. However, there is a give and take. Without a publishing house’s vast network and establishments, self-published authors have to work twice as hard for half as much exposure.
The best advice I’d offer an aspiring author is to know your worth, read contracts carefully, and decide what’s most important to you and your book journey — and finally, where you are and are not willing to compromise.
There is no right way to publish a book in 2023. It is up to each author to decide what journey is best for them and their work.
Mackenzie Finklea is a Publishing Consultant for Manuscripts Press. For more information on Mackenzie’s work or to connect, visit https://mackenziefinklea.com/