When you pick up a novel, that book probably found its way down one of two paths: traditional publishing or independent publishing (aka self-publishing). 

I plan to independently publish my first book, Ring of the Axe. 

That was not my first intention. But the more I learn, the more excited I am to be an independent author. 

What’s the difference between traditional and independent publishing? 

In traditional publishing (for novels...non-fiction is different), an author completes their book and sends it out to agents. If an agent signs with the author, the agent tries to sell the book to a publisher.

In independent publishing, an author completes their book and then just smashes the PUBLISH button on their computer.

Kidding, of course. There's a lot more to it.

But an independent author is in the driver’s seat. They make all decisions about editing, cover design, marketing, and when to finally release their book out into the world.

I dreamt of becoming a traditionally published author

When I was in creative writing courses in high school and college, writers were still mailing paper manuscripts to agents, magazines, and publishers. 

Things have come a long way. 

I couldn’t even imagine the tools authors now have at their disposal to create books that parallel the quality of any traditional publisher. (I'm not talking about AI, which can please get ALL the way out of our creative spaces, thank you.)

Back then, it was only natural to assume that if I were ever to publish a novel, it would be through the traditional process. 

Even in my early project plans for Ring of the Axe, I had months blocked off to submit my manuscript to agents while working on the next book (in those plans, I also thought I finish ROTA in about a year--lololololol).

I’ll admit I looked down my nose at people who were self-publishing their work. 

I was on the path to becoming a “real” author. 

Time ticks steadily on as I contemplate the draft of this article.

What changed? 

Gradually, I became less and less enchanted with the dream of traditional publishing. So much was changing…

The technology changed. Print on demand, ebooks, graphic design tools, and so much more made independent publishing possible without ordering hundreds of physical books that you may never sell. (AI is now one of those tools, to which I say no thank you.)

The public opinion of independent books warmed. A few rose to incredible heights. The general attitude accepted that real, quality books could come from sources other than the traditional gatekeepers. 

My own private opinion of independent authors got a reality check. I met some independent authors, read some of their work, and started to shed some of my old biases. 

The marketing field was leveled. It’s a fraught conversation, but social media seemed to make it possible for independent books to gain more of a grassroots following without the backing of the big publishers.

My confidence grew. As I learned, I felt more and more certain that I could go the route of the independent author, who must also be a fairly savvy business woman. 

My indifference grew too. Whereas securing an agent and publishing contract has a lot of cache associated with it, what good does that do me? The older I get, the less I care about the accolades and the more I’m interested in the work…and the readers.

My resources grew. If you're going to try to mimic the editorial & design quality of a traditionally published novel, you'll need some money to pay experts to help you (because there's no publisher footing the bill). We're fortunate enough to have a little playing around money for this.

I found the term “independent publishing.” That may seem like a small thing, but it’s such an improvement over “self-publishing”...framing the work as a legitimate business endeavor rather than a self-indulgent vanity project. 

Me playing safari while on safari in 2019. There's nothing in those pockets, but there is almost certainly a G&T in that glass. 

What are the benefits I expect from independently publishing? 

Listen, I haven’t actually published anything yet, but these are the upsides that I’m already enjoying or expect to encounter on this path. 

• I will DEFINITELY publish. No if or maybes. I will put Ring of the Axe out there. I even have modest hopes about finding readers. After all, I didn’t write it solely because of some pure calling or love of the process (although I do love the process). I wrote it to connect with the people who read it. That’s part of the process too. 
• I get to sidestep (some of) the rejection. I’m realistic: I expect some dark nights of the soul weathering negative feedback or worse, silence. But independently publishing does mean that I get to skip the part where I’m waiting on bated breath to hear back from agents and publishers, or hearing no from them dozens of times. 
• I make all the creative decisions. As someone who is not an expert in graphic design or accounting or marketing, this is a little daunting. As someone who loves control, this is a delight. 
• I don’t have any publishers to disappoint. You hear terrible tales about books that don’t sell well and the authors behind them who are never invited back to the publishing party. No risk of that here. The only person I can disappoint is myself!
• I can play with the marketing & promotion. I’m tickled by the idea of planning events, talking about my book, designing my merch line, and more. Some might find all of that absolutely gruesome, but it’s right up my alley. 
• I keep more of the revenue. Rather than paying a percentage to the publisher and agent, I get a bigger slice of the pie. 
• I’ll be able to hire my own people. I’m already doing this on a very small scale, but if I get some degree of success, I’ll be able to reinvest that into human artists, designers, and editors. I love that prospect. 
• I get to keep going. The more I write Ring of the Axe, the more excited I get cracking on writing the next book. I wanted to make a life of writing and creating, not a life of chasing approval and status. With independent publishing, there’s less risk I get stuck on selling one book. I get it done and move on to the next.

What am I missing out on by self publishing? 

I know it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. 

At least for now, I don’t have a team. And I really enjoy creating with a team. I love improvising with my D&D party. I love collaborating in the theater. I love moving with other dancers. As an independent author, I don’t have an agent rooting for me (but I have other people rooting for me). I don’t have a marketing team directing me (but I like learning about that). I won’t have as many people automatically involved--but I’ll have my readers. And I’ll have the onus on me to build my creative community.

I’m probably rushing and would benefit from time to grow as a writer. Traditional publishing forces you to slow down, to wait, to revisit, to rethink. And if you have an agent, they’ll probably ask you to revise. And revise. And revise. Writing teachers will quote Brandon Sanderson telling you to write and trash half a dozen books before you even think about putting one out for public consumption. Ring of the Axe will be the first book I’ve finished (I’ve started many). The rule of practice says it will probably be my worst. I say…may I be so lucky to have many more better books ahead of me!!

I won’t be on library & bookstore shelves. There are exceptions to this, but generally speaking Barnes & Noble is not going to stock your independent novel. The library systems also feed through similar distribution channels. It breaks my heart just a little bit, but you probably won’t find me there. 

Republic of Letters Books in Mineral Point, WI

One final benefit of independently publishing (and life?)…

After all that, I can always change my mind. If someone comes to my doorstep and says “we just finished Ring of the Axe and it’s the rallying cry for women who imagine a more fantastic, challenging, and exciting lives. Sign here for the ludicrous book and movie deal with an extravagant book tour attached!”

Well, if that happens, then I can always change my mind.