the only publishing we hear about is traditional.

let me find a definition for you:

"Traditional book publishing is when a publisher offers the author a contract and, in turn, prints, publishes, and sells your book through booksellers and other retailers. The publisher essentially buys the right to publish your book and pays you royalties from the sales."

now, this usually occurs through aspiring authors submitting their works with a manuscript and what their book is about. then an email is sent with their form. within a few days or weeks, an email is received to confirm whether it's been accepted for an offer or not. different agencies or publishers look for different genres.

i tried that a couple of times, i was actually happy with the rejections! it was nice to be simply acknowledged 😂 i'm aware that many rejections do occur but don't let that get to you! it's a very common thing but it's just the beginning.

then i found self publishing.

this is the definition:

Publish (a piece of one's work) independently and at one's own expense.

i didn't even know it was a thing? i also found out the author of fifty shades of grey had self published (i'm not sure how accurate this is) and was also a Twilight fan-fiction! i was looking for similar examples of self publishing fan-fictions and there isn't many.

i found some BTS accounts on wattpad who have published independently. however, there isn't many.

the thing about publishing fan-fiction is that you have to be careful. a great example is After by Anna Todd. that's a Harry Styles fan-fiction, still available on Wattpad and it's incredibly successful as just a novel, fiction book.

you must change the names of the characters.

self publishing means having to do everything on your own. that means editing, formatting, book designing and marketing. although, some of those can be paid for by people who offer their services online, it's definitely an advantage. no one else gets to decide anything for your book except you.

it's all up to you- how it looks, how it ends...

there's no time limit either. you don't have to write a book within a certain time frame.

although, it can also be seen as a disadvantage due to needing time, having ups and downs and having to do everything by yourself. it's a learning, growing experience that can be a nice, creative project!

i personally didn't get anyone to edit or format my book. i learnt from resources online (a chapter to come) such as youtube.

so each form of publishing has its pros and cons. sure, i'd love to he managed by someone and have that kind of certainty. but self publishing is great if you have the time and aren't looking for a full time career in writing.

if you're looking for a full time career in writing, i highly recommend giving traditional publishing a try first!

let me know your thoughts:
traditional or self publishing?