Choosing the best path for your books

Questions to ask before each project when deciding whether to go indie or traditional

FIRST, before I get into answering this AMA question: I’m trying to increase my follower numbers on Amazon. It’s just helpful for reaching new people in the Kindle Unlimited ecosystem, now that the Witchlands is on KU.

So if you’re an Amazon shopper, please consider giving me a follow!

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Lisa asked:

You'd said before that you've considered indie publishing. For someone possibly interested in being hybrid, do you have any advice for how to decide if an idea would be better suited for trad vs indie?

This is such a tough question to answer because there are so many differences between the two—and I personally have never published independently myself.

I do stay plugged into that world (and have ever since I almost went indie back in 2013). I think indie authors are innovative, nimble, and plugged into their audiences. I also have plenty of indie and hybrid author friends, so I get to see what that path to publication is like on a daily basis.

But despite those connections, I still am not someone who can speak from personal experience. So take all of my points below with that caveat in mind.

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Now the way this is arranged is that I’ve broken down a few “evergreen elements” that distinguish indie from traditional. These are questions you can ask yourself—and that I urge you to ask yourself and give real consideration to—before you move forward on a certain path with any of your books.

There is a lot of misinformation out there. A lot of painting indie and traditional authors as “enemies.” Which isn’t true. It just isn’t.

One route is simply a better fit for a certain type of writer at a certain time in their career. And often, both options are a good fit. It just depends on timing, resources, genre, and personal choice.

There’s no One Size Fits All for any author, book, or career. It’s more like a buffet where you can decide what looks best. Maybe you’ll never leave the salad bar, or maybe you’ll dabble in salad, hot plates, and dessert!

So take the questions below, apply them to your current project, and see what you find!

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Resources

1. Do you have time to find an editor, cover designer, copyeditor, etc.?

2. Do you have the money to pay for their services?

3. If no to #2, do you have the time to learn these skills and do them on your own?