Do you intend to self-publish or use the traditional route to publish your novel?

It may depend on how good you are at self-publicising, (or how much you are prepared to spend on professional help).

I self-published my novel 'Dreaming in Stone' through Amazon's Create Space. I wrote it in the course of several creative writing courses, so it was extensively peer reviewed and some parts, at least, were reviewed by the tutor. I didn't, however, pay for professional editing and did all my own proof-reading. I used one of Amazon's cover designs with one of my husband's photos.

I did a bit of self-publicising, getting mentions in the local newspaper and the magazine of the University of the Third Age, using Facebook, Twitter, a website on which I've put stories and poems (Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy) and my own blog. I even got a mention in Quercy Local, the magazine for English expats in the part of France where the story is set.

I've sold about fourteen copies and that's all. I could go back and get the thing professionally edited, because I'm sure it has weaknesses, but I've rather lost heart!

Hi Adrian,

At the moment, I am a self-published author. There are benefits to being so, including:

Complete control over the finished appearance, length and tone of your work

Retention of all rights

A higher rate of royalties than most publishers pay (70% on Amazon for e-books)

There are downsides to it as well:

Being solely responsible for the promotion and marketing of your book

Having to pay for editors, cover design etc out of your own pocket

However, I've been pleasantly surprised by how simple it is to do. There is a huge worldwide community of authors happy to share their experience and help with promotion, plus several organisations who champion independent authors.

However, I have friends who have been, or are about to be, traditionally published, and there are benefits there as well:

Editing and cover design are paid for

Marketing and promotion is done partly by the publisher/agent (note I say partly - this is because most authors are expected to have and manage some sort of 'platform' these days)

Your books are in retail stores (although, if you independently publish through Createspace, their extended distribution includes placement in Walmart)

As you say, the odds are heavily stacked against us, and I do believe that every author these days has to operate almost as a small business. Hybrid authors, who have both traditionally and self-published works, are becoming more common. I certainly haven't dismissed the idea of being traditionally published one day, and so each book I write will be treated as a separate commodity, and sent to agents and publishers if I think that's the right thing to do. It's a very big saturated market out there, so I think we as writers each have to forge our own paths - self publishing allows us to find an audience, build experience and network with readers, all of which adds to our marketability. Finding an agent or publisher is the dream, but don't let an inability to do so stop you from writing, or from sharing your work with the world.

Well! That turned into a slightly long answer to a short question. Interested to hear what others have to say.