Self-Publish or Perish?

I asked my Twitter followers what publishing, writing, or querying topics they'd like to see in a blog post and Emily's question about the relation between self-publishing and literary agents stood out.

@MsMariaVicente Blog post idea: An agent's take on Self-Publish or Perish: Is it a good or bad idea for writers just starting out?
— Emily Wibberley (@Wibbs_Ink) November 13, 2013

Self-publishing is undeniably popular, but it also has a bad reputation. The thing is, self-publishing has been around just as long - arguably longer - than traditional publishing. There are many distinctions between the two and it falls on each individual writer to decide which path is best for his/her career. For the sake of simplicity, I'm only discussing self-publishing and traditional publishing as binary choices. For an in-depth look at the many paths to book publication, see this chart.

Since Emily's question focuses on writers just starting out, it's important to emphasize the questions that a writer needs to ask before choosing a publishing path: Do you want to be published by a traditional publishing house? Or are you anxious to turn your manuscript into a book right away? How much work (outside of the actual writing) are you willing to put in to make your book a success? Are you able to spend the necessary money to create your very own publishing team? Do you know enough about marketing and publicity to make your book stand out?

Traditional publishing takes a lot of time (finding an agent, securing an editor and a publishing deal, waiting for the book to come out...) whereas self-publishing is often immediate and allows the writer to have control over exactly when things happen. Marketing and publicity is absolutely necessary for both traditional publication and self-publication. However, self-published authors need to do a lot more work on their own - and marketing and publicity takes a lot of time (and money). Are you willing to spend money on graphic designers, publicists, and editors, things that are usually provided by a traditional publishing house? Your book needs to be extra special in all areas (even if you have a great story, the other elements still need to fall into place) to stand out in the world of self-published books. With traditional publishing, you will have a team of people helping you achieve this goal - and it will not cost you a thing (unless you decide to hire extra help, like an external publicist - but that's a different topic for a different day).

The decision to self-publish a book will have an impact on a writer's career. If your plan is to self-publish a book and then later query this same book to literary agents, please be cautious. While most agents aren't against self-publishing, many aren't willing to pitch a previously self-published book to editors unless it has sold thousands and thousands of copies. However, if you feel really compelled to self-publish a book and then later decide to query an agent with a different project, this is a much more manageable situation for both you and your agent.

Self-publishing isn't for everyone, just as traditional publishing isn't for everyone. Some books do great in the self-publishing realm, whereas others are meant for traditional publishing. It's not that one is better than the other. Which path is best for your book and which path will get you to where you want to be in your writing career? Make sure to weigh all of your options and consider the impact it will have on your career in the future.

I'd love to read your opinion on self-publishing vs. traditional publishing in the comments.