Being Trade Published Didn’t Keep Me From Still Self-Publishing

When I published my first book in August 2017, self-publishing was basically my only option.

I mean, technically I could have attempted to go look for an agent and later a publisher, but I had a small audience, was an unknown first-time author, and based on the goals I had for that book and my timeline, it would have taken too long.

After much research, self-publishing was the right option for me to get what I needed.

When it came time to think about publishing options for my second book, You Are Not Alone, I really wanted to go with a traditional publisher. The goals for that book were different and I knew it could be a good fit for a trade publisher and their audience. While it did end up being trade published, I did not take the “traditional” route of getting it there.

I got a trade publishing contract

So, once book 2 was trade published, I could have sent every nonfiction book I wrote to them. They made me aware they were interested in future books and topics and would take a serious look at anything I did next.

For most authors, this sounds ideal, right?

And it felt really great.

I am under contract with a publisher and so far, it’s been a pretty good experience. It’s not one of the major NYC publishers and that’s okay— more than okay, actually. I prefer it. I went after the publisher and found them myself and I love being with a smaller publisher, where I can reach out to editors and the owner directly and get a response.

I knew there wouldn’t be major book tours or huge launch parties — even the big ones wouldn’t do that for me. I am still relatively “unknown” despite my success as a writer.

I like my publisher a lot. They really like my writing and have even said they are interested in the fiction book I’ve been tinkering with for years. They’ve said they will read anything I write!

So, my second book was initially self-published in March 2018 and then republished with a trade publisher in February 2019.

Then, in late 2019, I self-published again.

I wrote my third book, Concept to Conclusion: How to Write a Book in the summer of 2019. I self-published it in November 2019 — despite knowing for a fact that it could have been trade published.

It wasn’t against my contract to publish elsewhere, I made sure of it.

So, why?

Well, there are a lot of reasons to self-publish. Control, keeping a bigger chunk of the royalties, faster timeline…but the real reason is that it was the right choice for that particular book.

Concept to Conclusion is something I’m extremely proud of and is based on my experience teaching people how to conceive, outline, write, edit, and publish their own books.

It was more for me and my business and I have business-related goals for it.

I still believe I made the right choice.

Now, I have another book ready to be published — and I’m going with the publisher.

It’s the second volume of YANA, the other trade published book. The publisher is excited about it and so am I!

I don’t yet how the next book after this one or any others will be published. For me, that is a choice based on the specific book, the audience, my goals for it, and more.

But I am excited to keep writing and figuring it out as I go!

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Check out my book Concept to Conclusion: How to Write a Book and learn how to conceptualize, outline, write, publish, and market a nonfiction book. Or check out my newest release, an anxiety journal: But…what if? A Journal For Anxious People.

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