Decisions…decisions...

Well, I’m not exactly finished with Book #2 yet, but I’ve been thinking a lot lately about which publishing route to take. Of course self-publishing is a definite option (and certainly a fall-back), but I wonder whether I should go the road less traveled and try for an agent and publisher so that I don’t have to do all the work myself.

Both have their advantages. Self-publishing my first book required a large financial investment up front (for ISBN’s, packing supplies, business checks, etc.), and a good portion of that would be deferred this time around. Also, I’ve learned a huge amount from this first book, doing it all on my own. Timing is the name of the game, and contacts are invaluable. So you could say, I’d be prepared this time around. But it’s so much work! You are everything: author, publisher, publicist, shipping clerk, administrative assistant, a regular gal-of-all-trades. And guess how much writing gets done while you’re wearing all these other hats? Not so much.

Now to go the other route, I’d have to start with an agent search. And if I managed to pique one’s interest, she would then start off on the search for a publisher. Of course, at that point I’d be a little out of the loop, but that would be prime (if nerve-wracking) writing time. If I were to sell, then someone else would be in charge of my cover, the editing, the placement, and a portion of the marketing and promotion. I’d still have to shoulder some of the burden of “selling yourself”, but that’s life as an author.

Tough questions…no definitive answer yet. My husband is all for self-publishing which is a little surprising because we’re still warehousing boxes of Unladylike Pursuits, but then…he’s a prince.