What is an indie author?
An indie author is a writer who self-publishes to sell their work, who approaches publishing as a business, who retains all or most rights to their work, and who retains creative control over their work.
Authors today have many more publishing options than they have in the past. The three most common are traditional, indie, and hybrid. What are the differences between being a traditional, hybrid, and independent author?
Traditional: Contract with a publisher to have a book published. Sign over some or all rights to the work for a specific period of time. Most production decisions are made by the publisher. Publishers bear the cost of production and some marketing. Royalties are shared between the publisher, agent (if there is one), and the author.
Indie: Self-publishes all their books. Retains all rights to their work. Earns higher royalties. Author bears productions costs and marketing costs. Retains full creative control. Approaches writing as a business/career.
Hybrid: Publishes through a publisher and self-publishing. At least one book is self-published. Has a non-exclusive contract with a publisher, or self-publishes books that have been passed on/release by the publisher using a right of first refusal clause. Indie titles may be backlist books released from contracts.
When considering which option is right for you, consider some of the following questions:
What aspects of publishing can you learn to do yourself?
What aspects will you need help with?
How much of your royalties are you willing to give up in exchange for help?
How much time to do you have to commit to publishing?
How much creative/production control do you want?
What rights are you willing to give up and for how long?
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to publishing and deciding on a publishing route should be well thought out.
Next week, we’ll talk about some of the responsibilities indie author take on to build their career.
USA Today Bestselling Author DelSheree Gladden 