Should You Self-Publish? 7 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Making the Decision

While writing is an art, deciding between self-publishing and traditional publishing is a business move.

It’s easy to get caught up in the romanticism of either path — being the Powerful Boss Entrepreneur with self-publishing or Being Chosen and Validated by a big publishing company. But the bottom line is that publishing is a business.

Once you decide to put your book on the open market, it becomes a product, and the decision of how to distribute it comes down to how much responsibility you want to assume on the business side and which path is better for that particular book.

I self-published my debut novel because I wanted complete control, and I plan to self-publish more books, novellas, and short stories in that contemporary romance series. But I’m also considering querying some of my fantasy projects to explore that avenue. I’d love to be a hybrid author, which is an increasingly popular scenario.

Just because you start with one publishing method doesn’t mean you can’t venture into the other. Many indie authors are being offered trad deals for their already successful self-published books (like Hugh Howey with the Silo series and Andy Weir with The Martian), some start in self-publishing and get trad deals for other books (like Amanda Hocking with the Watersong series), and some traditionally published authors choose to self-publish certain projects (like Breanne Randall with The Secret Society of Second Chance Magic).

There are downsides to this era of publishing, as with any, but there are also a lot of good things, the greatest being: as authors, we’ve never had more opportunities and options to get our work out into the world and to make a living selling our books than we do right now.

Whenever I’m feeling wary about the state of publishing (and the world as a whole), I come back to this fact—we’re enormously privileged to have so many options now. We are more empowered than ever as artists.

If you’re considering self-publishing a book, here are 7 questions to consider to help you gain more clarity on which path is right for you. I’ve included resources I’ve personally found valuable on my journey as a self-published author, which include some affiliate links that I may earn a small commission from if you use them to purchase something, at no extra cost to you.

When you self-publish, you’re the boss. You’re responsible for every decision: the editing process, what the cover looks like, the publishing timeline, writing the blurb, choosing the title, handling distribution, setting the price, branding it, marketing it, and the overall reader experience.

Of course, you can hire people to help you with all of this, but you’re still the one in control. You’re choosing who to hire, and you’re responsible for managing the project.

While some traditionally published authors can work things into their contract, like final say on the cover art, their control is far more limited. If they don’t like something, it’s not uncommon for their opinion to be overruled by the publishing house. You’re also bound by their deadlines, so you have to deliver revisions and future books (if contracted) on their timeline.

Another thing to consider is who you want to own the rights to your work. When you work with a traditional publisher, they own the rights. This can complicate things if you ever want to turn that book into a series, but the publisher rejects any of the subsequent books (potentially even the third book in a trilogy after the second has been released).

With traditional publishing, you’re entering into a business partnership with a (usually very large) corporation. Their choices will always prioritize their bottom line and profitability over yours. It’s important to get an agent who will fight on your behalf to make that partnership as fair to you as possible, but remember, it’s still a business arrangement, so there will be give and take.

☽ — KEY TAKEAWAY: If the idea of a high level of control energizes you, that’s a good sign self-publishing is right for you.

After being acquired by a traditional publisher, it can take up to two years for your book to hit shelves.¹ With self-publishing, you can publish whenever you want.

Want to rapid-release a series all in the same year so readers don’t have to wait long between books? Go for it. There are no rules. You set the timeline based on how quickly you can get them published to your personal standards.

☽ — KEY TAKEAWAY: I don’t recommend rushing a book to market, but if you’re someone who writes fast or doesn’t want to be held back by a publisher’s schedule, self-publishing offers more freedom.

As soon as you decide to publish your book, self or trad, you have to accept that your book is becoming a product. If you don’t want it to be a product, you can offer it for free on Substack, WattPad, or another story platform. As soon as you expect people to pay for it, you’re going into business.

The question is: how much do you want to be involved in that transition?

With traditional publishing, you’ll have a team doing the heavy lifting behind the scenes to figure out who the book is for, how to position it on the market, how to brand it, and how people will discover it. However, bear in mind that even traditionally published authors are still expected to market their book on social media, manage their author website and newsletter, schedule interviews and live events, nurture relationships with readers, and run ongoing paid ads and promotions online.²

Self-publishing adds extra responsibilities before release, such as designing cover art that appeals to the right market and building hype before the launch.

☽ — KEY TAKEAWAY: You don’t have to sacrifice your creativity once you enter the business side of publishing, but you do need to decide how much responsibility you’re willing to take on.

Self-publishing can cost $0 or thousands of dollars. It depends entirely on your budget and what you are willing to invest.

Some potential expenses are:

• Editing (developmental, copyediting, and/or line editing)

• Proofreading

• Cover design

• Formatting

• ISBNs

• Proof copies

• Advertising

• Website and email tools

• Promotional materials (character art, social media graphics, stickers, bookmarks, etc)

You can do many of these for free if you find people to barter services with and use free services like Canva for graphics. While a lot of authors are commissioning character art, it isn’t a requirement for success. You can use free stock images (just make sure they come with a commercial-use license, such as from Pexels, Unsplash, and Dupe). You don’t even have to publish your book on paperback if you don’t want to—you can publish it exclusively as an ebook to start with, which cuts out the need for proof copies, a full cover wrap design, and additional interior formatting.

While it can be easy to compare yourself to traditionally published authors and self-published authors with big budgets, many started with little to no budget and built a grassroots campaign that gradually cultivated a passionate audience. It’s not always the flashiest releases that are the most successful long-term. People love to root for small artists who are creative and determined, and who invite them on the journey with them from the ground up.

☽ — KEY TAKEAWAY: What do you want your release to look like? Get honest with yourself about what you’re willing to invest and how creative you’re willing to get.

Writers are often most overwhelmed by the idea of running a business, and that’s fair — there is a lot to learn at the beginning. However, there are plenty of resources to help you navigate it all, from free YouTube and blog series to books, workshops, and professionals you can hire.

You figured out how to write a whole book, which is a huge undertaking. If self-publishing is something you want to do, you can absolutely find your way through the process.

Here are some resources to get you started:

• Indie Inspiration for Self-Publishers series by Elana M Johnson

• Write Faster, Write Smarter series by Chris Fox

• Reedsy Learning

• ALLi (Alliance of Independent Authors)

If you already have a lot on your plate and don’t have the bandwidth to take on the business side — or you simply aren’t interested in it — traditional publishing could be the better avenue.

☽ — KEY TAKEAWAY: Self-publishing requires more on the business side, so make sure you’re willing to learn the ropes.

One of the most appealing parts of the traditional publishing process is having external validation and a team behind you (your agent and the publisher) from the start, all advocating for your book.

With self-publishing, you have to be comfortable advocating for yourself. Unless you hire a marketing/PR team or have a built-in audience and/or network of others in the industry, you’ll be the only one telling everyone about your book, at least in the beginning.

You have to be comfortable letting people know your book exists and inviting them to read your work, or at least willing to overcome the fear and push out of your comfort zone.

☽ — KEY TAKEAWAY: Are you ready to champion your book, even before anyone else validates it?

Imagine your ideal life as an author. What does your day-to-day look like? What are your responsibilities outside of writing?

Does it look like:

• Complete creative control?

• A flexible publishing schedule?

• Multiple genres?

• Experimental projects?

• Publishing occasionally while doing something else?

If this all sounds appealing, self-publishing could be the right path for you. Both publishing methods have trade-offs. The important thing is to decide which path best aligns with what you want your life as a writer to look like.

☽ — KEY TAKEAWAY: Your publishing path should support the author lifestyle and career you want.

Self-publishing is a good idea if…

• You value creative control.

• You want flexibility in your publishing timeline.

• You’re willing to learn every aspect of the business side.

• You don’t mind making all the decisions.

• You’re willing to invest time and/or money.

• You’re comfortable being your own advocate.

• You love the idea of building your career on your own terms.

It might not be for you if…

• You don’t want to manage a business.

• You want someone else making most of the publishing decisions.

• You don’t want to handle your own book release.

• You want the traditional publishing infrastructure and support.

If you’ve gotten this far and you’re like “hell yeah, self-publishing is the way,” then Reedsy Learning’s 2-day online conference How to Self-Publish a Bestseller in 2026 could be a great next step. It’ll walk you through everything you need to know to set yourself up for success. It includes live presentations, panel discussions, and Q&As with experts and best-selling indie authors.

Unlimited access to the conference is included with a Reedsy Learning membership, or non-members can buy a ticket to the 2-day event and have access to the recordings for 28 days.

Use code LESELFPUB for $20 off

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SOURCES

1. Why Traditional Publishing Takes So Long by S. Jae-Jones

2. Do Traditional Publishers Market Your Book for You? Here’s the Truth by BadRedhead Media (Rachel)