Hello Hana – It typically takes 3–5 years from when a manuscript is polished and querying begins until an author lands an agent or publisher, and there is no guarantee a manuscript will get picked up. I understand that’s a long time to wait on a chance.

Whether you self-publish (indie publish) depends on your goals as an author. For example, I’ve worked with authors who write picture books featuring their kids or grandkids, capturing funny anecdotes. Their goals were to have a book to share with their kids when they are older and maybe have kids of their own so it’s a memory or keepsake. That’s quite different from authors who want their books to have a far reach and larger print run, possibly ending up in bookstores and libraries, and potentially make money.

Begin by educating yourself on publication processes because there are more nuances than just traditional or indie. This is succinctly stated in Jane Friedman’s article “The Key Book Publishing Paths: 2023-2024.”

For support, community, and education (in addition to what SCBWI offers), consider:

• The Author’s Guild 
• The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi)
• The Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA)

Possible Benefits of Indie

• The author has complete control (i.e., a picture book author can hire their own illustrator) whereas in traditional publication others have a say in how the book turns out
• Financial percentage of profits are usually higher than in traditional publication (though sales numbers are usually lower and distribution may be limited—meaning your book may not be in libraries and bookstores)
• The process is much faster than traditional publication which can take a year or years from acquisition to publication and, along the way, the deal may still fall through

Closing

Consider your goals for this book—you can choose different paths for different projects. Ask yourself how much time, effort, and money you can invest and how much control you want. Once you have enough facts to make an informed decision, choose a direction, and enjoy the journey.

—Christine

HAVE QUESTIONS?

To ask a question that may be answered in an upcoming Kite Tales, please follow this link and fill in the form. Answers by Christine Van Zandt, children’s book author and owner of Write for Success Editing & Coaching Services.

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Photos by Polina Kovaleva and James Wheeler (adapted by JY Faulkner) on pexels.com.