Indie vs. Traditional Publishing

Publishing

     As I sit here working on edits for Shooting for Love, I'm still plagued with the question of publishing.  I've been indecisive in choosing between just self-publishing or pursuing submission to a traditional publishing house.  I literally switch between the two on a daily basis; sometimes it feels like mere minutes when I shift from one to the other.  Obviously the clear cut choice for any aspiring author is to be picked up by a major publishing house and sit back and wait for fame to claim us, while we sit back on our laurels and bask in our success.
     Okay I know, I know.  On many counts I know that it doesn't quite work that way.  Writing the book is only a huge portion of the battle...but there is so much more to come.  Some of my favorite authors are excellent writers, have a great fan base and constantly put out award-winning novels, however they still have to pound the pavement--hard--in hopes of drumming up sales and increasing their readership.
     Writing an award worthy novel is just the first step--a very long and arduous but necessary step of becoming an author.  Marketing however is a huge factor in weeding out the believers versus the nonbelievers.  You were dedicated enough to your craft to sit down and write your book, now how much faith do you have in your work to try selling someone else on the merits of publishing it or for that matter even reading it.

     But I digress.  The choice of self-publishing and having all of the control, which means taking on all of the responsibility is tempting.  However having someone else believe in ME enough to take a chance on my writing would feel like validation for all the endless hours of writing and tireless nights of living in the minds of my characters in the hopes that potential readers will "get" my writing.  Let's be real.  We all seek validation.  We write because we can't not write, but having readers, editors and publishers who pick up our books and read them cover to cover simply because they can't not read our work is the affirmation that we all want and need.  It makes sitting in our "caves" to work on our masterpieces worth the solitary confinement.
     I think I would really enjoy the creative flexibility as an indie author.  Designing my own covers, choosing the titles and selecting the content of the final draft of my novels.  Those are all excellent creative incentives.
     With that said, I still crave the stamp of approval from a publishing house. Under a publishing house I could enjoy the collaborative effort of presenting my work to the world.  Having the experience and resources of an editor and their team backing me would afford me the opportunity to learn more and grow as a writer and understand the dynamics of publishing and effective marketing.
     In short, I am no closer to a decision.  Just weighing the many options of Indie versus Traditional Publishing.

#ChasingGreatness
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