Should You Self-Publish or Seek a Publisher?

You want to publish your book. But should you manage the process yourself, approach a publisher, or find an agent first?

Start with what you want this particular book to accomplish and how much of the publishing work you want to handle. Your budget, available time, and willingness to share decisions matter too.

Our mission at Wildebeest Publishing Co. is to help people publish their stories, whether they work with us or not. Use this guide to choose a direction and identify your next step.

Understand the choices

Self-publishing means taking responsibility for producing and releasing your book. You can do some tasks yourself and hire professionals for others. You remain responsible for coordinating the work, making decisions, and planning how to reach readers.

With traditional publishing, a publisher selects your book and funds its publication. That also means sharing control over production, scheduling, and other business decisions.

A literary agent represents your work to publishers and helps negotiate publishing arrangements. Seeking an agent is one way to pursue a publisher. Some publishers accept submissions directly from authors. Others require an agent, so check their current submission instructions.

Self-publishing

Worth exploring when… You want to make publishing decisions and manage the release.

Responsibility to consider: You coordinate production, costs, distribution, and promotion, including any help you hire.

Seeking an agent

Worth exploring when… You want representation when approaching publishers, especially those requiring agented submissions.

Responsibility to consider: You research suitable agents and prepare the materials each requests. Representation does not guarantee a publishing deal.

Ready to look for representation? Start with 4 Places to Find Literary Agents for Your Book.

Approaching publishers directly

Worth exploring when… Publishers that fit your book accept unagented submissions.

Responsibility to consider: You check fit, follow submission requirements, and evaluate any offer carefully.

Complete your publishing-path worksheet

Write a short answer to each prompt. Specific answers are more useful than a score.

• My reader: Who is this book for? Describe the person most likely to value it.
• My purpose: What do I want this book to accomplish? For example, preserve family stories, serve a professional audience, or build a readership for my fiction.
• My priorities: Which decisions matter most to me, such as the cover, editing, formats, price, or release date?
• My budget: What can I comfortably spend without depending on future book sales?
• My time: How much time can I give the project each week? Which tasks am I willing to learn?
• My deadline: Is there a real reason the book needs to appear by a particular date? What happens if publication takes longer?
• My agent-search window: How long do I want to spend seeking an agent: 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, or 2 years? Choose a date to reassess your progress and decide whether to continue, revise your approach, or explore another publishing route. This is your planning window, not a prediction of how long finding representation will take.
• My support needs: Which parts can I manage, and where would I want experienced help?
• My readiness: What work remains before I can publish or submit the book?

Use your answers to choose a next step

If control over the release matters most and you are willing to manage the work, explore self-publishing. Begin by listing the production tasks you can handle and those you would need to hire out.

If you want a publisher to select and invest in the book, research its submission route. Seek an agent where representation is required. Where direct submissions are accepted, follow the publisher’s current instructions.

For fiction, agents generally expect a finished, polished manuscript. Some nonfiction projects are considered through a proposal and sample material. Requirements vary, so prepare for the specific recipient rather than sending the same packet everywhere.

If your preferences conflict, identify the tradeoff before committing. Wanting full control while having little time to manage production, for example, may mean budgeting for help or allowing a longer schedule.

You do not have to choose the same route for every book.

Getting help can be part of your plan

Self-publishing does not require doing every task yourself. You might manage the project while hiring help with editing, design, or formatting.

When considering paid support, ask for a written explanation of the work, costs, responsibilities, and deliverables. Be clear about which decisions you will make and which tasks the provider will handle.

Before choosing a publisher, work through the questions in our Publishing Avenues Explained guide, under “Questions to ask before signing any publishing contract.” They cover costs, royalties, rights, creative control, marketing commitments, contract restrictions, and professional standards.

Comparing publishers? Use our 22 questions to ask before you commit to a publisher to ask about their work, costs, rights, and responsibilities.

Our free guidance is here for you to use independently. WPC’s services are an option when you want help putting that guidance into practice.

Finish this sentence before moving on:

“For this book, I will explore __________ because __________. My next action is __________.”

Then use our free publishing resources to work through that next action.