A traditional publisher or self-publishing?

There was a time when the main concern of writers coming to the site was how to find a publisher. That's when series such as Inside Publishing were created in order to answer the demand for information about publishing, so that writers could find out about what actually went on behind the scenes.

Then there was the era of early self-publishing, when it all seemed a terrific gamble and somehow not very respectable, a refuge for the desperate who couldn't find a publisher to take on their book. With the development of the self-publishing sector, things have changed radically, although self-publishing will still work better if you can really throw yourself into promoting yourself and your book - and also master the techie side of book production.

The most recent period has seen self-publishing flourishing, as countless numbers of authors have shown that they can publish their books themselves and in some cases make a major success of it. Some of these successful self-publishing authors have ended up with a publisher, often from their point of view because they want to concentrate on their writing, or to make sure they get their books edited.

This week's links show the amount of discussion there is internationally about self-publishing and making it work for you. But the very latest is that there seems to be a slight shifting-back towards looking for a traditional publishing deal, perhaps for the sake of a simpler life. But this is also at a time when self-publishing and the services to support it are growing fast internationally and becoming quite corporate in their approach. You can sign up through an online form and, as long as your book is straightforward and you trust the service, this should work quite well for you. If you're still thinking about it though, do have a good look at what's involved.

WritersServices Self-publishing Guide