You have finished your novel. Or almost.
After months, sometimes years, of writing, rewriting and editing, another question appears: how should you publish it?
For many writers, the choice comes down to two main possibilities: submit the manuscript to a traditional publisher or publish the book independently through self-publishing.
Both paths can turn the same manuscript into a published book, but they involve very different ways of working, levels of control, responsibilities and expectations.
**There is no inherently right or wrong way to publish a book. There is simply a publishing model that may be more or less suited to your project, your priorities and the role you want to play after writing “The End.”**
Self-publishing and traditional publishing: what is the difference?
In self-publishing, the author takes responsibility for publishing the book.
They may use a print-on-demand platform, release an ebook, order printed copies or work directly with different professional service providers.
In other words, the writer becomes their own publisher.
That does not necessarily mean doing everything alone. A self-published author can hire an editor, proofreader, cover designer, illustrator, typesetter or marketing specialist.
The difference is that the author chooses those professionals and remains in charge of the project.
Traditional publishing works differently.
The author submits a manuscript to a publishing house, which decides whether it wants to publish the book. If the manuscript is accepted and a publishing agreement is signed, the publisher generally takes responsibility for editorial work, cover design, production and making the book available through its distribution network.
Marketing support may also be provided, although the amount of attention given to individual books varies considerably.
The first consideration: how much control do you want?
One of the biggest differences between self-publishing and traditional publishing is creative control.
When you self-publish, you can decide almost everything:
the final title;
the cover;
the book description;
the layout;
the price;
the publication date;
the available formats;
future revisions;
your marketing strategy.
For some writers, that freedom is essential.
The published book can remain very close to their original vision.
But freedom comes with a counterpart: every decision also becomes their responsibility.
Traditional publishing is closer to an editorial partnership. An editor may suggest significant changes, ask you to rewrite parts of the book, recommend another title or change the way the novel is positioned commercially.
That can occasionally feel frustrating, but an experienced external perspective is also one of the main benefits a traditional publisher can provide.
**Choosing a publisher therefore means accepting that your manuscript will partly become a collaborative publishing project. Choosing self-publishing means retaining control of the project, together with all the freedom and responsibility that involves.**
The second consideration: publishing on your own schedule
Self-publishing has one obvious advantage: no acquisitions team has to approve your manuscript before it can be published.
Once the manuscript is ready, you can move directly into editing, proofreading, formatting, cover design and publication.
You also control the schedule.
Traditional publishing involves a very different process.
First, you need to identify publishers or literary agents whose interests match your book, check their submission requirements and prepare your manuscript accordingly.
Then comes the waiting.
A rejection does not necessarily mean that a novel is bad. A publisher may already have a similar title, may not currently be looking for that genre, may have a full publishing schedule or may simply make a different editorial choice.
Submitting a manuscript traditionally can therefore require considerable patience.
The third consideration: the cost of publishing
Traditional publishing has an important advantage here.
Under the standard traditional model, the publisher invests in producing and distributing the book rather than asking the author to finance publication.
Self-publishing can be started with relatively limited expenses, particularly through ebooks and print-on-demand services.
Producing a genuinely professional book, however, may require paying for:
developmental or copy editing;
proofreading;
cover design;
typesetting and formatting;
illustrations;
printed copies;
marketing or advertising.
You can perform some of these tasks yourself to reduce costs, but doing so requires both time and the necessary skills.
Self-publishing can therefore be inexpensive to begin with, but it can also become a real investment when the goal is to reach professional publishing standards.
The fourth consideration: earnings and financial risk
A self-published author generally retains a larger share of the revenue generated by each sale after platform fees, printing costs and other commissions have been deducted.
The author also carries more of the financial risk.
Editing, cover design, advertising or printing may all need to be paid for before you know how many readers the book will reach.
With traditional publishing, the author's share of each individual sale is generally smaller because several businesses participate in the book supply chain.
In return, the author normally does not personally fund the book's production under the traditional model.
Comparing only the amount earned on a single copy can therefore be misleading.
**A higher margin per sale does not automatically mean higher overall income. The result depends on how many readers you reach, how much you spend and how much time you devote to selling the book.**
The fifth consideration: editorial support
This is one of the strongest advantages a good publishing house can offer.
Preparing a manuscript for publication involves much more than fixing spelling mistakes and designing a cover.
Editorial work may examine pacing, structure, characters, inconsistencies, unnecessary sections or opportunities to strengthen individual scenes.
After spending months working on a novel, writers inevitably become extremely familiar with their own text. That can make it increasingly difficult to step back and evaluate it objectively.
With self-publishing, this editorial support is not automatically built into the process.
You need to create it yourself.
Beta readers, professional editors, proofreaders and trusted readers can therefore become essential parts of the process.
Not having a publisher should never have to mean having no outside perspective at all.
If your novel is still in development, you can also read our guide on how to organize a complex novel using timelines, characters and plotlines.
The sixth consideration: reaching bookstores
This is an area in which a traditional publisher can provide an advantage that is difficult for an individual writer to reproduce.
Publishers work within professional distribution networks that help make their books available to booksellers.
That does not mean every traditionally published novel will appear in every bookstore.
It does mean that accessing the conventional book trade is usually more straightforward.
For a self-published author, making a book available through major online retailers can be relatively accessible.
Achieving meaningful visibility in physical bookstores generally requires more work.
Writers may need to contact bookstores directly, attend book fairs, organize events and gradually build their own relationships with booksellers.
If seeing your book widely distributed through traditional bookshops is one of your main objectives, this factor can weigh heavily in the decision.
The seventh consideration: marketing your book
There is a common assumption that signing with a publisher means the writer no longer needs to promote their work.
The reality is more nuanced.
A publisher may support a launch, contact media outlets, send review copies, communicate with booksellers or organize events.
However, not every title receives the same marketing resources.
Traditionally published authors can therefore still benefit from talking about their books, meeting readers and gradually building their public presence.
With self-publishing, that responsibility is simply much more obvious from the beginning.
Social media, an author website, newsletters, book fairs, local media, partnerships and advertising can all become part of the author's job.
For writers who enjoy entrepreneurship and building a readership, that can be exciting.
For writers who primarily want to write, it can quickly become time-consuming.
The eighth consideration: how much time do you want to spend doing something other than writing?
This may be the most underestimated difference of all.
A self-published writer is not only a writer.
Depending on the way the project is organised, they may also become a project manager, publisher, marketer, contractor manager, salesperson and social media manager.
Every hour spent doing those tasks is an hour that cannot be spent writing the next book.
A publisher takes responsibility for a significant part of the publishing process.
The writer will still have promotional and editorial responsibilities, but they no longer have to manage the entire production chain alone.
Ask yourself one simple question:
**Do you only want to write books, or do you also want to publish and market them yourself?**
Your answer may already point you towards one option.
Self-publishing may suit you if…
You should seriously consider self-publishing if:
you want maximum creative control;
you want to choose your own publication schedule;
you are prepared to learn about the different stages of publishing;
you enjoy managing a project from beginning to end;
you are willing to invest in professional services when necessary;
you want to build a direct relationship with your readership;
you prefer being able to publish without depending on a publisher's selection process.
Self-publishing is particularly attractive to writers who enjoy both creative independence and the entrepreneurial side of authorship.
Traditional publishing may suit you if…
Submitting your manuscript to publishers may be more appropriate if:
you want professional editorial support;
you want access to established distribution networks;
you do not want to finance the production of the book yourself;
you would rather spend more of your time writing than managing publishing logistics;
you are willing to consider changes suggested by an editor;
you accept that submissions may involve rejection;
you do not need complete control over every aspect of publication.
This route may require more patience before publication, but it gives the writer access to an existing professional structure for producing and distributing books.
What if you are still unsure?
The decision does not necessarily need to define your entire writing career.
Some authors begin through self-publishing, develop an audience and later work with traditional publishers.
Others publish certain books traditionally while self-publishing other projects.
You can also decide to submit your manuscript to a carefully selected group of suitable publishers first and consider self-publishing if those submissions do not lead to publication.
The important part is to define that strategy before you begin.
For example, decide which publishers you want to approach and how long you are willing to prioritize traditional submissions.
That prevents your manuscript from remaining indefinitely in a state of waiting without a clear next step.
Whichever route you choose, everything starts with the manuscript
Self-publishing and traditional publishing mostly diverge after the writing stage.
Before that, writers have remarkably similar needs: finish the novel, organize its chapters, check characters and chronology, revise the text, proofread it and prepare a clean manuscript.
That final step should not be underestimated.
A manuscript submitted to a publisher should be easy to read and professionally presented.
A manuscript destined for self-publishing will require even more preparation before it becomes a finished commercial book.
Plumelisse brings chapters, notes, characters and the story timeline together inside the same writing project. Once the manuscript is ready, Premium users can also export a project, folder or chapter to PDF or DOCX using manuscript formatting designed for submissions to publishers.
You can explore these tools on the Plumelisse features page.
If publication still feels distant because finishing the manuscript remains the main challenge, you may also want to read Why most people never finish their novel?.
So, self-publishing or a traditional publisher?
If your priority is freedom, speed and control, self-publishing has significant advantages.
If you primarily want editorial guidance, production support and easier access to traditional book distribution channels, working with a publisher may suit you better.
Neither route guarantees that a novel will succeed.
And neither automatically turns a good manuscript into a visible book.
**The real choice is therefore not simply who will publish your book. It is deciding what role you want to play once the writing is finished.**
Writer, supported writer or writer-publisher: each model has its own strengths.
Whatever you choose, your next objective remains the same: prepare the best manuscript you can before handing it to someone else… or deciding to publish it yourself.