Electronic or Self Published - Are You Really Published?

I have defended my position on this issue until I'm blue in the face, but I'll do it again. If your book is contains an ISBN#, is being sold and/or distributed, available for public consumption, and someone is making money off of it (preferably you), then yes, you are really published!

In this article we will look at some advantages and disadvantages to both types of publication while comparing them to being traditionally published.

We'll begin with E-Publishing:

Sporting growth of up to 46% a year and reported sales of over $2million, what was once thought of as a passing fad, E-publishing is quickly becoming a force with which to contend.

Advantage: Higher Royalties (40-60% in lieu of 8-20%)

Disadvantage: Not recognized by many (agents, editors, publishers, writers' organizations) as 'really published' however, with organizations like EPIC (Electronically Published Internet Connection) this is quickly changing. EPIC attends events like Romantic Times Book Fair, CBA and ABA Bookseller Events etc., and works tirelessly to bring recognition to ebooks.

Advantage: Quicker turnaround between acceptance and publication and longer shelf life. Most e-books are available within 90 - 120 days compared to 2yrs in traditional print publication. Also, where most print publications have a shelf life of around 30-90 days, an ebook can be available forever depending on your contract.

Disadvantage: No advances. Is this really so bad considering that you make $0 in royalties until every penny of that advance is earned back? Many times new or mid-list author doesn't make enough sales to pay back the advance which means they never see any royalties and are sometimes in debt to the publisher. This also usually determines whether or not their next book is accepted.

Advantage: Professional products to offer your readers in several formats. Ebooks come in a variety of formats including pdf, html, rtf and even pod (print on demand) which gives you a better chance of making that sale!

Disadvantage: POD is not always offered and sometimes the expenses are left up to the individual author, again dependent upon your contract.