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If your goal is to make a living as a writer, signing with a legitimate publisher is the correct course to follow. Established publishing houses offer many benefits over self-publishing: advances, visibility, and validation.

Money should flow to the writer. That means you shouldn't be paying to have your book published. Legitimate agents don't require a fee to review your manuscript, and legitimate publishers don't expect you to pay for your book to see print. In fact, legitimate publishers will pay you an advance on royalties if they select your manuscript. That, right there, should be enough to convince anyone that self-publishing is the wrong choice.

And don't point to Wil Wheaton or Christopher Paolini as examples of self-publishing success stories. They didn't get successful until they were picked up by a legitimate publisher, and had to do a lot of work before that to get noticed. Wheaton was a minor celebrity who grew his audience online. Paolini stumped across the U.S. for a year or so, promoting his book from store to store.

It's interesting that the self-publishing companies have acquired the moniker of "vanity presses." There's certainly something vain about paying someone to put your name on a book cover, but it's quite an ego blow to watch your book wallow in anonymity. Self-publishers cannot offer you the visibility that legitimate publishing houses can. The vast majority of booksellers do not buy from vanity presses, limiting your exposure.

Speaking of exposure, legitimate publishers come with their own marketing departments. Self-publishing doesn't, leaving you to do all the legwork of promoting your book. And finance it. That doesn't mean that authors who don't self-publish should neglect any marketing they can do, but it's definitely an advantage to have a partner that can tap additional resources.

Going through a legitimate publisher brings a certain amount of professional validation that self-publishing does not. Your manuscript must overcome a succession of hurdles before it goes to press in a publishing house: the agent, the editor, and a steering committee. All it takes to see print in self-publishing is a check.

Industry organizations like SFWA do not recognize self-publishing as meeting requirements for membership. Universities that require their tenured professors to publish don't either.
Self-publishing is fine for those who just want to share their work with friends and family. It is not the answer for a writer who wants to make a living from their work. Legitimate publishers offer the resources necessary to help a writer become successful.

Learn more about this author, Kameron M. Franklin.
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