Why I Didn’t Take the Traditional Publishing Path

When I started writing my book, I made a deal with myself: just write. Don’t think about publishing. Don’t think about agents. Don’t think about whether anyone will read it. Just get the story out. Writing felt brave in a quiet way, but publishing felt exposed.

But when the day came, and it was time to think about how I would publish my book, I felt like a fish out of water. As an MFA student, publishing was always discussed in very clear terms:

Traditional publishing = the goal.

Self-publishing = avoid at all costs.

No one really talked about the gray space in between, hybrid publishing.

But when it was finally time to decide how I would publish my book, I realized something important: my goals mattered more than academia’s. I’m not trying to earn tenure; the reason traditional publishing is the gold standard. I just wanted to publish my book—responsibly, realistically, and without lighting my savings account on fire.

Let me break it down for you:

Traditional Publishing

This is the version most people think of. You query agents. An agent sells your book to a publishing house. The publisher pays for editing, design, printing, and distribution. Sometimes you receive an advance. You earn royalties on sales (often around 10–15% for print, more for ebooks).

You don’t pay upfront—but you also don’t control everything. You sign over certain rights for a period of time. And you are not guaranteed major marketing support unless you’re a big name.

It’s competitive. Very competitive.

I sent my manuscript to over 30 agents. I collected rejection letters like badges of honor, or maybe like tiny paper cuts. Both can be true.

Hybrid Publishing

This is the one people don’t talk about much.

Hybrid publishers sit between traditional and self-publishing. They offer professional services — editing, design, distribution — but you pay a significant upfront fee. In exchange, you typically earn higher royalties than traditional publishing. It sounds appealing. You feel chosen. You feel validated.

I received two hybrid offers. One quoted me $40,000. Yes. Forty thousand dollars to publish my book. They talked about interviews. Speaking opportunities. Marketing budgets. For a minute, I imagined it all. But imagination and risk are not the same thing.

Hybrid can be legitimate, but it’s still a financial gamble. And in memoir especially, publishers care about your platform. Your audience. Your marketability. I am not a celebrity. My following isn’t massive. And that matters. It mattered to agents for traditional deals, and it mattered to hybrid publishers.

Self-Publishing

Self-publishing means you pay for everything yourself. The editing, cover design and formatting. But you keep control. You keep your rights. And depending on the platform, you can earn significantly higher royalties. It’s more work. More responsibility. More learning. But it’s yours.

After sitting with that $40,000 quote, I had a very clear thought: I am not emptying my savings account for this book. I didn’t write this book to become famous. I didn’t write it to quit my job. I wrote it because the story mattered to me. And if my book is about trying new things, seeing no limits, and being willing to fail— then I can’t suddenly become risk-averse when it’s inconvenient.

So I chose to bet on myself. Not $40,000 worth of belief. But time. Effort. A lot of google searches. Handfuls of mistakes. I’d already hired two professional editors. The book was strong. What I needed wasn’t a gatekeeper, it was grit.

So I learned ISBNs. Distribution platforms. Print-on-demand. Metadata. Things I had never once thought about when I was “just a writer.”

And here’s what surprised me most: Self-publishing didn’t feel like settling. It felt aligned. Publishing isn’t just about prestige. It’s about what makes sense for your life, your goals, your tolerance for risk. For me, the bravest choice wasn’t landing a traditional deal. It was choosing the path that matched who I actually am.

Self-publishing made sense. Now, of course, I hope you will invest in my dream and go buy my book! Please :)