Publishing Decisions Are Leadership Decisions
Three Questions to Help You Choose the Best Route for You.
Yesterday, I spoke with an author who had a completed manuscript and a rapidly growing platform. Her collaborative partner, a ghostwriter and editor, recommended that she pursue traditional publishing due to the book’s commercial potential.
After reviewing the manuscript, I agreed there was a possibility she could land an agent. The work was strong, the story was compelling, and her audience could support a submission strategy. I could have shared my opinion. Instead, I did what I always do in these moments: I asked a series of questions.
These questions aren’t designed to guide someone toward a particular answer I want them to give. They are designed to create clarity. Publishing is not one-size-fits-all. Every author has a different set of priorities, capacities, and goals. My job is to make the landscape clear so they can lead themselves through it (with my guidance).
In my experience, clarity comes quickly in these conversations. This particular author was unwavering in their insistence that the book needed to launch this Fall. She had a message to share and an audience waiting. She wasn’t interested in waiting a year or two. After our conversation, she decided that hybrid publishing aligned best with her vision, timeline, and energy.
She exemplified the decisiveness, ownership, and leadership that authorship requires. No hesitation.
I Don’t Tell Authors What to Do
When authors ask me to tell them which path they should take, I decline, not out of avoidance, but out of respect. Their name is on the cover. They are the ones who must own the outcome. My best work is helping direct them with the latest, objective information.
I do not believe in pushing authors toward one path or another. My role is to present the realities of each route, ask the right questions, and help them weigh what matters most in their context. Clarity lives in understanding the landscape well enough to choose your direction confidently.
Not Everyone Is Ready to Choose
I have also had conversations with aspiring authors who say they want to write a book, but are unwilling to invest the time, energy, or money required to do so effectively. In those cases, I’m honest. If you are not willing to commit to at least one of those three resources, this may not be the right time to begin.
Writing and publishing a book is not free. Every path, traditional, hybrid, and self, requires something from you. If it does not cost money, it will cost time. If it does not cost time, it will require energy. No path is easy. Each path is possible.
Your First Three Considerations
Before you enter into authorship, three factors are already shaping your publishing journey. I call them the first three editors:
Time
Money
Energy
These are the core resources you must account for throughout your entire authorship experience., including choosing a publishing route. Every decision flows through them.
How to Choose Your Publishing Path
Below is the step-by-step framework I use with authors who are ready to publish but uncertain which direction to take.
Step One
Are you willing to wait 18 months or more to publish your book?
Yes, if you have a compelling or commercially viable manuscript, traditional publishing is a path worth considering.
Traditional Publishing
Timeline: 18 to 36 months from submission to publication
Requires querying agents, facing rejections, and completing revisions under contract
Offers professional editing, distribution, and industry credibility
Most debut authors receive small or no advances
Royalties are usually 8 to 15 percent, often split with an agent
You do not pay to publish, but you will likely need to invest in additional marketing that your publisher does not cover
You give up some creative control and often license your rights
Best for: authors building long-term writing careers, memoirists with large platforms, and thought leaders seeking prestige and market reach
No, if you are not willing to wait, continue to Step Two.
Step Two
Are you willing to hire and manage your own publishing team?
This includes overseeing a developmental editor, copyeditor, designer, formatter, and marketing strategy, along with managing copyright and ISBN registration.
Yes, Self-publishing may be your best option. It offers speed, control, and full ownership.
Self-Publishing
Timeline: 1 to 9 months, depending on how fast you work
You hire and manage your publishing team
You retain full ownership and creative control
You keep 100 percent of your royalties (minus platform fees)
You are responsible for quality, visibility, and sales
Best for: authors with entrepreneurial drive, an existing team to manage the work, strong organizational skills, and a desire to move quickly while maintaining ownership
No, if you do not want to wait and do not want to manage the process, continue to Step Three.
Step Three
Are you willing to invest money in a trusted publishing partner who can manage the production process with you?
Yes, Hybrid publishing may be the most aligned path. It combines the benefits of professional support with the speed and flexibility of independent publishing.
Hybrid Publishing
Timeline: typically 3 to 6 months
You pay an upfront fee (often between $5,000 and $15,000)
You retain your rights and maintain creative input
Royalties are higher than traditional publishing (usually 30 to 70 percent)
You work with an experienced team that handles editing, design, and production
You may still need to play your part in the marketing and promotional aspects after your book launches, but they will cover the basics and more (each level of marketing support is provided with an additional fee)
Best for: authors who do not want to wait, entrepreneurs and executives ready to use their book to complement their keynotes, workshops, product/service offering, who want quality without having to build and manage a publishing team themselves
No, if you are not ready to invest time, money, or energy into the process, it may not be the right moment to pursue a book.
What This Author Chose
The author I spoke with had a complete manuscript, a growing audience, and a clear, non-negotiable goal. Her book had to launch this Fall. Traditional publishing was not going to meet that timeline. Self-publishing was possible, but she did not want to manage production (it's a lot!). Once we reviewed the options together, the path was clear.
She chose hybrid publishing. It allowed her to stay on track, focus on her message, and meet her goals without sacrificing quality or momentum.
There Is No One Right Path
Every publishing route has pros and cons. Each one requires something different. There is no universal best choice, only the path that aligns with your goals, timing, and available resources.
You can begin by querying agents, and if that route doesn't lead to a deal within six to twelve months, you can pivot with a solid strategy to hybrid or self-publishing. Nothing is wasted when you move intentionally.
Publishing is not only a creative decision. It is a leadership decision.
Final Questions to Ask Yourself
If you are ready to bring a book into the world, begin with these:
Am I willing to wait 18 to 24 months or longer?
Am I prepared to hire and manage my own team?
Am I willing to invest money in a hybrid publisher to handle it with me?
Am I clear on how much time, money, and energy I’m truly willing to commit?
Once you answer these questions, the best path will usually reveal itself.