Publishing Isn’t One-Size-Fits-All — Know the Difference

Dec 17

If you’re considering publishing a book, it’s important to understand the basics of how ownership and royalties work in each model.

Traditional Publishing

• Publisher controls most rights

• Lower royalties (about 5–15% for print, around 25% for ebooks)

• No upfront cost, but limited creative control

Vanity Publishing (Pay-to-Publish)

• Author may keep copyright, but contracts often limit control

• High upfront fees

• Royalties may look appealing, but sales are often low

Self-Publishing

• Author owns 100% of the rights

• Highest royalty potential (up to 70% for ebooks)

• Full creative and financial control

Bottom line:

Traditional publishing offers less risk but less control.

Vanity publishing is high cost with limited return and requires caution.

Self-publishing provides the most freedom and earning potential, but with more responsibility.

Your book. Your rights. Your choice.

Steven Jackson

Some people ask why I don’t use a professional editor yet, so I wanted to explain it plainly.