FAQ

Traditional publishing (trad pub, or just “trad”) is the process of securing a literary agent in order to go “on submission” with publishers. The Big 5 publishers in NYC won’t accept unsolicited submissions; in order to be traditionally published, you need a literary agent to submit your novels to editors at those presses. It’s a long, complicated process, but has the added benefits of expansive distribution and a full team that makes your novel amazing.

Self-publishing, or “indie”, is done by you, the author. It involves commissioning or creating your own cover, editing your book, formatting it for publication, and uploading it to self-distribution sites like Amazon, Ingram Spark, Campfire, Draft 2 Digital, and many others. In indie, no one is reviewing your novel for quality–but that does NOT mean these novels aren’t incredible. It just means they were created and published by the author, without a professional team behind them.

Traditional authors often sacrifice creative freedom for expanded distribution and clout. Meanwhile, indie authors get paid faster and can pivot quickly, but getting books into stores is trickier. Both have benefits and downsides!

I’m both! I’m what we call a “hybrid” author: someone who bounces between the two.

I started querying in 2015, signed with a literary agent in 2018, and we sold a middle grade book to a mid-sized publisher. That novel was released in 2021. (I’ve since gotten the rights back to that novel after it technically went “out of print” due to low sales.)

In 2022, I separated from that agent and went indie with my cozy fantasy, CAN’T SPELL TREASON WITHOUT TEA and its sequel, A PIRATE’S LIFE FOR TEA. After record sales, the Tomes & Tea quartet was purchased by Tor UK and Bramble (Tor US) in mid-2023 for republication.

Now I firmly straddle the line between both publishing paths. I have a literary agent who works on foreign rights deals (selling my book to publishers abroad), and I self-publish otherwise.

This approach offers me the freedom to design my novels as I want, from cover to content, while exploring the distribution benefits of a traditional publisher. It’s tougher to navigate because there isn’t one “set path” for publication. I’m figuring things as I go, so stay tuned for updates!

That’s a great question, and the answer is, “it depends.”

If you’re more interested in a fast publication with little oversight and total freedom, indie is your best bet. You’ll get to decide everything. Everything. Granted, not everything will sell, so make sure you explore successful titles in your genre. See how they packaged their book, what platforms they distributed on, and how they market. Don’t forget that regardless of publication style, you’re writing for your reader. Audience is key.

If all that sounds intimidating or expensive, it’s because it is. And in that case, trad might be a better path for you. It takes time (I’m talking literal years), but it’s an incredible process. Research “querying,” which is the process of securing a literary agent. That’s step 1.

No matter which you choose, make sure you find your author community. It can be on Instagram, Discord, TikTok, Facebook, or somewhere else–but having author friends who understand the trials of publishing is essential.

Something else to note: a lot of authors pivot between the two. You can start in trad and decide it’s not for you, or visa versa. That’s why we have so many hybrid authors! Just keep writing and learning, and you’ll do great. <3

The obvious answer is “write more.”

New writers hate hearing that. Writing a book takes ages, and the idea that “more” is necessary is tough to swallow. Trust me, I understand. But none of this happens overnight.

Here is my publishing journey, broken down by full-length novel:

• Novel 1 – 8 (2002 – 2013): Written for fun, no intent to publish
• Novel 9 + 10 (2014 – 2016): Queried 100 agents each, NO requests
• Novel 11 (2017): 8 full requests, all rejections. Won RevPit, several more full request, signed with that literary agent. Book died on submission after multiple rewrites.
• Novel 12 (2018): Sold to a publisher (The Secrets of Star Whales, Jolly Fish Press) [out of print – rights returned to me in 2024]
• Novel 13 (2019 – 2020): Book died on submission
• Novel 14 (2022): Agent didn’t think she could sell it. I self-published it in late 2023 (The Day Death Stopped)
• Novel 15 (2022): First self-published book –> (Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea)
• Novel 16 (2023): Second self-published book (A Pirate’s Life for Tea)
• –Tomes & Tea series sold to a major publisher here, after gaining TikTok popularity and demonstrating solid book sales–
• Novel 17 (2023): Third self-published book (This Gilded Abyss)
• Novel 18 (2023): Tea You at the Altar, sent directly to Tor for 2025 publication
• Novel 19 (2023): Unnamed Book 4 of Tomes & Tea, sent directly to Tor for 2025 publication
• Non-fiction Book 1 (2023): Fifth self-published writing craft book (The 5 Sentence Method)

The point is, if you think you’re ready to be published, and agents don’t agree… there’s a good chance your writing just isn’t there yet. The only solution is practice. Read every craft book you can. Talk to people in the industry. And write your next novel.

If this were easy or took less time, everyone would do it. I’m sorry your first book isn’t working out. Go write more. (Or, hey. Self-publish. Then no one can tell you no. 😛 )

“A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.” – Richard Bach

I followed Travis Baldree’s path almost identically. No joke. The only place I deviated is getting on TikTok, where he’s bigger on X. I’m very lucky that Travis was so forthcoming with his self-publishing journey, or I wouldn’t have had the courage to attempt it!

Here’s a write-up he did for Legends & Lattes, with step-by-step instructions.

Keep in mind that Travis Baldree had a large following as an audiobook narrator, and his book was picked up for a casual read by a very well-known author. All of that contributed to his rapid success. In my case, I was completely new to indie and started my TikTok from scratch in early 2022, but almost 8 years in traditional publishing gave me tons of resources to pull from.

Ah, numbers. My favorite. 😉 Here’s a breakdown of my initial costs for Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea.

• $1000 – Cover Art (ALWAYS get commercial rights.)
• $150 – Formatting Software (Atticus)
• $275 – 10 ISBNs
• $300 – Cover Typography + Promotional Art
• $50 – Vinyl Stickers (for promotion)
• $100 – Supplies for Book Boxes
• $60 – Stamps
• $50 – Mailing Supplies
• $50 – Upload to Ingram Spark
• $15 – Proof Copies from Amazon

Total: $2150

Keep in mind that several of those purchases were one-time things, or bought in bulk so I can keep using them into new releases. Future novels will be cheaper by default. However, I expect every novel I publish to cost me around $1500 regardless.

Another important thing to note is that I didn’t use a professional editor. I’ve worked with enough that I know where the weak spots in my writing are, and how to fix issues as they arise. This is a learned skill, and not something an author can inherently know about their own work! If you’re new to publishing, please factor in another $400 – $1500 for a good editor.

You can find updated editorial costs on the Editorial Freelance Association’s website. Keep in mind these are just estimates, and your actual cost may vary!

I know. Hence why self-publishing is a risk, and why many authors decide to pursue traditional publication instead. There are authors who don’t make back their original investment for years, and many need what’s called a “backlist” (multiple books published) before they enter the green.

I am a very unique case, and it had a lot to do with timing, luck, and my marketing ability. There is no right or wrong way to do this, and anyone copying me may not find this level of success.

If publishing were easy, everyone would do it. Are you going to let that stop you? 😉

Here’s an introductory video on the steps needed to self-publish your novel. It’s a 3 minute rundown of every step needed to self-publish.

If you’re looking for more in-depth information on each part, I created a TikTok playlist on every aspect of self-publishing. Check out the playlist here!

Don’t be intimidated by all there is to do–just take it one step at a time.

I pay attention to trends, and I’ve been in the industry long enough to see new ones coming. For cozy fantasy, it was a few things that happened all at once:

1. I learned that Legends & Lattes was purchased by a Big 5 publisher for immediate republication. This solidified that “low stakes, high fantasy” had a seat at the trad table–and if it sold well, editors everywhere would be looking for their own versions of it.
2. After the pandemic, I was craving something low stakes, high comfort. It made complete sense to me that I wouldn’t be the only one–and Legends & Latte‘s instant success only reinforced that. AKA: There was a huge, untapped audience.
3. Tor had already proved they’d be willing to buy a self-published book if it sold well, so self-publishing this first was low risk, high reward. I’d make money instantly… and there was always the chance a Big 5 would pay attention if it sold well.

Something to remember, though, is that I’d spent ages in traditional publishing by this point. Those points above were literally common knowledge to me.

I also write VERY fast, and I’ve done enough books to write well, too. I was able to churn out a very solid book in about 6 weeks over the summer of 2022. I knew that timing mattered, and I strategically dropped my cozy fantasy several weeks before Legends & Latte‘s re-release. That gave it time to circulate before the masses got a hold of cozy fantasy… which meant it was on everyone’s tongue when people asked for “books like L&L.”

We’ve seen it over and over, after all. The first good books to the table are the ones recommended in the same breath as the genre creator.

Everything after that was luck. But I was very careful about setting rods in the right field!

Absolutely!! But with a caveat–many of these people are old friends of mine. They’re also excellent at their jobs, and would love to hear from you!

Editorial

• Carly Hayward – Developmental Editor
• Kaitlyn Katsoupis – Developmental Editor
• Kimberly Jakubowski – Copy Editor
• Cee M Taylor – Developmental Editor

Cover Design / Interior Formatting

• Amphi Studio
• Rubre Art

Cover Artists

• Irene Huang (Tomes & Tea)
• Eilene Cherie (This Gilded Abyss)
• Esther Bellefontaine (The Day Death Stopped)