To Trad or not to Trad
Every aspiring writer has, at one point or another, considered traditionally publish their works. And why shouldn’t they? What greater validation could there be then to have an agent and publish tell you that your writing is both of professional quality and commercially viable.
I am, at heart, a shy person; I don’t like to talk about myself. I become particularly uncomfortable when the topic of writing comes up. I will begrudgingly admit to a new acquiantence that I write as a hobby, and that I am currently writing a cozy fantasy novel. I do so slightly tensed, as though bracing for some sort of belittling or condescending comment.
This is, of course, never the case. People are very nice and supportive by default. It’s more a reflection of me and where I see myself. On some level, I consider myself an amateur writer. Strictly by definition, it is true. I have not published anything professionally yet. Having grown up my entire life reading and loving traditionally published authors, I’ve mentally created a lovely garden where they exist. I am not in this garden.
It is a bad habit that I, and a growing number of aspiring authors, are slowly shedding. In 2024, being traditionally published is far from the only way one can be a professional writer. This year, Keila Shaheen sold one million copies of her debut self-published non-fiction book. She and many other self-published authors are finding tremendous success forging their own path, without the need for agents or publishers.
As I finish the third draft of A Djinn’s First Wish, I find myself at a crossroads. The manuscript is in pretty good shape. It is as good as I can make it on my own. Now is the time to begin querying agents. Doing so would put me down a path that I see so many of my authorly friends on, waiting anxiously for responses from agents, watching as rejection after rejection pours in. How discouraging it appears to be.
As critique partners and beta readers gave me positive feedback on my second draft, this path became tempting. Maybe I would fare better than the average author. Maybe my book would get picked up. Who knows until I try? I debated this for weeks on end.
Suddenly one day, a calm washed over me. I had at some point reached a level of pride in my work that I no longer sought the external validation of the publishing industry. I believe A Djinn’s First Wish is written well and to market (cozy fantasy). I genuinely believe there are readers out there who will enjoy the story.
Self-publishing became the obvious choice for me. I have always said that if I can bring even a single person joy by reading my novel, I will consider it a success. Yes, I hope many more people read and love my story. But if not, I am still happy.
And so I am committed to this path now. By the end of 2024, I will self-publish A Djinn’s First Wish, and I hope that someday, someone will read it and it will bring them even an ounce of the joy that it’s brought me in writing it.