The Lure of Traditional Publishing

The Grass-is-Greener Trap

If you’ve never been traditionally published, it can look downright seductive. Like that mysterious, jaded blues singer in a smoky dive bar who has everyone mesmerized, it all seems so magical—until the lights come up and you realize the spell is broken, and so is the illusion.

I’ve been traditionally published. And most of the time, I will say “never again!” and mean it down to my very bones.

But, every once in a while, I’ve wondered if writing a “throwaway” book for a traditional publisher might score me some of the last remaining perks of that world.

The One Remaining Perk

Let’s be honest, traditional publishing doesn’t have much left to offer indie authors. But there is one last thing it can give you: recognition.

If you’re 100% indie published, you already know exactly what I’m talking about:

• You can’t get pro reviews.
• You can’t enter most high-profile writing contests.
• You can’t get a nod from the local writing guilds.
• Writer-in-Residency programs? Not for you—you’re not considered a “real” local author.
• Grants and subsidies? Sorry, you’re not published “properly” in your region.
• Press and media? They’re not knocking on your door.
• Many conferences are laser-focused on traditional publishing.
• You’re not even included on certain bestseller lists (although, to be fair, most of those lists are disappearing faster than socks in the laundry).

Not getting the recognition that’s automatically bestowed upon even debut trad authors? Yeah, that can sting. It rankles. It gnaws at you like an ulcer.

It can even make you wonder if you made a mistake by choosing the indie path. Maybe you didn’t even have a choice—maybe you ended up self-publishing because traditional publishers never came knocking. And that lack of recognition can fester, making you wonder if you missed out.

But is it worth selling your soul (okay, maybe just your book) to a traditional publisher just to get that recognition?

Some Big-Name Indies Thought So

Mark Dawson did. Mark Dawson, who built an indie empire with his self-published thrillers, decided to dip a toe into traditional publishing. A guy who knows marketing better than most publishers? And yet, he wanted that traditional badge of honor.

Then there’s Hugh Howey, the poster child for self-publishing success with Wool, who also ended up signing deals with traditional publishers.

They’re not alone—there are other former indie darlings who’ve gone trad. Some just dip a toe in, some dive headfirst into hybrid careers.

So, what gives? Do these formerly mega-successful indie authors know something the rest of us don’t?

The Indie Reality Check

I decided to ask around. I know a number of indie authors well enough to ask them about their experiences with traditional publishing—whether they’ve gone hybrid or, like me, had dalliances with trad publishing before swearing it off.

Unfortunately, I can’t give you their names, since these were private conversations (and at the time, I wasn’t planning to blog about it). But let me just say this: their answers were so definitive, I thought I’d pass them along.

Here’s the summary:

Stay away. Don’t do it. Run as far as you can from New York!

One memorable response was a simple but emphatic: “No. No, no, no, no, no!!!”

And then the horror stories poured out:

• Questionable bookkeeping.
• Royalty statements that looked like a toddler’s math project.
• Being ignored or ghosted by their editors.
• Contract terms that were routinely ignored.
• “Marketing” consisting of a two-line listing in a 100-page catalog.
• Advances and royalties that weren’t paid.
• Sub-rights sold but not compensated.
• Covers that were… let’s just say, not great.
• Being miscategorized, leading to a marketing disaster.
• No editing, or worse—really bad editing.
• Demands for rewrites (for years), only to have the contract broken.

And my own reaction? Not shock—more like a sinking sense of recognition. I’ve been there. My own experience with traditional publishing (35 titles worth) included many of these same complaints.

For More Horror Stories, Check Out Kristine Kathryn Rusch

If you want more of these nightmare tales, Kristine Kathryn Rusch has an entire blog archive dedicated to this. She and her husband, Dean Wesley Smith, have spent years trying to convince authors to stay away from traditional publishing. The stories she shares? Let’s just say nothing much has changed since I walked away. If anything, it’s worse now.

The demands on authors are inhuman. And traditional publishers? They’re not exactly forgiving when those demands aren’t met.

So, Is It Worth It for the Recognition?

Nope.

The downsides will either make you sick with stress, or fill you with enough outrage to fuel a thousand angry blog posts.

So why chase after traditional publishing just for recognition? The indie path offers a lot more, including:

• A regular paycheck.
• Complete control over your career.
• The freedom to write whatever you want, without anyone else’s approval.
• You can finish your series without being forced to abandon them midway.
• Direct relationships with your readers—no middlemen.
• The ability to pivot and respond to changing market conditions on your own terms.
• The freedom to market your books however, wherever, and whenever you like.

And best of all? There is recognition to be had—it just comes from the people who truly matter: your readers. Forget seeking validation from industry gatekeepers who care more about trends than talent. The real magic happens when a fan leaves a glowing review, posts a heartfelt comment, or sends you that squealing, all-caps email telling you how much your book changed their life. Trust me, a single piece of fan mail can make your day, week, and month—and it comes with none of the headache that traditional publishing piles on.

There’s nothing quite like the thrill of seeing readers fall in love with your work, knowing that your stories made their way into their hands because of you. No approval needed from a publishing house, no hoops to jump through. Just you, your book, and the people who can’t wait for the next one. That’s the kind of recognition that lasts—and it’s the kind that matters most.

Write More, Faster Than Ever Before

Are You Prolific?