Nicky Grant asked Roni Loren:

Hi RonI! Question for ya. How did you know "Crash Into You" was to be traditionally published versus self-pub? Just curious as I am completing my first book and I am unsure what way to go. Leaning toward self-pub...

Roni Loren Hi Nicky! When I first got my agent and book deal, it was 2010. Self publishing ebooks had just started to be a thing. And there was still a lot of stigma attached to it--that those self-pubbing were just the authors whose stories weren't good enough to get into New York publishers. So, honestly, it was never even a question in my mind. I wanted my books on the shelves in the bookstore. I wanted an agent advocating for me. If I was just coming into publishing now, I'm sure I would've been tempted. I don't regret my path because I believe that I would not have gotten nearly as much visibility or momentum without the things that come along with a big publisher. I'm also glad self-pub wasn't available when I wrote my first novel (Crash Into You was my third completed novel) because it was a terrible YA and I didn't know it was terrible because I was so new to it all. So thank God I didn't have the option to put that out there lol.

Having said all that, I think the market is very different today. I'll be hybrid going forward, indie publishing my erotic series and traditionally publishing a new contemporary series with Sourcebooks. So, I see benefits in both.

My advice to you? If this is your first novel, be really really sure that it's great. That means getting real critiques from people who are not your best friends, family, or spouse. Go to writing groups, join your local RWA or whichever group fits your genre. Have other writers who are further along in the path look at your work. Go to writing conferences if you can. Do that and get a reputable editor before you hit publish if you decide to go indie because like I said, my first novel was not ready for public consumption and once it's out there, it's out there. You only get to debut once. Your novel may be fantastic. It also may be what I call a "practice novel", which serves a great purpose too. Each book teaches us something. I think if you look at my first published book vs. my 10th, you'll see we're always learning and (hopefully) improving.

That's my two cents. I think both paths traditional and indie have great things to offer, but either way, the key is figuring out if the book is ready. :) Good luck!

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