Over the past decade, publishing has undergone profound change. Self-publishing platforms, like Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing and IngramSpark, have provided independent authors (indie authors ) the means of directly reaching readers without going through traditional publishing houses. This transition has created tensions between traditionally published authors and indie authors, who hold different viewpoints about the legitimacy and quality of self-published books. While some view indie publishing as an opportunity to democratize the industry, others see it as leading to an explosion of poorly edited, amateurish works flooding the market.

I’ve seen poorly edited things come from indie authors and publishing houses. I’ve also seen amazing things come from both, so that argument is a moot point. Granted, many people have decided they want to be authors. I am one of them. Some may not have proper editing (I’ve made this mistake as well but learned from it and constantly worked to improve my craft). Others might not be good at it. But honestly, there are people in every industry who aren’t good at what they choose to do.

I have a friend who went with traditional publishing. He was new (it was his first book) and paid out of the nose to get it edited before sending it off to agents. He did get picked up by a small publishing house, but the experience was nothing he expected, and after that, he decided he would likely do indie publishing for the rest of his books.

Another friend self-published their first book but found the experience so overwhelming they decided to find an agent and go with traditional publishing for the next novel. I agree indie publishing is a lot more work and may require that the author spend more money upfront.

I’m an indie author. There I said it. I have nothing against traditional publishing and have previously done a blog post on the pros and cons of each type of publishing. I enjoy the challenge of indie publishing. However, I’ve found a fundamental divide between the kinds of writers on social media and within writing guilds.

I’ve noticed a sense of superiority from traditionally published writers or even unpublished but hopeful writers seeking traditional publishing. According to them, there is a trial by fire of sending out your manuscript and getting rejected. Many of these writers subscribe to this as being in the trenches together. As part of a writers guild, I’ve seen this happen too. I’m treated with less respect than other authors. People are less likely to answer questions or interact with me. I’ve even been called out on social media for not being in the trenches with everyone else.

This idea is stupid as we are all authors, and at the end of the day, we want to share our stories and experiences with our readers. As a traditionally published author, you give up some autonomy over your writing and may have to wait longer for the fruits of your labor to come to fruition. The commissions are usually less too. On the other hand, you don’t have to worry about every little detail of the process. It can free you up to move on to the next project.

As an indie author, every detail is up to you—the amount of editing, book cover, and commission you want to make. Everything will be on your shoulders, the good and the bad. Based on your abilities, you decide what you want to pay for. Mistakes can be costly. In a sense, this could also be considered a trial by fire.

Additionally, another type of publishing is becoming more popular. Hybrid Publishing combines some of the aspects of indie and some of traditional publishing. The specifics depend on the company. Hybrid publishing might be the catalyst to bring the two sides together.

One way is not better than the other. For now, I do what works for me. In a few years, I might decide to try something different. The future has yet to be written.