Self-publishers still need traditional publishers to some extent. This is because traditional publishers can easily get books into bookstores. However, it does not mean that self-published books cannot be marketed. Indie authors can sell their books in digital form, therefore eliminating the middleman that is the traditional publishing house. By selling eBooks, self-published authors retain the full rights to their works.

Since authors can now sell their own books, traditional publishers are in trouble. They will have a smaller pool of authors to choose from because authors will start to publish their own books. Sometimes indie authors become successful selling eBooks and sometimes not. This brings about an important question. Do indie authors need traditional publishers once they succeed online? Traditional publishers might have a hard time convincing successful self-published authors to sign book deals with them. The benefits that traditional publishers offer authors may or may not be enticing enough for successful indie authors.

The package offered

There are many services that traditional publishers offer authors. Among the services include: copy editing, editing, printing, design, distribution, marketing, publicity, and advance payment. However, are these services enough to entice the successful indie author?

Although traditional publishers have great editors, so do self-published authors thanks to the services offered by freelance editors. Ironically, many freelance editors used to work for traditional publishers. Indie authors can therefore easily find editors and designers. They can also distribute their books easily in the form of eBooks.

One of the benefits that traditional publishers offer new authors is free marketing and publicity. As a new author, it is very difficult to make a name for yourself. Therefore, the marketing and publicity offered by traditional publishers is virtually impossible to ignore.

Breeding grounds

Publishers are now facing a real threat from the eBook industry. One nightmarish situation that traditional publishers are facing is signing great authors, publishing their books and making them famous and then, out of nowhere, the authors refuse to sign deals for upcoming books. It is much easier for an author to succeed in the eBook industry if he is already popular.

If this walkout of talent from traditional publishers continues, how well will their businesses cope? Traditional publishers rely very much on the sale of books by big authors. If they nurture great authors and then lose them to eBook publishers, their businesses are definitely going to be in trouble. However, this might not happen soon because print books are still very important. Authors need publishers, especially if they want to get their books into bookstores.

Staying alive

There are still many writers who only want to write and let their publishers do the rest of the work. Self-publishing is a daunting task regardless of whether it is your first or fifth time. Traditional publishers have perfected certain services such as editing, proofreading, designing, and marketing books. They do this so that their authors can concentrate on writing alone. This is a sweet deal for many authors and even successful self-published authors are considering taking book deals from traditional publishers. Traditional publishers clearly have some adapting to do but they still have a lot of time to do so. Slowly but surely, they are starting to figure out how to survive the eBook revolution.