Let’s Stop Pretending There’s Only One Right Way to Publish a Book. (Blog Post)

Written by: Stanley Perret
May 1, 2025

Let’s Stop Pretending There’s Only One Right Way to Publish a Book

And why the open door matters more now than ever

Every few weeks, a familiar narrative pops up in writing circles, author YouTube channels, and self-publishing forums. It goes something like this:

“If you want to be taken seriously as an indie author, you must hire a developmental editor, a copy editor, a proofreader, a professional cover designer, a formatter, and maybe even a narrator for your audiobook. If you can’t afford that? Well… maybe you’re not ready to publish.”

Sound familiar?

It’s the “proper” way to self-publish. The “ethical” way. The “respectable” way.

But here’s the problem: this isn’t advice anymore—it’s the new gatekeeping with a fresh coat of pretty paint.

Who Decided There’s Only One Right Way?

Somewhere along the way, a version of self-publishing became enshrined as the only acceptable version. The expensive version. The one modeled on traditional publishing houses—with indie authors paying out of pocket what publishers usually invest on behalf of their authors.

Don’t get me wrong—there’s nothing wrong with hiring professionals. I know several authors who have gone that route.

Self-publishing was built on the idea of choice. Freedom. Creative control. That’s what drew so many of us in. I am a self-published author.

But now, we’re being told there’s a moral high ground to be found in spending $5,000 to $10,000 on a debut book that might never earn that back. We're told that to do anything less is to be lazy, reckless, or disrespectful to the craft.

Let’s call that what it really is: unrealistic, unsustainable, and deeply exclusionary.

Publishing Is Not a Rich Person’s Game—Or At Least, It Shouldn’t Be

Let’s be brutally honest. Most self-published books do not turn a profit. The average indie author doesn’t earn enough to break even, much less make a living and if they are lucky, they make enough to cover part of a bill or two. And yet there are those who are pushing an approach to publishing that assumes every author has thousands of dollars in startup capital just lying around?

What happens to the writer who has talent but not the bank account? The single mom writing at night. The man who is struggling financially just to prove, or the kid in a rural town with a laptop and a dream. The working-class storyteller with a voice the world hasn’t heard yet.

Do they not deserve a seat at that round table?

Because when we say, “You’re only doing it right if you pay everyone else first,” what we’re really saying is, “This space isn’t for you.”

And that’s not just gatekeeping—it’s closing the gate and locking it behind us.

Readers Want Stories, Not Perfection

Here’s something the gatekeepers don’t like to admit: the market has already spoken.

Millions of readers devour indie books every day. Especially in genre fiction—romance, sci-fi, fantasy, thriller—readers care about compelling characters, satisfying arcs, and binge-worthy series. They don’t mind a typo or two (some of them don't anyways). They’re not combing through your manuscript with a red pen, yes, a few do. But, at the end of the day, they want to be entertained.

Sure, a beautiful cover helps. A clean edit helps. But none of it matters if the story doesn’t connect.

And here’s the kicker—none of it matters if no one ever sees your book. Visibility, not polish, is the greatest challenge in publishing today. A flawless book that no one discovers earns the same as an unfinished draft collecting digital dust: nothing.

Publishing Is a Business—So Treat It Like One

Let’s flip the script.

Imagine you’re starting a small business. Would you spend $10,000 up front with no clear path to earning it back? Of course not. You’d test, iterate, adapt. You’d find affordable ways to launch, learn from real customers, and scale from there.

Publishing is no different.

You don’t need to go into debt to prove you take your writing seriously. You need to be smart. Strategic. Resourceful. You need to understand your audience and reach them before you blow your budget trying to impress other writers.

What We Need Is Permission—Not Perfection

If you’re a new writer, hear this: you are allowed to start small. You’re allowed to use beta readers instead of a paid developmental editor. You’re allowed to use Canva or low-cost premade covers. You’re allowed to learn as you go.

This is not cheating. This is how creators build something real when they’re starting from zero.

Gatekeepers will tell you to wait until your book is “ready.” But they don’t mean story-ready—they mean financially packaged and polished to a professional sheen. They decide what that looks like, not you.

The truth? You don’t owe that to anyone.

What you do owe is your best work with the resources you have. Not perfection. Not debt. Not someone else’s version of success.

Let’s Keep the Gate Open

1. Let’s stop pretending there’s only one right way to publish a book.

2. Let’s stop pretending the size of your budget defines the worth of your story.

3. Let’s stop whispering that “real authors” do it this one expensive way.

Because every time we promote that narrative without acknowledging how limiting it is, we’re telling countless voices that their stories aren’t welcome here. And if indie publishing becomes a space only for the well-off and well-connected, we’ve lost what made it revolutionary in the first place.

So to every writer working two jobs, scribbling notes on lunch breaks, launching on a shoestring, or learning the ropes one free YouTube video at a time—I see you. Your story matters.

And the door? It’s still wide open.

https://indieauthorchannel.blogspot.com/ | All Rights Reserved | Stanley Perret | 2025

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