Why Is It So Hard to Get a Book Published in 2021?

A few weeks ago I wrote this post about why writers should be tracking trends on TikTok.

It spurred some interesting conversation in a class that I taught and it got me thinking about the current state of book publishing. Or really, the shift in popularity from traditionally published books to self-published books.

In this conversation and my own research into reading communities, it became clear to me that readers are more open than ever to reading self-published work. It’s writers who give it a bad rep.

Traditional publishing is losing steam.

For so long there’s been a stigma about self-publishing. It’s not uncommon for authors to feel like it doesn’t make you a ‘real author’ if you aren’t traditionally published. But now more than ever that mindset needs to change.

Why?

Because self-published books are gaining traction fast, and traditional publishers are taking notice.

What that means is that it’s getting easier for publishers (and agents) to find books that will sell well right off the bat. The readers are telling them through their enthusiastic support of self-published books and authors.

Instead of taking a chance on a new writer, traditional publishers are now able to set their sights on self-published authors whose books are already doing well.

In this growing age of self-publishing, really one of the only major pluses traditional publishers have is their reign over book distribution. But that’s slowly beginning to change, too. (That’s not 100% the point of this article, but it’s definitely interesting to think about.)

What does this mean for the future of traditional publishing?

It’s changing. Rapidly. That much is clear.

It’s changing so quickly that traditional publishing needs to make some serious pivots to keep up. This is evidenced by the big 5 publishers recently dwindling to the big 4.

Obviously, traditional publishing houses are not just going to disappear. But their pivots are going to make it harder for new authors to find publishers and maybe even agents.

That’s my prediction, anyway— especially when there are so many self-published books doing well that they can throw their time and energy into instead with a more significant return.

Case and Point: Olivie Blake

Olivie Blake is a current self-published author who is going viral in reader communities.

In the spring of 2021 TikTok did their thing and took her book ‘The Atlas Six’ to an insane level.

I was lucky enough to have had my eye on Blake since the winter of 2020. As a writer myself, I was starting to research self-publishing and began paying attention to how well self-published authors were doing.

I remember not long after Christmas typing Olivie Blake into Publisher’s Rocket (a tool that allows you to see a books projected monthly earnings) and being not so shocked that she wasn’t making a living off of her books yet.

The book of her’s that I read did not fit a self-published book formula that you would come to expect at that time. (I say at that time and it was really only 9 months ago. That’s how quickly the self-publishing industry has grown.) Her stories were unique and her writing felt very literary to me.

Publisher’s Rocket reported that for that month she was set to make $1–2000 that month from all her books (I believe there are 12).

This month already one of her books (‘The Atlas Six’) alone is set to make $40,000 — books and ebooks combined.

A traditional publisher or agent can look at these numbers just as easily as I can and determine that Olivie Blake would be a great investment. In fact, they already have — she’s set to traditionally publish her first YA next year.

I can’t tell you what came first — the publisher or the self-publishing success, but I do feel like there is a connection here that we writers should pay attention to because it’s happening more and more.

Here are some other cases of traditional publishers swooping into the self-publishing world:

Scarlett St. Clair is another trending self-published author who recently signed on with a traditional publisher. They now publish her entire backlist of self-published books.

Elle Kennedy found recognition through her self-published new adult contemporary romance books and is now set to traditionally publish her next story (in a similar genre) with St. Martin’s Griffin. (She’s not new to traditional publishing, but this does seem to be her first book with a major publisher.)

The Martain by Andy Weir is another book that has made waves in reader communities. It also was first self-published before being picked up by an imprint of Penguin after finding fame.

You won’t spend very long in romance reader communities without hearing Colleen Hoover’s name. Her books are much loved and often start out self-published before being picked up by a traditional publisher.

The only person holding back a writer from self-publishing their book is the writer.

If traditional publishers and readers can find worth in self-published books, we as writers should be easier on self-publishing as a valid career choice.

Readers want to read. They don’t care if it’s traditionally published or self-published. They just want to know that the story they’re reading fits what they’re looking for.

You don’t need a publisher to tell you what a reader is looking for, and you don’t need a publisher to tell you that you’re a ‘real author’. You can decide that for yourself.

The only person who believes that you’re not a ‘real author’ once you publish your book is you. And you need to change that. Readers are demanding that you do. Traditional Publishing is demanding that you do.

They’re not going to be so willing to take a chance on new authors for very much longer when so many other authors are ignoring the stigma that comes with self-publishing and are thriving.

What do you think about the current state of traditional publishing? Have you considered self-publishing instead?

Let me know in the comments.