Traditional publishers take 18 months and 85% of royalties. Self-publishing takes 2 weeks and 95% of revenue. Here is the math.
The traditional publishing path
- Query agents: 3-6 months. ~1% acceptance rate.
- Publisher deal: 6-12 months editing. 6-9 months production. Total: 18 months from start to book in stores.
- Royalty split: Author gets 10-15% of net. Publisher gets 85-90%.
- Marketing: Publisher does some. Author does most. Tours, signings, social.
The self-publishing path
- Write the book: Already done (60,000 words).
- Format for ebook: 1 week (Reedsy, Vellum, or hand-code).
- Format for print: 2 weeks (if you want a paperback).
- Upload to Gumroad + Kindle Direct Publishing: 1 day. Both platforms take 10-15% but you keep 85-90%.
- Marketing: You do all of it. Social, email, Discord, articles.
The math
At $9.99 per copy:
- Traditional path: $9.99 × 0.10 royalty = $0.999 per copy. After 18 months of waiting.
- Self-publishing path: $9.99 × 0.85 royalty = $8.49 per copy. After 2 weeks of waiting.
Self-publishing pays 8.5x more per copy, 36x faster.
Why traditional publishing exists
Traditional publishing exists for books that need:
- Physical bookstore distribution (you cannot self-publish into Barnes & Noble)
- Prestige / literary credibility (Man Booker, National Book Award)
- Translated editions (publisher has the foreign-rights network)
None of these apply to an indie lore book for a Roblox game. Self-publishing is the right choice.
What this means for your book
If you are writing a niche book (lore, technical, niche fiction), self-publish. The math wins. The control wins. The speed wins.
Get the EFER lore book — self-published, $9.99, 95% royalty.
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