7 - An Epic Journey Through Self-Pub and Trad, with Robin & Michael J Sullivan

Indie vs trad is an ever-green career debate, and is one of our most common listener questions. Authors wrestle frequently with which route will suit them best. But the real question is—why pick between them, when you can do both?

Today, we are joined by Michael J Sullivan (a New York Times, USA Today, and Washington Post bestselling American writer) and Robin Sullivan, a powerhouse industry expert & fierce author advocate. In a detailed, wide-ranging interview, dream team Robin & Michael talk about the triumphs and trials of a very long career: from small press ventures to an unstoppable indie career and mammoth trade publishing battles, before eventually scaling the heights of hybrid success.

As ever, we aren't going to tell you what to do, or what is best; there is no such thing as a categorical answer in publishing. But hopefully we can help provide you enough facts to make informed decisions.Listen to our follow-up in episode 8, where we toss complex industry questions at Robin & Michael, in exchange for some very detailed answers.

SHOW NOTES:

• How Mike and Robin got started - with a book that was small press published, then self-published, then big 5 published

• The first trad deal Orbit Books offered them, and why they accepted it even though they were already successful

• The good and bad of working with a trad publisher, and why they found it a useful experience despite the many negatives

• Editors as project managers, and how much editing quality/quantity varies

• How publishers look at and regard self pub authors

• The difference in indie vs trad profits

• Why Robin and Michael took a second trad deal with Del Rey

• Why Robin and Mike went back to self publishing

• why they don't take money from authors - and their belief in helping, mentoring, and advocating freely