Decide Whether to Self-Publish or Seek Traditional Publishing

Your manuscript is nearly done and the next fork is real: chase agents and publishers, or put it out yourself. This compares both routes against what you actually want, control, reach, income, speed, or prestige, so the choice fits your book rather than someone else's success story. Good for any author at the point where the writing stops and the deciding starts.

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You have completed or are completing {MANUSCRIPT_TYPE} (a novel, non-fiction book, short story collection, or memoir). You are weighing up self-publishing versus pursuing traditional publishing through agents and publishers. Your priorities are [describe: e.g. creative control / widest audience / income / speed / prestige].
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<task>
**Compare both routes for your specific book and goals:**
1. Explain the current state of traditional vs self-publishing: the gatekeeping and the trade-offs
2. Map the realistic timeline for each route from manuscript to published book
3. Compare the financial models: advance and royalties vs full royalty self-publishing
4. Assess which route fits your book's genre: some genres sell well self-published, others rely on traditional distribution
5. Give a recommendation based on your priorities, with the honest version of each path's downsides
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<output_format>
- Current landscape overview (one paragraph, honest)
- Timeline comparison (table: Stage | Traditional | Self-publishing)
- Financial model comparison (typical advance vs royalty rates, with realistic numbers)
- Genre fit assessment
- Recommendation with the downside of the recommended path stated clearly
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