I'm writing my first book which is either going to be published with a company or getting self published on Amazon. Which would you think is better to do? Also- as regards to referencing, if I'm talking about for example "Britney Spears-Oops I did it again" in one sentence I hardly need to footnote and reference that do I? or a show/movie? I know taking exerpts from books needs full reference but unsure of the other. Happy writing folks.
Neither is better. If you can attract a traditional publisher, great. Just a thought, but I would reconsider any such reference to pop culture.
If you publish with Amazon, I implore you NOT to sign up with KDP Select. Keep yourself open to publishing on other platforms, such as Nook, iBook and Kobo (there are others), as their readers are hungrier for new material than Kindle customers. The first format people think of when it comes to electronic self publishing is Kindle. Kindle customers are spoiled for choice. Customers on other formats aren't so much, so when they see a new title, it's more likely to grab their attention. If you can get in with a traditional publisher, your book will reach a wider audience faster, but you may lose a lot of control over certain aspects of the publishing process, so always read the small print before signing anything! As for the example of the reference you suggested - I wouldn't stop to explain it. Anyone old enough to remember will know what you're writing about, anyone who doesn't know but wants to find out probably has access to Google.
