How to Choose the Right Publishing Path for You
I’m happy to say that a project I (and many other people) worked on for most of the spring and summer is now available – Orphaned: The Mountain Lion Cubs of Portola Valley: A Rescue Story. It really was a labor of love, and I’m very grateful to have been a part of it. It was one of those projects that made the best sense to publish independently. And it was a huge undertaking for those involved (thank goodness, I was just a writer/editor/proofreader).
Which brings me to the topic of today’s post: the different paths to publication, and how to make the best decision for you.
It’s no longer a simple matter of “if you can’t get published by a big 5 publisher, give up and self-publish.” Or “only losers and bad writers self-publish.” Writers are lucky that there are many paths to publication, and which one is the right one for you depends on a variety of factors.
There’s traditional publishing, and independent publishing, and everything in between. Jane Freidman annually publishes an updated chart – The Key Book Publishing Paths – which gives an extremely comprehensive look at all the possibilities, and considerations for each. I encourage you check it out.
With traditional publishing, the process goes something like this:
You query an agent
The agent attempts to sell your manuscript to a publisher
You receive an advance (the average is between $5,000 - $10,000)
The publisher handles production/marketing/distribution (but the author is expected to a lot of the marketing on their own)
If you earn out your advance, you may get royalties from sales
The pros to traditional publishing:
Access to production resources and professional editing
Eligible for specific awards
Distribution, publicity, some marketing
Authors able to focus more on the writing vs. the business side
Cons of traditional publishing:
May be harder to make money
No control over production or release schedule
No guarantees for marketing/publicity
Dependent on trends and market change
That is what many people think of when they think of publishing, but it’s not the only traditional model. There are small independent and university presses that function much as the “Big 5” major publishers. However, you may not need an agent (they accept unsolicited manuscripts) and they often have a specialized niche. You may not get as large an advance (or any at all) but you may get more individual attention than you would from a big house. Plus, you get the professional editing, design, and other resources of any publishing house.
Some have been around a long time and are quite prestigious, and consequently have a high bar to acceptance. Others are newer. Do your research here. See how long they’ve been around, what they’ve published, and so on. Some are so new they may not be a good bet if they don’t have a track record of publication. Also – university presses don’t just publish works by professors!
Next, we have hybrid publishing. This is a halfway model between a traditional publisher and self-publishing.
What is hybrid publishing? It’s a model that gives authors control like an indie, but a professional, pre-assembled team like traditional
The IBPA (Independent Book Publishers Association) established a set of guidelines that define a professional hybrid publisher:
Defines a mission and vision for its publishing program
Vets submissions and only accepts manuscripts it believes can be successful
Publishes under its own imprint(s) and ISBNs
Publishes to industry standards
Ensures editorial, design, and production quality
Pursues and manages a range of publishing rights
Provides distribution services
Demonstrates respectable sales
Pays authors a higher-than-standard royalty rate
However, there can be some downsides. There is usually a significant upfront investment, and no guarantee of sales. Some presses advertise themselves as “hybrid” but are in reality vanity presses, taking all comers and giving very little in return.
What to look for in a Hybrid publisher:
Do they meet IBPA criteria?
Do they publish your genre?
Are the books they’ve published up to your standards?
Is the cost/royalty share worth the services they are offering?
Do they have a community where you can engage with other authors and the publishing team?
Are there authors who have published with the imprint multiple times? Can you speak to their authors about their experience?
Finally, there is self-publishing. Here you have to either do everything yourself, or hire someone to do it for you. This includes editing, formatting, cover design, marketing... It is possible to create a quality product, but you get out what you put in.
Pros of self-publishing:
More creative control
Faster release schedule
Royalties and rights may be a better deal
Freedom -may choose to genre-hop, go off-trend, create series, etc.
Cons of self-publishing:
No advances –upfront investment can be in the thousands of dollars
Steep learning curve if you do it all yourself, or research reputable editors, designers, marketers
You have creative control but you are also responsible for a lot more
You have to run it like a business to make money
So, how do you decide which path to pursue? There are many factors to consider, and it may depend on the particular project or the type of writing career you want. Some questions to ask are:
How involved do I want to be in the publishing process?
How much time do I have to give to research and production?
How soon do I want my book to release?
How much of a factor is spending or making money?
What am I willing to do in terms of marketing and promotion?
What level of creative control do I want?
Is this the right time or right project for this publishing option?
What does my overall career look like?
What would define “success” for me (or for this project?)
Whatever you decide, you will need to research carefully, whether it’s agents, indie presses, hybrid publishers, or specialists to help you self-publish.
The good news is that there are so many options for publishing today. Whatever you choose will take work, but you can get your writing in front of readers in more ways than ever before.
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