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Planning to write a book? Or have you already completed your manuscript? In both cases, you need to decide how to get published. The publishing path you choose will in a large part determine your success as an author. In this article, we help you explore your publishing options and select the best one for your writing goals.
Nowadays authors have several ways to launch books. The main paths are traditional publishing and self-publishing.
This path to publishing begins with submitting manuscripts to publishing houses. If a publisher decides to publish your book, they will handle its production, marketing, and distribution.
Traditional publishing provides authors with credibility and the resources to get their books on the market. However, it is a long process. In the end, you may have to give up substantial control over your book, both creative and financial.
For these and other reasons, many (if not all) new writers are taking the self-publishing route.
Reading styles have changed, but people still buy books!
Self-publishing has been gaining popularity for over a decade now. This is mostly due to digital platforms. They make it easier for authors to publish, market, and sell their books without middlemen. It gives writers control over their product, from story idea to cover design, and from distribution to sales revenue.
It also allows independent authors to pursue their creative goals and potentially make a living out of it. The latter is due to the fact that self-published authors receive most of their royalties, in some cases, up to 70%.
That said, it is not easy to get self-published, because till the book is published, sold, and the author makes a profit, she has to do all the heavy lifting. In the case of traditional publishing, the author spends most of her time writing books. But self-publishers have to manage the creative, technical, and business side of writing. And they have to do so consistently over time to make good money.
There are other publishing options as well, such as:
As the name implies, hybrid publishing combines traditional and self-publishing. Hybrid publishers will publish your book and provide you with the technical resources. However, you, the author, have to pay the company to publish the book.
However, writers also take home the largest share of the profits. This arrangement works if you can invest in the upfront costs and need help with book production, marketing, and distribution.
This is also like hybrid publishing, in that authors have to pay the publisher to print the book. But that’s about it. Unlike hybrid publishing, vanity presses usually don't help with book production or marketing.
The benefits of vanity publishing include faster time to market. Authors also retain control over their products. However, it costs money. Moreover, vanity publishing does not have good press. It does not bring you the same kind of credibility that traditional publishing does. Moreover, vanity publishers don’t vet for quality.
Those wondering how to get published can also take this route. Social publishing involves creating and sharing one’s writing on an online social platform. Wattpad and Medium are examples of social publishing, helping budding writers find an audience. The benefits of social publishing include the ease of creating and sharing content.
Wattpad is an emerging as a popular social publishing platform
You can build an audience, and even monetize your writing. The response will gauge your writing ability. It will also help you find profitable writing and publishing niches. However the easy access makes social publishing crowded. It is harder to stand out and make money in it.
These are the main publishing options available to writers nowadays.
You don’t have to restrict yourself to one method, though. For instance, you can use social publishing to build an audience. Later, you can sell a self-published eBook to them. You can pitch your next book to a traditional publisher if you make substantial sales.
These are the main publishing options available to writers nowadays.
Here are some questions to help you narrow down your publishing options.
Every writer has some aspirations, some dreams of what they think will happen if they start publishing books. For instance, you may aspire to literary credibility or awards. In this case, traditional publishing may be the best route for you.
On the flip side, some writers want independence and greater control over their products. They may also want to connect directly with their audience. In this case, self-publishing is the path they should take.
If you just want to write to spread your ideas or connect with like-minded people, social publishing is the way to go.
Of course, publishing options are not exclusive to a particular writing goal. For instance, self-published authors can earn literary prestige, while traditionally published can become brands. They can connect with their audience beyond the confines of the companies that print and distribute their books.
But it always helps to narrow down your writing goals.
Publishing is both an art and a science. If you want to make a living as a writer, you have to approach it like a business. And all businesses require some form of investment. Traditional publishing usually does not require authors to pay anything upfront. The publisher company will pay authors an advance and also bear the costs of cover design, editing, marketing, etc.
But even in this arrangement, you have to pay your literary agent, especially if you are a fiction writer. Moreover, traditional publishers will take most of your royalties. And you may have to invest in book marketing to augment the publisher’s promotional efforts.
In the case of self-publishing, authors can pay an average of $5000 to create a publish-worthy book. Marketing costs may also run into several thousand dollars. However, this investment pays back in the form of higher royalties for self-published authors.
Even if you (somehow) self-publish for free by doing everything yourself, you will not get paid till the book starts selling. In other words, you earn nothing while producing the book, which is also an investment of your time and savings.
In short, you need to invest some money in your book project, regardless of the publishing option you choose. Even hybrid may cost anywhere from $5000 to $15000 per book.
Making a career as a published author begins with a realistic overview of what you can or cannot do.
For instance, to land a book deal with a traditional publisher, you need to have networking skills. You also need to shop for agents and take their feedback to tweak your manuscript before sending it to the publishing house.
Publishing is a mixture of art, business, and management. It also requires soft skills like handling criticism, persistence, and adaptability. Take stock of what skills you have, what you can learn, and what you can outsource.
We have talked about the investment of skills and resources, but the time factor is also crucial. For traditional publishing, it can take up to up to three years to get your book to the market. Self-publishing reduces this time considerably, but it can take a couple of years before you can make a living as a full-time author. With social publishing, you can upload your content and receive feedback within hours. But if you are serious about your career as an author, prepare to put in the time.
Being an author involves a lot of multitasking
So far it has been about you, the writer. But it also helps to take a big-picture view of what is happening in the publishing industry. Before you invest years of your time and thousands of dollars, it is helpful to decipher what niches and book formats are popular. For instance, ebooks and audiobooks are on the rise, so do you want to restrict yourself to hardcovers or paperbacks?
This is where networking also helps. Have a community of mentors and fellow authors who can give you a realistic expectation of what works and what is achievable as an author.
When assessing trends, take a long-term view, because what’s working now may not work in the future. It is better to see what people are reading these days, and how. Basic market research can reap long-term dividends in the book publishing business.
To sum up, writers can choose from several publishing options.
It all depends on your goals and capabilities.
That’s where we come in.
Have you finished writing your manuscript? Let Crossroad Publisher take it from there! We will guide you through each step of publishing. This includes editing, formatting, design, and licensing.
But that’s not all. We also offer marketing services to maximize your readership. Contact us today to learn more about getting your writing published.
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