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Millions of books hit the market every year. However, books are unlike other mass-produced commodities. In this article, we decode the book publishing process. Let's learn how manuscripts finally end up on bookstore shelves.

7 Steps to Publishing a Book

Here is an overview of the steps of book publishing.

1. Proposals, Submissions, and Acquisitions (4 weeks to 3 Months)

All stages of a publishing process aren’t hierarchical. Many of them overlap. However, it all begins with the acquisition or commissioning stage.

This is when the author submits a manuscript to a literary agent or publisher. They will check its quality and saleability. The process can take anywhere from a few weeks to three months. This stage involves two key players: the literary agent and the acquisition editor.

It all begins with a manuscript

Most big publishers don’t accept unsolicited manuscripts. So, you must hire an agent 99%, especially if you want to publish fiction. Most manuscripts that publishers receive go to the "slush pile." They will probably not be published.

The publishing house will sign a contract with the author once they approve the manuscript.

2. Editing (8 weeks to 8 Months)

The editor(s) begin working on the manuscript. Every publishing company has multiple editors with varying roles. Some acquire manuscripts. Others manage projects and liaise with teams to produce the book.

The editing stage takes time because it has several smaller steps. The major part is substantive or developmental editing. Here, the editor tries to fix major issues in the book relating to structure and readability.

The editor may ask the author to make major revisions to make the book appealing to the audience.

Development editing is different from copyediting. The latter focuses on grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style. Copyeditors can be in-house or freelance. They work closely with authors to polish the manuscript.

3. Design and Formatting (1-3 Months)

Cover design is important. It makes a book, in publishing terms, "pickupable."

Designing can be in-house or outsourced. It involves several iterations and back-and-forth between the designer and the managing editor. The author may also be involved.

Formatting has to do with the layout of the text. Chapter headings, fonts, margins, text size, color, etc. are fixed to make the text more readable. Previously, this was known as "typesetting". Experts manually set metal types into printing presses.

It is all digital now, but it still requires intricate knowledge and experience. This is especially true for ebooks. Their text files are converted into formats like EPUB and MOBI. It also involves formatting the graphics, images, and illustrations. This is what makes books look so well-designed and clean.

4. Proofreading (3 to 4 weeks)

Before the book is sent for printing or ebook conversion, it still needs one last review by a proofreader. At this stage, the proofreader will only spot typos and formatting issues. They will not do any in-depth edits.

5. Printing

The final stage of the book production is the actual printing of the book. Many authors also publish digitally on sites like Amazon KDP and Google Books.

Books can be published digitally or in print (or both)

6. Marketing and Promotion

Book marketing and promotion are not part of book production. However, they are critical to publishing. Before a book hits the stores, authors and publishers have to get the word out and create a buzz.

Publishing houses usually have in-house marketing teams. They create digital and traditional strategies to promote a book. This includes pre-order discounts, video trailers, search engine optimization (SEO), and email marketing.

7. Distribution and Sales

Finally, the finished product reaches bookstores, supermarkets, libraries, and digital platforms. Publishers sell to retailers (trade sales). The latter sells it to customers (direct sales). Retailers purchase books at a discount (usually 30%), which is their profit margin.

Hopefully, you now have a clear idea of the publishing process, are you ready to become an author?

That’s where we come in.

Begin your publishing journey today!

Have you finished writing your manuscript? Let Crossroad Publisher take it from there! We will guide you through every 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.