Aspiring Authors Beware

When I meet people and they find out I’m an author, they sometimes respond with, “I/my husband/my child/my sister/my friend wants to write a book!” There are a lot of aspiring authors out there, which is wonderful. Only a small percentage of the people who want to write a book will complete a book. But for those . . . . What to do with it once the book is finished? How to get it published and make it available to readers?

In this post, I’m providing an overview of the three routes to publication I’d recommend. And the one route I advise aspiring authors to AVOID.

I recommend:

Traditional Publisher

In this case, a large publishing house enters into a contract with you to publish your book. They pay you an advance once the contract is signed. After the book is published you will hopefully “earn out” your advance through royalties. If so, they’ll then pay you via royalty checks based on the sales of your book.

Pros: They handle a lot of the heavy lifting–editing, cover design, formatting, distribution, marketing, etc. They take on the expense of those things. They’re experienced and will guide you through the process. They distribute your book widely–bookstores, libraries, and more.

Cons: You sign over the rights. It is hard to break into traditional publishing and challenging to understand the process of breaking in. The process involves querying literary agents and then, once you find one of those, your agent will submit your work to editors. If you’re offered a contract you’ll likely not have much control over the cover, the marketing plan, or how much of a “push” (or lack thereof) they give your book. The percentage you earn on every book sold is small. [For a real-life example of that, check out this post I wrote.]

Small Press

In this case, a small publisher enters into a contract with you to publish your book. They may pay you a modest advance or they may not. Same as above regarding royalties.

Pros: They also handle a lot of the heavy lifting and take on the expense of publishing your book. They’re experienced and will guide you through the process.

Cons: You sign over the rights. It’s easier to secure a contract with a small press than a traditional publisher, but the process of breaking in is still challenging to understand. Their budget is less than that of a traditional publisher so they’ll be spending less on your cover, distribution, marketing, etc. You may not have much control. The percentage you earn on every book sold might not be as small as with a traditional publisher, but profit will still be divided between you and the publisher. Your book may not be distributed as widely as with a traditional publisher, so you many not sell many copies (or end up making much money).

Independent Publishing

In this case, you publish your book yourself.

Pros: You keep the rights to your book. You keep all the profit. You have full control over every aspect of publishing.

Cons: You spend your own money on editing, cover, formatting, etc. It’s challenging to learn the process of indie publishing. You won’t have a publisher to guide you through the process or to assist you in getting your book noticed, finding readers, and making sales.

I advise you to avoid:

Vanity Press

In this case, a publisher charges you at the start to publish your book.

Pros: The process is not challenging to understand. They will help guide you through the process.

Cons: You sign over the rights. It’s expensive, in some cases very expensive (thousands and thousands of dollars). You may not have much control. You might never earn back in royalties the amount you paid them.

In the past month, I’ve been in communication with one author who is publishing with a vanity press. And one who reached out to me while in conversation with a vanity press about her book.

Based on all my years of conversations with fellow writers I know that a lot of authors are intimidated by the traditional or small press publishing routes because they come with a learning curve and because it’s difficult to receive a contract. Other authors are intimidated by indie publishing because it, too, comes with a learning curve. And if they publish independently they won’t have a partner to support them.

I get it! I do. These things are intimidating. But as someone who has persisted through both the traditional and independent publishing routes, I’m here to tell you (and/or your loved ones who dream of publishing a book) that IT CAN BE DONE. It can!

Like anything, you start out as a beginner. And you gradually learn.

If you go with a vanity press, please don’t go that route because you’re daunted by the other routes or because you don’t know about the other routes available to you.

If you’re drawn toward traditional or small press publishing, here’s a post I wrote containing some suggestions. If you’re drawn toward independent publishing, the Kindlepreneur site it full of resources and is a great place to begin educating yourself. If you have specific questions, feel free to email me here! Or leave a question below. I want the best for all those who dream of writing and publishing a book.

Authors/readers, do you have anything to add? Additional experiences or information or insights to share?