Publishing 101 for first-time authors

Writing a book is intense! Right? You put so much of yourself into it. It takes you months, even years to finish it to your satisfaction. 

But once the book is written, then what? 

To get your book in front of the readers, you need to publish it. And that’s where things go pear shaped for most authors. 

Until a decade or so ago, if a publisher did not accept your book, you went to the next one, and then the next one, and just kept trying till either you got accepted, or you gave up. 

Harry Potter was rejected 12 times.

Catch 22 was rejected 22 times.

Gone with the wind was rejected 38 times!

At least today, first time authors have a ton of options. They are not at the mercy of a publishing house anymore. If they believe in the value of their book, and have the time and resources it takes - they can go ahead and publish it themselves. (All hail the digital age!) 

Sounds liberating, right?

But, with self-publishing coming into the picture, things are also more confusing. 

How do you choose which publishing route to take? 

How long to wait before you self publish? 

What makes most sense for your unique circumstance? 

Let’s take a look at the publishing options available today so you can make an informed choice. 

TRADITIONAL PUBLISHING

This is the established system of getting a book deal after you’ve worked your way past a literary agent and into the publisher’s office (a tall order). You need to spend weeks writing and submitting detailed proposals and book samples. And of course chances of rejection are high - especially if you are a first time author with no credentials. 

Does that mean you close yourself to traditional publishing? 

Not at all! 

There’s merit in understanding an industry that’s been around since the 15th century. They open access to a wider audience, coveted magazine reviews, and even literary prizes. This is the stuff that improves your market cred, makes you an international bestselling author, or at least a recognised well-selling one. All this is great for business! Though you CAN do a lot of this with self/assisted publishing as well.

And your job’s almost done if your manuscript is selected. The publisher will do the heavy lifting on editing, formatting, designing, printing, and distribution. Of course they’ll exercise more control over your content as well - but the reach is fabulous. Also depending on the deal you cut, you will either get an advance, or royalties from what is sold. So, even though royalties are low, you aren’t spending any money from your pocket. 

Psst.. be careful on the copyright front though! You could lose all creative control, the option of spinning another story off the main book, or using the content to create workshops, seminars, and get public speaking engagements. That’s a lot of money!

SELF PUBLISHING 

This is the DIY of the publishing industry where you do everything yourself – the edits, formatting, publishing, promotion, and bearing the printing cost if you put your book on paper. That’s a steep learning curve.

But the process has been made easy by established and free publishing platforms like the Amazon Kindle, Nook, Smashword, etc. You can now release your book in weeks instead of the months or even years that some publishing houses may take.

More excitingly, traditional publishers are warming up to backing self-published writers if their books do well. The agents and publishers will find you!

There’s more good news – your content remains yours to generate more business from.

But that’s still a lot of work, right. I hear you!

What if there was a middle ground?

There is!

HYBRID OR ASSISTED PUBLISHING 

Assisted-publishing is self-publishing with a professional agency helping you ace the process, just like a publishing house, but without the endless rejections just because their market and yours are different. You also retain complete creative control over the content while getting your book out in the market quickly. The cost? A share of the royalty and an upfront payment to avail their services. But you have to be careful while choosing a hybrid publisher - do more due diligence and go for one that offers the best quality and value for money. 

The BEST PART is that self and assisted publishing are not only becoming acceptable, but even preferred. While veterans, like John Grisham, had to overcome the taboo of self-publishing, the newer crop, like EL James, William P Young of The Shack (2017) fame and even Amish Tripathi have simply used it as a way to skirt traditional publishing roadblocks. For many years now, some of the most exciting new books, targeting niche readers, are being pushed out digitally by first-time writers like you!

Need help picking the right platform to elevate your book and business? Want comprehensive insights on the ins and outs of publishing? Join the book to business program to get clued in! Drop me a message if you’d like to know more!