Top 5 Challenges of Getting Published

With new advancements in technology, some say this is the best time in history for publishing. According to the New York Times, 81% of people feel that they have a book in them and that they should write it. Yet, it’s been near impossible for most individuals to accomplish this until the world opened up via self-publishing.

Traditional publishing models have historically been the dominant way of becoming an author and therefore has built a reputation on being the only “true” way to be published.

However, much of the publishing industry has changed in the past ten years so if you are an aspiring author and considering the traditional publishing route, here are a couple challenges of getting published I’d like you to consider:

1. Finding an agent that will represent you.

With traditional publishing models, the process often begins with the author trying to find an agent to represent them as an author. This can take a couple weeks (if you’re super lucky), a couple of years...or never. Not only is this a long and strenuous process, but once you land an agent, together you work on the proposal. The proposal is your marketing plan that big publishers require to pitch them your manuscript, which often takes months.

The reality these days is the chances of you landing a publishing deal with one of the big publishing houses as a first-time author is slim to none. To land and agent that will want to represent you and dedicate time and energy to getting you published, they will want to see that you have a following or readership of some kind for them to see you as profitable and worth while.

2. It takes time – at least 3 years!

If you went the traditional publishing route, the average amount of time to get published is 3 years. I recently attended a talk with a New York Times Bestselling author who originally was published by one of the big publishing houses, and on her second book, she chose a different publishing model because she did not want to wait another 2-3 years to see her book on the shelves. This is a reality – the process is sloooow!!

3. You have to give up rights and royalties.

Many publishing models today often take a lot of the author’s rights. And there is more than just copyrights! You have sales and distribution rights to also be aware of. Receiving compensation (aka royalties) works in many different ways depending on the publishing model you go with. Traditionally speaking, you will be paid an advance and receive royalties – however, most authors never see their first royalty and big advances are slim these days.

Here's how it works: If you are given an advance (let’s say $10,000) you must earn back $10,000 worth of book sales before you see your first royalty. Once your book has sold enough quantity to earn back the $10,000, you will obtain 5-8% on royalties. That means, if your paperback retails for $16.95, you are making .84 cents off of your book.

In other publishing models, such as hybrid publishing, the publisher will have the author pay upfront for the project and at the end they will be binded to an agreement that says the author?and the publisher will split royalties. That’s right – you pay for your book to be produced and then you still have to split the profits.?

4) It’s hard to know who to trust.

There are a lot of crooks out there in the publishing world. As a writer myself, I feel compelled to educate other writers on what’s happening in publishing, especially those who still think traditional publishing is the only way to be “truly” published as an author. The world has greatly changed in the past 10 years.

With new technology at our fingertips, authors no longer need to go through gatekeepers to get their books produced. However, with that, there has been a rise with many publishing “companies” that have been ripping people off and taking advantage of authors. Always check this resource first when shopping for publishing companies:

https: //self publishingadvice.org/best-self-publishing-services/

If you don’t know how to produce and publish a book, you are ripe to make a lot of costly mistakes – aka most authors! Traditional publishing routes can take advantage of the fact that first-time authors don’t know what rights they are entitled to own and because they have the resources (i.e. cover designers, editors, book formatters) you are often left out of the conversation when it comes to making decisions about YOUR book.

We are living in a very unique time where publishing a book has become much more accessible than ever. Your book can now run alongside any New York Times bestseller, without having gatekeepers involved, without splitting royalties, and without sacrificing production quality. If you’re interested in exploring a more seamless, affordable, and faster way to publishing your book-- AND retain all your rights and royalties, setup a discovery call with me.?

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Amanda Miller is a poetry writer and self-publishing consultant with My Word Publishing, passionate about educating writers on their options in publishing and bringing their stories into the world. You can view Amanda's portfolio here: https://www.mywordpublishing.com/our-team/amanda-miller/?