Whether you are in the middle of writing a book, have a finished manuscript lurking in your computer files, or are at the beginning of the writing process, ready to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard), one of the big questions in your head is likely to be, ‘How do I get my book published? What is the best route to market?’

 

The answer will be different for everyone. Only you can decide which is the right one for you but to help you out, I’ve created this free tutorial that offers an overview of each to start you on your way. Here, I lay out the main pros and cons of the three principal routes to publication: traditional, self (indie) and hybrid. 

​

Let me introduce myself. I’m Dawn Henderson, and I’ve been writing and publishing for over 15 years both as Dawn Henderson and D K Henderson. My first book, Forgotten Wings, was traditionally published in 2010. I was fortunate to find a publisher fairly quickly and, as Forgotten Wings is a non-fiction book, I didn’t have to find an agent to submit the proposal for me.

 

A year later, with my first novel nearing completion, I decided for a number of reasons to self-publish. I really didn’t want to go through the submission process again at all. Plus, now that I had the finished manuscript ready to go, I wanted to put it out into the world as soon as possible. Since then, I have self (indie) published all my subsequent books – another 9 in total.

 

For me, it was a clear decision based on experience. For many authors who are just starting out, the choice isn’t so clearcut. There are a lot of misconceptions about each of the roads to publication, plus some potential traps to avoid. Having spoken to many authors in the process of writing their first books, answering their questions, and hearing some of those misconceptions, I decided to create a tutorial that would clarify the options available. 

 

Traditional Publishing

​

What is it?

Your book is published by a professional publishing house (e.g. Penguin, HarperCollins) who take care of the entire process. Once they have your final manuscript, they deal with every aspect of getting the book out in print or eBook form. Some are global, household names like those above. Others are small, dealing with only a few titles a year. Both have advantages & disadvantages

 

THE PROCESS

Non-fiction:

– Research your potential publishers (those who publish in your genre). Some non-fiction publishers accept submissions only through a literary agent. If this is the case, you will also need to research agents in your genre. This information will be on the publishing house’s website.

– Put together a submission, otherwise known as a book proposal. Think of it as a job application where, as well as a sample of the manuscript, you also have to lay out the reasons why the publisher should take you on as a client. You will need to adapt each individual submission to meet each publisher’s/agent’s requirements. Again, this information will be on the publisher’s website.

– Send out your submission, either to agents or publishing houses.

– Wait for the response

 

When pitching non-fiction, it isn’t usually necessary to have finished your book. Normally, sample chapters and a detailed synopsis of the content is sufficient. Check the publisher’s requirements, which will be listed on their website and in the Writers and Artists Yearbook (link below).

 

Fiction:

– Research potential agents who represent your genre. Most (but not all) fiction publishers only accept submissions through a literary agent. Thousands, probably tens of thousands, of authors submit manuscripts every week and an agent acts as quality control so that publishing houses don’t get overwhelmed.

– Put together a submission according to the agent’s requirements, as for non-fiction above. Again, you will need to adapt each individual submission to meet each agent’s specific requirements.

– Send out your submission, either to agents or publishing houses

– Wait for the response

 

Both fiction and non-fiction:

There is no problem sending to several potential publishers/agents simultaneously as long as you indicate this in your submission. Most will expect you to do this.)

 

Be patient. It can often take weeks before you hear back.

 

Once a publisher accepts your manuscript, they will send you a contract with details of how much your royalties and advance payment (if any) will be, a completion deadline and information on rights/licences, and all other relevant aspects.

 

The publisher has the final say over cover design, content, format and even title, although the author is usually included in these consultations. The publisher also handles, and bears the costs of, all aspects of book production including editing, cover design, proof reading and formatting. Contrary to many authors’ expectations however, a publishing company will rarely provide much in the way of marketing/promotional help, which lands primarily on the author’s shoulders.

 

Advantages of traditional publishing:

– As noted above, the publisher deals with every aspect of book production and bears the costs of this, leaving you free to write more books – which, after all, is what it’s all about – and focussing on your marketing strategy. In my view, this is the biggest advantage of going down the traditional publishing route.

– Publishers have a wide web of industry contacts and can get your book into places such as the big bookshop chains that self (indie) publishers struggle to break into. (But see the proviso below).

– Some marketing activities are undertaken on release. How much varies from publisher to publisher.

– Among many authors and retailers, traditionally published books are still perceived to be of a higher quality and have greater reader credibility.

– Industry knowledge of what is currently selling, trends etc.

– A sense of validation for an author that their work is good enough to be published. (This last point was very important for me when I wrote my first book and was beset by imposter syndrome).

 

Disadvantages of traditional publishing

– Loss of control over the content, title, cover design etc. A publisher can demand sweeping changes to the manuscript for a number of reasons: to make it more commercial/fit a specific genre or their approach, for example, and has the final say on all of these. It will often also have a strict set of guidelines as to the marketing activities it will require you to fulfil.

- Contrary to general perception, most traditional publishers do very little in the way of marketing over and above what an indie author would have to do, especially when it comes to unknown, new authors. Admittedly, this is a generalisation. There are some traditional publishing houses out there who are very pro-active in marketing their authors. It is another aspect to research when considering this route.

– Preference for books that fit neatly into genre boxes or are obviously commercial.

– Notoriously slow to keep up with market changes (the advent of e-Books is a good example).

– Low royalties compared to self-publishing, although as a balance, indie publishers have a considerable initial outlay. Contrary to popular belief, advances are rare unless for established successful authors, and even when an advance has been delivered, it will be recouped from sales before any additional royalties are paid.

– Limited shelf life on books. Poorly selling/old books are usually taken out of print and become unavailable.

– A long lead time from signing the contract/delivery of the final manuscript to publication: anything from 9 months to 2 years is normal.

– Sometimes complicated contracts to find your way through, although bodies such as the Society of Authors can help with this.

– Publishers holds all rights/licences, dictates book price (and therefore how much royalties are earned on each book), and can delist the book at any point. While authors can and do buy back the rights to their books, there is usually a fee for doing so.

– Only a very small percentage of manuscripts submitted are accepted.

​

My recommendation for any author intending to go down the traditional publishing road is to obtain an up-to-date copy of the Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook, which contains all the details you need on Agents and Publishers, both in the UK and worldwide. As a bonus, there is also a wealth of other useful information and articles between its covers.

​

Traditional publishing could be right for you if:

– You want someone else to take care of and bear the costs of every stage of the publishing process from completed manuscript to publication

– You aren’t in a hurry to see your book in print/e-print

– You want the kudos of being published by a traditional publishing house

– You enjoy the challenge of writing compelling submissions (some people do!), you have a thick skin for rejections, and you are persistent.

 

IMPORTANT: a rejection doesn’t necessarily mean that your book isn’t any good. The publisher may have reached their quota for the week/month/genre; the subject may not match the publisher’s criteria closely enough; your submission may need upgrading; it lands on the desk of an editor who just doesn’t like it.

 

If you decide to go down the traditional publishing route, don’t get discouraged by rejection letters. Just keep going. If you do decide to change tack, there are other options open to you – indie-publishing (also called self-publishing) and hybrid publishing. Read on to learn about these.

 

Indie (Self) Publishing

 

Why is it called indie publishing? The name migrated across from the music industry where independent musicians create, record and market their own work.

 

What is it?

You publish your manuscript yourself, whether as an eBook or paperback/hardback. You do all the work involved in bringing your book to publication, including quality control, design etc, and bearing the costs involved in that; primarily, editing, cover design, formatting, proof-reading. You are in control of every aspect of birthing your book into the world, marketing, back-office administration, and ongoing monitoring. You also control pricing and therefore the royalties you receive, and you retain full rights to your book.

 

In short, an author acts as his/her own publishing house.

 

THE PROCESS

The same for both non-fiction and fiction, hard copy or eBook

– You write your book.

– You decide what publishing and sales platforms you will use to sell your book. This will most likely include Amazon as it is by far the biggest player in the field, but there are a number of other routes to market, whether hard copy or ebook. (Also audio books, but that is outside the scope of this tutorial).

– You format, edit, proof edit, create/commission a cover according to the requirements of your chosen genre and publishing/sales platforms.

– You upload your finished book and hit publish.

 

Advantages of self-publishing

– You are in control of every aspect of bringing your book into the world. No-one else is calling the shots, deciding on title, format or cover design, or insisting you make changes.

– Cross & multi-format genres are not an issue. You write what you want to write.

– You can update your covers, blurbs, prices etc whenever you want.

– Higher royalties.

– Your back list is always available to you to breathe new life into. It only goes out of print if you take it out of print.

– You set the price, and therefore the amount you earn.

– Much faster completion to market timescale. Once you have the book publication-ready, it can be available within days.

 

Disadvantages of self-publishing

– You are responsible for every aspect of bringing your book into the world.

– That includes all the production costs, which can be considerable. As I stated above, these include editing, cover design, formatting, proof-reading/editing.

– Quality control is also down to you. You have to find editors, proofreaders, cover designers etc.

– The process is time heavy, both in the learning curve and research: learning the market, what genre(s) your book fits, researching professional help such as editors and cover designers.

– Amazon has strict rules that have to be followed – and therefore known about - when publishing on their platform (there aren’t many. Breaking them, even through ignorance, can be harshly punished and even get you banned.

– It is hard, and sometimes pretty much impossible, to get your book on the shelves of some places as an indie-publisher, particularly large chain bookshops.

 

This could be right for you if:

– You want to keep full creative control of your work.

– You are prepared for the learning curve

– You want to get your book to market quickly after it is finished

– You are prepared to research and invest in the services needed to bring your book to market: cover design, editing, copy-editing, formatting.

 

FOOTNOTE: Indie publishing is frequently still sneered at as being where authors head when their books aren’t good enough to be accepted by a traditional publisher. This is a misconception. While it is true that there are still some very poor quality self-published books available, many very successful, well-known authors have now turned to indie-publishing.

 

Hybrid Publishing

​

What is it?

Hybrid publishing is a half-way house between full self-publishing and traditional publishing. In this system, the author pays some or all of the costs of production, which the hybrid publisher undertakes, removing the potential stress and time issues involved in cover production, editing and proof-editing, formatting etc that a fully indie author faces.

 

MAJOR WARNING ALERT

There are some excellent hybrid publishers out there. However, there are also a lot of companies claiming to be hybrid who are in reality nothing but vanity publishers. Vanity publishers are, for the most part, only out to get your money, offering the world for high fees and always asking for more. The end product (your precious blood, sweat, and tears book) is desperately substandard and will not have been carefully (or at all) edited, formatted, or designed as you were promised.

 

This isn’t an exaggeration. I was once asked to re-edit a book that an author had spent £1,000s on to publish through a vanity publisher – the quality was appalling.

 

At the end of this information sheet, I have set out some indicators as to what makes a good hybrid publisher – and some important vanity publisher red flags to beware of if you are tempted by this route to market.

 

THE PROCESS

The same for both non-fiction and fiction, hard copy or eBook

– research your potential publishers (those who publish in your genre). Again, check out the Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook.

– put together a submission (proposal) according to the hybrid publisher’s guidelines. You will need to adapt each individual submission to meet each publisher’s requirements.

– send out your submission.

– wait for the response.

​

Advantages of hybrid publishing

– Takes away the hassle and time demands of overseeing the publishing process required when self-publishing.

– Authors have more control over the creative process than when using traditional publishers.

– Lower publishing process costs than self-publishing

– Higher royalties than traditional publishing.

– Professionally produced and published books.

– May offer marketing activities as part of the package. Also, some hybrids can get books onto the shelves of bookshops.

 

Disadvantages of hybrid publishing

– There are substantial upfront costs to be paid.

– The amount of marketing activities varies.

– Avoiding the clutches of vanity publishers can be difficult – they are very good at hiding their true nature.

– Additional services (storage, shipping, marketing, making changes) all involve additional cost. While these costs should be transparent, they can add up quickly.

 

How to spot a genuine Hybrid publisher, and red flags.

Why am I spending so much time on this? Because so many enthusiastic first-time authors have been scammed and put off for life.

 

What defines a good hybrid publisher?

A reputable hybrid publisher:

– Will never approach you. They don’t need to. Those emails that drop unprompted into your Inbox? Delete them.

– Are required to be selective. Unlike vanity publishers who will publish anyone who signs up with them, hybrid publishers have quality control and best practice guidelines and will only accept manuscripts that meet their standards.

– Pays higher royalty rates than traditional publishing (the author, after all, is meeting production costs). Royalty rates, rights and other legalities will be clearly laid out, transparent and fixed in the contract.

– Sets out upfront costs clearly in the contract. Any additional costs will be agreed in advance and be transparent and reasonable.

– There is no hard sell, and no-one will promise you instant success and fame.

– Has its own imprints (a trade name that a publisher uses to publish a book) and publishes using its own ISBNs.

– Bears full responsibility for what they print, including the quality.

– Distributes the books they print

– Keeps full records of the books they print. Their website should have the books they publish front and centre of the home page, as most important element.

 

Vanity publishing – red flags

– Any unsolicited approach, whether by phone or email. Genuine hybrid publishers will not approach you – they don’t need to.

– Hard sell tactics. Frequent calls/emails if you have mistakenly approached a vanity publisher in error. Flattery, over-promising and ‘over-niceness’.

– Fast response times (reputable companies are busy and won’t get back to you within hours).

– Unrealistic and ‘too good to be true’ promises. No publisher, not even the industry leaders, can promise you the world. The reputable ones won’t. If it sounds too good to be true, it is.

– Very high fees; muddiness over what they cover; taking a share of your royalties after publication.

– More and more money requested to bring your book to print.

– Charging fees for activities that should be free of charge. A reading fee is a prime example. If they ask for money just to read the manuscript, run!

– Their website boasts a ton of rave reviews for their work, but few examples of the actual books. Is the website aimed at readers? Or authors?

​

If you decide to take the hybrid publishing route, there are a few things you must do to avoid losing a ton of money and bringing a lot of disappointment.

1. DO YOUR DUE DILIGENCE. Research the publisher. Check out their website. Visit the Writer Beware website (https://writerbeware.blog/) which lists scam outfits and suspect publishers/service providers to avoid. If you are a member of the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), they also have a frequently updated list of scammy publishers. Don’t assume that because the ‘hybrid’ publisher is linked to a major publishing house, they’ll be OK. Recently, several of these offshoot companies have been shown to be less than squeaky clean.

2. DO NOT PART WITH ANY MONEY until you have studied the contract carefully. Particularly: royalties, costs and rights. Get it checked over. If you sign a contact with a vanity publisher, you may never get the rights to your book back

3. ASK QUESTIONS, and don’t accept anything but clear, full answers - in writing.

 

This could be right for you if:

– You want to hand over the production process while retaining full creative control and are happy to pay production costs upfront.

– You are prepared to do your due diligence and stay alert to avoid those scammy vanity publishers.

 

A final word…

 

You should now have a clearer picture of the three primary publishing options available to you and a sense of which of them you want to investigate further.

 

Do your due diligence, research in depth. Read what other authors have to say. But don’t get too hung up about it. You can always change your mind. An indie publisher can approach traditional/hybrid publishers at any point (although getting a Yes becomes harder after your book is published unless it’s a roaring success). And if your submissions to traditional/hybrid publishers come to nothing, or you don’t like what they offer you, you can self-publish instead – up until such time as contracts etc are agreed and signed.

 

I put my hand up. After being both traditionally and self-published, I am now a committed self-publisher for many reasons, primarily those in the ‘pros’ column of the indie publishing sheet. But that is because it works for me. Every author is different, with different priorities and goals, different skillsets, different financial situations and differing amounts of time available. As I have said, do your research and then, regardless of what anyone else says, do what is right for you.

 

Download a pdf copy of these notes here

(This link takes you to a download page on Bookfunnel)