Ultimate Guide: Understanding Self-Publishing, Traditional Publishing

Publishing Industry: First Steps

An all-inclusive manual. Everything you need to know about a subject in one place, so you don’t have to deal with anything else. What a fantastic idea, don’t you think?

There is, however, one significant obstacle to creating an exhaustive guide to anything: the passage of time. The discovery of new things, the demise of outdated practices, and claims of universally correct processes. This is merely a directory and not a be-all and end-all basis.

If you’d like to learn more about the publishing industry and what it takes to get your book out there, we’ve got the information you need right here.

I’m interested in book publishing. How many publication types exist?

In the conventional sense, there are two types of publishing known as self-publishing and traditional publishing. However, some claim that hybrid publishing has arisen as a third option. These will be discussed in depth below.

How Do They Vary?

Traditional Publishing

Based on content and format, in traditional publishing, the publishers purchase the rights to produce a book on behalf of the author, which is subdivided into numerous categories. To summarize, an author writes something, submits it to a publisher, and politely requests that it be published. Whether an article, book, children’s story, poem, etc., the content still falls to a publisher who decides if, when, and how the content will be made available to the public. This method of publication makes effective use of the publisher’s knowledge. However, it does constrain the author in several ways.

Self-Publishing

In contrast, in self-publishing, the author has the final say on the book’s content and presentation and is the principal contact point for all marketing communications.

Hybrid Publishing

Some individuals think that self-publishing has spawned a new option: hybrid publishing. This method falls somewhere between traditional and self-publishing. In it, a publisher may offer to assist the author in some, the majority, or all phases of the publication process. The author may receive a higher share of the profits than in commercial publication. In this emerging alternative, contracts and expectations differ considerably.

I’m torn between self-publishing and signing with a traditional publisher. What’s the most suitable option for me?

The response to this query is primarily dependent on the level of control you desire over your book’s appearance, locations, and methods by which it will be made available. Designers, proofreaders, professional editors, and marketers are available through traditional publishing to help you with your book.

While it’s possible, you’ll have to put your faith in them. You’ll also have to be willing to give up some or all of your rights as an author in order to do so. You can learn more about how to get published by reading our guide. When compared to traditional publishing, self-publishing gives the author complete control over their book. However, you’ll be required to fill in some of the responsibilities independently.

Self-publishing will also exclude you from numerous literary awards, such as the Pulitzer Prize though there are exceptions. For self-publishing, you’ll need to brush up on techniques, such as how to format your book. It doesn’t matter how your book is published; your manuscript must be flawless. Publishers will not make it better for you unless you agree to an agreement with them.

The other option is to rely on agents for assistance, but this is not something to expect. If you’re going it alone, you won’t catch any mistakes that might be pointed out in a rejection letter from a publisher or a literary agent unless you ask a friend or a professional for guidance.

That’s fine then. I’m confident that I can make my book look perfect from cover to cover. Is there anything else I need to do?

You’ll need to know who you’re writing to. When a piece of information is aimed at a big group of people, its popularity rises exponentially. As a result, appealing to a certain niche market can be profitable. This is if you provide an innovative approach to the niche that opens it up to a wider audience.

Start writing your book with the audience in mind if you haven’t already done so. If you decide to self-publish, you can use this information to decide who will publish your book and how you will advertise it.

Even if you choose the conventional route, you should do some market research to get ready. Having a proven track record as an author is a plus for publishers, and in the Information Age, it isn’t difficult to do so. People enjoy conversing with the authors of their favorite books, films, and TV series, so they frequently ask them to speak at conventions, libraries, and bookstores.

Authors are virtually always encouraged to use social networking sites (FB, Instagram, Twitter, Goodreads, etc.) as they’ll help you spread the word about upcoming publications, new events, and progress on existing ones. Becoming familiar with other authors or being classed by a genre can also help readers identify you as a writer and urge them to buy your book—and the books you have planned to produce in the future.

Are you telling me I’ll have to write and interact with the public? What other choices do I have?

You may, of course, go about it without the aid of social media. However, if you decide to choose this route, you’ll need to brush up on your knowledge in order to be successful. Additionally, there are professional publicists out there who exist solely to sell and promote other authors’ publications.

Publishers often utilize them so that they can concentrate on generating books, but as with outsourcing out any service, you tend to pay for the quality you receive. Self-publishing authors are notoriously frugal with their resources, but you should give it a shot if you believe it is the greatest fit for your goals.

Get an agency as a second method of gaining new readers. Agents can help you find potential publishers, assess your work’s quality, and plan your marketing strategy. Proposals for your book are required to secure an agent.

Book publication sounds like a ton of work. Aren’t there more accessible options available?

Unfortunately, the answer to that is no. For a few dollars or a hundred dollars or whatever the going rate is, no one would be trying to sell it to you if there was. Even if it’s a humorous tale or an in-depth treatise on different practices, getting your words out to the general audience demands persistence, confidence, and a strong desire to deliver your message.

The message must be well-reasoned, eloquent, and conveyed in a way that encourages not only acknowledgment but also successful sales.

Final Thoughts

All of this is possible. There were 1.4 million self-published printed books available on Amazon in 2018. Around 2.71 billion books were sold in 2014, with nearly a quarter of those sales occurring online. If you desire your work to be read by an eager and paying audience, there’s no reason why it can’t happen.

You may see your words in print with a bit of research, persistence, and imagination. As a bonus, you don’t have to do it yourself. Thousands of authors have benefited from professional editors and proofreaders, who have assisted them in polishing their manuscripts to creating query letters for publishers.

What’s left is for you to get out there and start writing.