Your book will get published

Your dream is to become an author.

You research the living daylights out of the authorial process. Instead of getting motivated to write and create, you get demotivated by how cumbersome the publishing process is.

Here’s your smacks of reality:

1. Anything worth doing is difficult but well worth the effort.
2. Publishing books isn’t hard anymore.

We will discuss the first pointer in the next article about book ideas. In this article, let’s debunk the myth that refuses to die ~ publishing is hard . No . Publishing a book just seems hard.

• It is your dream?
• You have a story to share?
• You want to project yourself as an expert/thought leader?
• You are creating a lead funnel for your business?
• You want to earn passive income from continuous book sales?
• You need to establish your credibility as an academic?

Before we delve into the four types of publishing, let’s discuss the elephant in the room — your book writing priority . Why are you writing a book?

What is your why ? Why are you writing your book in the first place? Ask yourself this question. Answer it as honestly as you can. Nobody needs to know what your why is. This why is for you to choose which publishing option you target.

The four available options are:

1. Traditional or Commercial Publishing

An established or indie publisher buys your manuscript and takes all the publishing risks. They refine and develop your manuscript, handle marketing and distribution, and pay a percentage of the sales to you (royalty).

The author receives royalty payments based on a cycle decided in the agreement you sign. You may or may not receive a booking advance against estimated future sales.

As the publishers take all the risks, they are a bit picky with who they choose to publish. If you write an amazing book (from a creative and commercial perspective), they will choose you. They make money when your book makes money.

PROS:

• You invest zero money in writing, editing, developing, distributing, advertising and marketing your book.
• They generate most of the public buzz and interest around your book.
• You get the credibility of being a published author.
• Your book becomes eligible for all of the prestigious literary contests.

CONS:

• The odds of your manuscript getting selected are low.
• You won’t have much say in your book’s promotion tour (if you are a new author).
• The royalty you receive will typically be 8–12% (That is not a lot if your book doesn’t sell a lot of copies).

GOOD FOR:

• Serious authors.
• Academics.

2. Self Publishing

You are the ruler of this kingdom — you publish your book and take care of everything. You also have to fund everything (eg.: pay for your book’s ISBN number for legal distribution). You can collaborate with anyone you wish on this project.

The two ways to get this done are:

1. Do-It-Yourself ~ You write, edit, format, advertise, market and distribute your book from your own website.
2. Use distribution platforms ~ You write, edit, format, advertise and market your book. Distribution of your book is handled by websites like Amazon, Gumroad, Kobo, etc.

PROS:

• If you market your book well, you stand to earn more from your book sales (even when you don’t sell a lot of books).
• There is no barrier to entry — anybody can publish their book.
• You can have full control.

CONS:

• You have to pay for everything before you start earning.
• Your book will get disqualified from most prominent literary contests.
• You will have to do everything.

GOOD FOR:

• Authors in a hurry to get published.
• People looking to make passive income from selling books as digital products.

3. Hybrid or Subsidy Publishing

This option is the best of both worlds — traditional and self. A publisher enters into a deal with you and you take a portion of the risk of publishing your book. The publisher will sign a (generally) non-exclusive agreement with the author and enter into a mutually beneficial partnership.

The print-on-demand or print-to-order distribution is what makes self-publishing a bit more hectic for authors. This option is the easy way out.

PROS:

• It is easy to get a Hybrid publishing deal.
• You retain ownership and the IP (intellectual property) of your book.
• You and the publisher fulfil specific obligations (per the agreement).
• The royalty you receive will typically be 20–40%.

CONS:

• You have to pay a fee.
• You will have to heavily market your book.

GOOD FOR:

• Thought leaders.
• Influencers.

4. Vanity Publishing

You write your book. The publisher publishes it. You pay the printing costs. The publisher handles the backend. The specifics depend of the terms of agreement you sign with the publisher. It is difficult to generalise.

See Barnes and Noble Press, for instance.

https://press.barnesandnoble.com/

You upload your manuscript and make your paper, and formatting choices. They will offer you 70% royalty if you publish and print exclusively on B&B Press.

The point being, the agreement you sign with your vanity publisher is of utmost importance.

PROS:

• You retain most of your rights.
• You get the highest royalty offerings.
• Anybody can get published (fancily).

CONS:

• You pay a lot and sometimes might not breakeven.
• You might lose money (if your agreement isn’t designed properly).

GOOD FOR:

• Corporate leaders.
• Coaches.

I hope this article helps you realise how publishing is accessible. Once you write a book, there are so many ways to get published successfully.

Stop worrying about getting published, ya?

In the comments, tell me what publishing style you prefer.