The New Face of Publishing

Writers who find themselves caught in the publishing dilemma of "Should I wait eons for a standard publisher to pick up my manuscript or go out on a limb and self-publish?" will be glad to learn that there's a middle-of-the-road publishing option: partnership publishing. To understand partnership publishing, however, it's important to review the other commonly used publishing methods.

Standard Publishing

With standard publishing, a publishing company selects the manuscripts it will publish. The publisher absorbs all the costs and risks of printing and distribution, so it maintains strict editorial and creative control over every phase of a book's production. The author is paid a nominal royalty, usually a percentage of a book's net proceeds.

After being accepted, it commonly takes 18-24 months from the date the contracts are signed before a book will actually be seen in print--but that's just the beginning. While standard publishing companies maintain marketing departments, most first-time authors don't realize that the average publisher's budgets is restricted, so each author is expected to assume part (and sometimes a large part) of the responsibility for marketing a book.

Self-Publishing

With self-publishing, the author maintains complete editorial and creative control over a book's production, but also absorbs all the associated costs and risk. The author is fully responsible for everything, including design, printing, marketing, distribution, and sales. Although a self-published book can appear on bookshelves in as little as three months, it's not likely to show up on bookstore shelves that soon.

First-time self-published authors often run into roadblocks when it comes to securing distribution by the big houses, such as Baker & Taylor or Ingram, from whom bookstores like Barnes & Noble and Borders purchase. A number of costly mistakes can be made along the way, too, such as a poor cover design, inferior printing quality, the omission of a barcode, not realizing the time commitment necessary for effective public relations, not knowing where or how to market a book, or simply paying too much for printing or marketing materials.

Partnership Publishing

The middle-of-the-road alternative is partnership publishing, in which the author and the publisher agree to split the cost and risk of publication and distribution, as well as sharing any revenues generated by sales. The author and the publisher have equal voices as they make their way through the often confusing maze of editorial and creative decisions. They also share in the marketing of the book, because each of them has a stake in the book's success.

As an added advantage, partnership-published books usually will get into the hands of more readers--in a shorter amount of time--than standard or self-published manuscripts. Since partnership publishers seldom have manuscripts stacked to the ceiling waiting to be reviewed, they can get to yours faster; and since partnership publishers won't be assuming the entire financial risk, they can afford to take chances on unknown authors. On the other hand, because they'll be sharing the financial burden, partnership publishers still must choose books that are marketable, which means rejection is still a possibility.

Although a self-published book can be delivered shortly after paying the printer's bill, a partnership-published book usually connects with readers quicker because the author can draw on a publisher's experience in marketing, distributing, and sales strategies--and combined with the author's own efforts, there are two promotion avenues being pursued at the same time, which can be a big advantage in terms of sales.

"When I was the community relations coordinator for Borders Books and Music, I saw firsthand that it was nearly impossible for a self-published author to get a book accepted into the store. There were just too many obstacles," says Lynda Exley, who partnered with Five Star Publications to publish her eleven-year-old son's book, The Student from Zombie Island: Conquering the Rumor Monster. "I also saw many poorly designed, error-ridden self-published books that authors had poured their life savings into. These were basic mistakes that any good editor or publisher could have prevented."

However, as a member of several writers clubs, Exley says she was also privy to many horror stories about books taking several years to be accepted by a traditional publisher, followed by a couple more years before actually being printed, only to receive a minimal amount of marketing attention from the publisher.

Exley adds, "And unless you're Stephen King, a traditional publisher isn't going to cover expenses, like traveling to book signings or additional marketing beyond the initial few press releases. That money comes out of any minuscule royalties paid to the author."

After meeting with Five Star Publications and learning about partnership publishing, Exley realized that it represented the best of both worlds.

"We share the expenses, the workload--and the profits," she says. "Five Star gives me all the benefits of a big publisher--editing services, distribution with Baker & Taylor and Ingram, promotional materials, a dedicated website, and publicity--along with all the advantages of self-publishing, like a higher profit margin, creative control, and a shorter time period from inception to print."

For Exley, it's been a win-win situation from the beginning, including several things she hadn't expected.

"Linda became a mentor to me. Through her direction, I've learned more about publishing, marketing, and selling than I'd ever dreamed, and she's right there in the trenches with me, selling The Student From Zombie Island."

There are many other advantages, too, says Exley.

"I also get a discount on promotional materials. Linda's been in the industry nearly thirty years and has established suppliers that give her the best prices, which she passes on to me. I save money on trade shows, too, since other authors share space under the Five Star roof, which reduces the cost for all of us.


Exley also points out that partnership publishing earns her book more respect from bookstores and the media.

"I can proudly say that Zombie Island was accepted and published by a legitimate, bona fide publisher instead of shouting 'self-published' to everyone who sees it. Those are words that no bookstore or media personality wants to hear. It's not that self-publishing is a bad thing or that it automatically means a book is inferior. There are some wonderful self-published books out there. However, because inferior self-published books are plentiful, self-published books simply don't get the same respect that traditional or partnership-published books receive. Partnership publishing has opened doors for me that wouldn't have been available otherwise."

Self-Publishing, Independent Publishing, Traditional Publishing

Each of these three forms of publishing is different and each is viable in today's publishing world. But there is so much confusion about what they provide to aspiring authors worldwide, that I decided to address this for you today. Take what you will and leave the rest, but this perspective comes from first-hand experience in the industry.

Self-publishing: Actually, this is the murkiest water in which to swim. TRUE Self-publishing means, you create a true publishing entity, buy your own ISBNs from RR Bowker, and take all the responsibility for layout and design of your book, you find a printer, you are responsible for all marketing andyou are alone in the publishing world. To people who are skilled in graphic design and thrilled with taking risks, this is an invigorating endeavor. Companies that use the come-on "self-publish your book" to attract authors do the authors a true disservice for one reason: the author never truly owns his ISBN, and therefore, the way his book is produced, marketed and how he receives royalties is out of his control. There are many large self-publishing mills that accept anyone and exploit the innocence of writers.

Here is what one author told me this week:
I self-published 24/7 or Dead through one of the large POD firms, not an experience I would wish on my worst enemy. 13 galleys later, I still have uncorrected mistakes in my text but finally gave up because my publicist had booked PR appearances and I needed the book. I've visited your site and it appears to be a place where I could self-publish again, with your support. Am, I reading this correctly?

Here is how I replied to her:
"Well, there is so much misinformation about "self-published" books, and large POD firms are among the loudest perpetrators of misinformation. Nightengale Press is a true publisher using print on demand technology to get the books printed.

INDEPENDENT PUBLISHING:

Nightengale Press and 55,000 others can't be all wrong. Some independents keep a very narrow focus and publish only one or two titles a year. They reject lots of authors, looking for the one or two they want for their year's quota. They usually function very much like a traditional publisher, in that they take on all publishing costs, but often these are supported by grants with certain guidelines, and therefore stringent limitation. Some independents publish more titles, still within a clearly defined and often limited scope for one genre only. These publishers also function very much like a traditional publisher, however, they also reject lots of authors, looking for the numbers they want for their year's quota.

Nightengale Press does charge a modest fee for our services, yet, we take no money from the book sales until our authors have re-paid their investment. And we have many support services for marketing, not the least of which is our great affiliate program --- our most successful authors use this to great advantage. There isn't a better "deal" in the industry, and it is all because I am an author and believe with every fiber of my being that the author should get paid FIRST and FAIRLY!

The decision to self-publish poses this dilemma:
ARE YOU AN AUTHOR OR A PUBLISHER? Author? Or Publisher? That is the question. Jan Nathan of Publisher's Marketing Association said this after BEA in mid-May: "On a somewhat discouraging note, we met with many, many authors on the floor who chose to print their titles with Print on Demand houses, and were told by these houses that they were the publisher of their title, when in fact they are only an author with the POD house."

SEE? CONFUSION EVEN AMONG INDUSTRY EXPERTS.

FIRST:

Print on Demand is a printing technology, NOT a publishing status. I find the misconception that because a publisher uses POD technology to produce books the books they produce are somehow inferior, or they are somehow scamming the authors they serve hugely problematic.

SECOND:

A publisher is a person/business which seeks good authors, produces their books, assists to some degree with the promotion of the book, and builds a reputation through the ethical management of those authors and their work.

THIRD:
An author is a person who writes and publishes his work --- one way or another. Once a writer, always a writer - but not always an author. An author can be a publisher---thanks to POD technology and the self-publishing boom. However, generally, a publisher knows good writing when he sees it, but he may not be a writer, and he may not choose the best writers to publish.

How the work is produced has NOTHING to do with the quality of the writing. It has EVERYTHING to do with the marketing of the writing, and this is where the traditional publishing community is so threatened:
There is NO LIMITATION to good writers getting published. Every good writer can get published --- even if they self-publish as a first step. What good writers cannot get alone is GOOD MARKETING. There are pitfalls and scammers everywhere in the publishing industry, waiting to take advantage of the writer who is unaware, uninformed or unable to discern the value of his own writing.

THE BIG FIVE TRADITIONAL PUBLISHERS MISS THOUSANDS OF GOOD WRITERS. They have to. The must take only those they can reasonably bet on --- it is like a horse race --- there are the favorites (best-selling authors) who nearly always win the race. Then there are the yearlings, the writers who are new to the industry, and who know very little about the race, but they run like crazy in the pack. These are the writers who become self-publishers. Then there are the long-shots, and they are the ones even the big publishing houses can miss ---- the writers who have something very new to say, or a new way to say it that doesn't quite fit the mold. SOME PUBLISHERS --- apparently the "POD houses" Jan is referring to ---are not even clear on the subject themselves.

To tell an author that he is the publisher of his own book when he is not the owner of the ISBN on that book is a clear misrepresentation. But because a publisher uses POD technology doesn't make him a bad publisher --- in fact, most of the 55,000 or so small publishers in the USA couldn't do what they do without it. The costs of offset / traditional publishing are too great at the outset., tens of thousands of dollars, and even the big guys don't spend their money on the unknown author (who becomes more a number than a person in that realm, by the way).

So, what is a writer to do? Here is my motto, and it drives everything I do as a writer and as a publihsher:
Believe first in YOURSELF

You CAN achieve Excellence if you WORK harder than others think is necessary

EXPECT more of yourself than others think is possible

CARE more about your future than others think is wise

TAKE RISKS more than others think is safe

DREAM more than others think is practical

And

NEVER, EVER QUIT!

Valerie’s talk show on Global Talk Radio is a popular program which targets writers worldwide to provide them a place to promote their books, discuss their experiences as writers, and learn from experts who also appear on the program. When Valerie goes into the Publisher’s Corner, an informative segment that highlights book industry trends and reveals important issues affecting writers and their books, she gives her listeners the publisher’s perspective on vital information they need to keep up to date on a wide spectrum of topics. She also teaches the essentials to successful book development and promotion for aspiring and published authors alike.

Traditional Publishing, Self-publishing, and Subsidy Publishing: What's the Difference?

If you're a new and yet-to-be-published writers, chances are you've been tempted by magazine ads promising "Get Published Now!" or "We'll help you self-publish!" Maybe you've submitted material to traditional publishers and received rejection letters, and in frustration you've thought, "Maybe I should just self-publish."

But where do you begin? A quick search on the web reveals a bewildering array of self-publishing options. How many are legitimate? How many are rip-offs? And how can you tell?

Let's look at what publishing, self-publishing, and subsidy publishing actually mean.

Traditional Publishing

It its broadest sense, the verb "to publish" means "to make public." By this definition, "publishing" can be anything from a printed book between two covers to a notice pinned up on a supermarket bulletin board. Blogs, web pages, newsletters, and self-printed pamphlets are all forms of publishing.

When we speak of "traditional" publishing, we refer to companies that buy the rights to make selected works public. A traditional publisher, whether small or large, will select the best work out of many submissions, draw up a contract with the author, take out a copyright in the author's name, and pay the author for various rights, including first publication rights. The publisher makes the entire monetary investment, as well as taking all the monetary risk, and recoups that investment from book sales. The author may be paid an "advance," which is an "advance against royalties." Once the advance is earned back, the author receives any additional royalties from further book sales.

In order to succeed in the competitive world of book sales, the publisher must be highly selective about the books it choses to publish. No one can predict actual book sales, and the industry is sometimes taken by surprise by a book that suddenly soars to the top of the best-seller list (or that plunges far below expectations). Nevertheless, a publishing company cannot afford to take risks on books that it believes are unlikely to sell.

This is why so few of the manuscripts that are submitted to a traditional publisher are accepted. Each publisher receives thousands of manuscripts per year. A large number of these are unpublishable in some way: poorly written, inappropriate for that publisher, even illegible. A small number are publishable, and only some of these can be accepted, since the publisher has only so many slots in the year's publishing schedule. In order to be accepted, the manuscript must have good sales appeal, must fill a need for the publisher, must be well-written, and should be presented professionally.

Self-publishing

Authors who self-publish bypass traditional publishers by creating their own small publishing company. The author makes all the monetary investments and takes all the monetary risks, but keeps all the profits.

In order to self-publish a book, an author must find a good printing service that produces high-quality books. In these days of Publish On Demand (POD), finding a good, affordable service that produces a quality product is becoming increasingly difficult, as more service use POD equipment that may or may not produce quality books. Before investing in a POD service, it's always wise to obtain a sample copy.

The self-published author files for copyright, obtains a Library of Congress number, and pays for an ISBN number and bar code. While the latter is not absolutely necessary if one plans to sell locally, it is necessary if the author wishes to sell books through online bookstores and through book distributors.

ISBN numbers are purchased through the U.S. ISBN office, and bar codes are obtained through Bowker's. ISBN numbers are purchased in multiples, under the expectation that a publisher, large or small, will be publishing more than one book. They are not cheap; however, owning your own ISBN number rather than letting a subsidy publisher supply one for you is advantageous when trying to sell books through distributors. Distributors and bookstores are often leery of buying books from subsidy publishers, especially the notorious "vanity" publishers, and these publishers are easily identified in a database by their ISBN numbers.

The self-published author must be willing to do all the marketing. Getting the book listed on Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble Online is rarely enough. Only a small percentage of books sold in the U.S. are sold through online bookstores, and only a tiny fraction of these are self-published books. Most books are sold through bricks-and-mortar bookstores, which buy their books through distributors. Getting one's books listed with a distributor can be expensive; however, some book printing services can help with this. Authors can also increase their sales by hand-selling their books through book signings, author tables at local fairs and events, their own website, and by word of mouth through their network of friends and acquaintances. Self-publishers must understand the market, do their marketing research, and know something about advertising and salesmanship.

Subsidy Publishing

Authors who balk at the high monetary investment involved in self-publishing may turn to subsidy publishing which is sometimes (but not always) less expensive. The author still makes a monetary investment and bears all the risks, but instead of keeping the profits, the author receives royalties from the company. The company prints the book, often on a POD basis, may file for copyright in the author's name (sometimes for a fee), and may supply the ISBN number (also for a fee). The ISBN number belongs to the subsidy publisher, not to the author. The book also bears the imprint of the subsidy publisher, not the author's own publishing company. This is the distinction between self-publishing and subsidy publishing: a self-published book is published by the author's own publishing company and bears an ISBN number belonging to the author, while a book published by a subsidy press bears the name of the subsidy press, and the ISBN number belongs to that company.

Subsidy publishers often advertise in the backs of writers' magazines, often with glowing terms of what they will do for the author. The services they offer vary from company to company. Some will provide editing and layout services. Some are selective about the books they accept. Most, however, accept any and all manuscripts that come their way. Some do so with the belief that they are helping the author. But are they really?

Some books are simply unsellable. They may be poorly written. They may have spelling and grammatical errors. In the case of fiction, perhaps the plot is weak, or the characters wooden. In the case of nonfiction, perhaps there are inaccuracies, or the topic is of little interest to the general public. In both types of books, it may be that the writing is simply too dull to hold a reader's interest.

"But," some will ask, "isn't all that up to the author to decide?"

No. That is up to the reader to decide. Writers do write from their own hearts, but just because someone has written something does not oblige anyone else to buy and read it. The author who wishes to be published writes for an audience, and must consider that audience before deciding whether or not to publish a particular piece of work.

This is why it is so important to understand the market. And a company that promises to "publish" anything with little regard to its quality is not giving the author all the information necessary for success. This is why subsidy presses are sometimes called "vanity" presses: the worst ones will publish anything, offer glowing praise, take an author's money, and offer almost nothing in the way of marketing. A vanity press exists to offer ego-stroking in exchange for money.

New Author's Publishing Options

All your publishing options are as follows:

--Conventional publishing

--Vanity or subsidy publishing

--Print-on-demand publishing

--Self-publish yourself

--Get help with self-publishing

Let's compare the publishing options.

How to get in the publishing process and how long will it take to see your book printed?

Conventional publishing option

It is a very long and difficult process to get a publisher even if it is at all possible for a new author. First you need to get a literary agent who is willing to introduce / represent your manuscript to a publisher. The rejection rate is about 95% at each stage... It can take many months or even years to find an agent and then a publisher... If and when your manuscript is accepted by a conventional publisher, it usually takes up to two years to see your book in print.

Subsidy or vanity publishing option

It is extremely easy and fast to get a subsidy publisher. They will even solicit your manuscript through advertising or direct mail. They accept without question any and all manuscripts for publishing and print your book in a matter of months.

Print-on-demand publishing option

This is actually the same type as a subsidy publisher - soliciting your business, accepting anything and being ready to print your book in no time. The only difference is that they print one book at a time which costs you less up-front, but not in the long run.

Self-publish yourself

Starting your own publishing company is involved, not only in business terms but also in learning the art and science of publishing. After that you can move pretty fast - you manage the whole process yourself, interviewing and hiring all the expertise needed, such as book designers, printers, promoters, etc. And it's not cheap.

Get help with self-publishing

If you don't have time, money and/or inclination for running a publishing business, but still want to self-publish your book, you can find help in an advisory / promotional service for self-publishers that will lead you through the process. You still self-publish, but save time, money and effort.

How much will it cost you to publish your book?

Conventional publishing option

This doesn't cost you anything, the publisher will pay all book production expenses. By saying this we aren't considering the ultimate costs of losing most of your legal rights to your work, or for that matter your time spent on seeking representation, mailing copies of your manuscript to numerous agents, or the reading / copying fees that agents frequently charge new authors.

Subsidy or vanity publishing option

You will pay everything up-front, that's the way subsidy publishers make their money - from authors, not from selling books to the public. Most often it will be $10,000 to $20,000, sometimes more depending on the size of your book. You get about 200 copies of your book for that price and a promise of royalties if any book selling from the publisher happens in the future. Each book costs you about $50 to $100 up to this point, very likely precluding any profitability at all in the venture.

Print-on-demand publishing option

Same thing - they make their money from you, the author, selling you your own books one at a time, printing-on-demand. The difference is that it costs less up-front, sometimes even nothing depending on company policies. Don't expect them to be selling to public on your behalf either - they only sell to you. Each book will usually cost you about $10 to $20 which often makes it impossible to sell your books through retailers as you can't compete with other books' prices.

Self-publish yourself

We won't consider here the costs of starting a business and educating yourself on publishing through courses, books, seminars, etc.; these differ a lot for various people in different situations. However, after all that is accomplished, you can have 500 to 1,000 copies of your book printed for about $3 to $5 per book which makes it competitive in price with books of any big publisher. We are speaking here about an average retail paperback book cost.

Get help with self-publishing

The book price will be more or less same as above - you pay for services, but save on running a business.

How do you market / promote / sell your books?

Conventional publishing option

The publisher will take care that your book is delivered to distributors / wholesalers / retailers and that's probably it. The publishers don't spend money on promoting books of new authors as a rule. Since consumers don't know about your book, they don't buy it. The retail shelf space is scarce and expensive, your book will go off the shelves in several months and that's the commonly end of the story... You can change this into a success story of your book if you do the promotion yourself, however.

Subsidy or vanity publishing option

As already said, the publisher had made their money up-front. There may be a clause in your contract saying that the publisher will mail some number of your books to reviewers for publicity, but as Dan Poynter says: "The name of a vanity publisher on a spine of the book is a kiss of death" - your book will never be reviewed. That's because reviewers review books that will be in book trade distribution channels where subsidy presses never get.

Print-on-demand publishing option

Same thing - the publisher (really hardly more than a printer) won't do anything to market / promote / sell your book; it's all up to you to create a demand for your book. The print-on-demand publishing seems inexpensive at the first sight, but don't forget that it's only at the beginning of the process - you still need to do marketing and promotion yourself or hire help for this. And one more important thing in print-on-demand publishing - watch the list price of your future book and at the same time what you pay per book. If your book is more expensive than other books "from the same shelf", consumers will never buy your book. And keep in mind that if you want to sell retail, you must be able to give distributors / wholesalers / retailers their 40% to 60% share of the list price. Otherwise you can only sell to consumers directly.

Self-publish yourself

You are in the driver's seat and do everything yourself.

Get help with self-publishing

Hire help to do marketing and promotion for you.

Who keeps the rights for your work?

Conventional publisher always keeps all the rights. You don't have any influence on editing, changing the title, illustrations, cover art, publishing, marketing, etc. And you never get your rights back after you signed a contract.

Subsidy or vanity publisher and Print-on-demand publisher sometimes assigns right to themselves, sometimes only temporary, sometimes to you; the latter of course is much better. Watch the contract and negotiate if you are set on this course.

Self-publish yourself and Get help with self-publishing: keep all your rights. You are free to publish, re-publish, sell your rights in the future to TV and movie producers, etc.

Little Known Pitfalls of Traditional Publishing Industry

As many small-time authors and self-publishers have discovered the hard way, the traditional book publishing model is fraught with problems that conspire against an individual author/publisher making a decent living from their work.

The traditional model normally involves two basic choices: 1) use a commercial publisher, or 2) self-publish.

THE COMMERCIAL PUBLISHER ROUTE

This option involves the author submitting book proposals or full manuscripts to commercial publishing houses in hope of acceptance.

Once a manuscript is accepted by a publishing house (the vast majority are not accepted) a contract is signed between the author and the publishing house. This kicks-off a time- consuming and often complex process involving printers, shippers, wholesalers, distributors, marketers, and finally, booksellers, all managed on the author's behalf by the publishing house.

Typically, it takes anywhere from 18 to 24 months from the time the author finishes a book manuscript, until the actual book gets onto the bookshelves.

THE SELF-PUBLISHING ROUTE

The self-publishing option is one in which the author eliminates some of the middlemen and manages the overall publishing, distribution and marketing processes him/herself.

This option gives the author much more personal control of the whole process and allows him/her to earn more money per copy than through a commercial publisher. It also involves a lot of work by the self-publisher who is responsible for performing all of the functions and services that a commercial publisher would normally look after.

This model is normally less time-consuming in terms of elapsed time, since there is no manuscript submission and approval process involved. On average, the self-publishing process can save 6 to 12 months over the commercial publisher model.

THE SHOCKING DOWNSIDES OF TRADITIONAL PUBLISHING

Based on my first-hand experience with the North American book publishing and distribution industry, I have to say that it is one of the most archaic and poorly run business models that I have ever encountered. The entire industry seems to be decades behind current-day business practices of other industries.

Very few people know from the outset what they're getting into when they choose to publish their book via the traditional publishing route. They have no idea at the beginning just how backward, outdated and dysfunctional the entire conventional book publishing industry business model really is.

Here's what the conventional book publishing industry WILL NOT spell out to you before you sign-up...

Give Away Half Your Book's Value Up-Front

If your book's cover price is, say $30, you will be forced to discount at least 40% to 60% right off the top when selling your book to wholesalers and retailers. So, you'll really be working from an actual price of somewhere between $12 and $18 -- not the $30 you first thought.

Don't Count On Making Big Bucks

If you choose the commercial publisher option, the best you can hope to receive for your book is a royalty somewhere between 6% and 10% of the "net". The "net" is the amount the publisher receives AFTER discounting to retailers.

Example; cover price = $30; discount to large retail chain = $15 (i.e. 50%). Your cut would be somewhere between $0.90 and $1.50 per sale. So, for selling 3,000 copies (a very good sales figure) you would receive a grand total of somewhere between $2,700 and $4,500!

You'll Have To Write Lots Of Books

If you choose the self-publishing option your main distributor will pay you somewhere around 45% of the cover price of your book. Using our $30 cover price example; that works out to $13.50 per sale that goes to you under this scenario. Then you have to deduct your costs which include: printing the book, overheads, and marketing, publicity and advertising expenses.

Example: cover price = $30; distributor payment to you at 45% of cover = $13.50, before expenses. Deduct: printing costs - $3.50; overheads - $1.00; marketing, advertising, publicity - $1.00 = ($13.50-$5.50) = $8.00 per book sale. So, for selling 3,000 copies you would make only $24,000.

And don't forget, this option involves your ongoing direct personal time and effort involvement.

Wait Forever To Get Paid

Typically, you will have to wait between 90 days and 120 days after an actual book sale before you will receive your payment for that sale. I still shake my head at this one. How does the publishing industry get away with such an archaic practice in the 21st Century?

In normal business the standard wait for payment is usually 30 days, sometimes as much as 60 days; but 90 to 120 days to pay a poor struggling author? It's a crying shame that they still manage to get away with it. This kind of payment delay is the norm, whether you go through a commercial publisher or if you're a self-publisher.

Issue 100% Refunds On Unsold Books

A trademark feature of the conventional book publishing industry is the way in which it deals with "returns". In almost all cases -- publishers, distributors, wholesalers and retailers - they maintain the right to return unsold books to you, the author, for a 100% refund, even many months later!

Example: Say you sell 200 copies of your book to a particular retail chain through your publisher (commercial publisher model) or through your distributor (self-publisher model). Then, let's say that after five months, various stores in that retail chain find that 45 unsold copies of your book are still on their shelves. The retailer would simply send those books back to your publisher or distributor for a 100% refund. That company would would then routinely pay that retail chain a 100% refund for each book returned and in-turn would deduct that total amount from your account!

I'm not kidding folks, this is how it really works!

There is absolutely NO incentive for bookstores or publishers/distributors to make any extra effort whatsoever to move your book off their shelves since they know you will provide a 100% rebate for all "returns" in any case. Go figure?

Pay Them Extra Money... Just In Case

And just to add insult to injury, many publishers and distributors will also withhold funds from your regular royalty payments (20% or more) as insurance to cover the costs of possible future returns.

So, not only do you get paid 90 to 120 days late, you will NOT receive the full amount to which you are entitled, as your publisher/distributor hedges against the possibility of eventual returns of unsold and/or damaged books months down the line.

Get Stuck In Someone Else's Time Cycle

Most commercial publishers operate on a time-frame of 18 to 24 months from approved/accepted manuscript until the book is released for sale. If you are a self-publisher you can whittle this down to maybe 3 to 6 months depending on when your book is ready vis a vis your distributor's catalog publication schedule.

If you time it perfectly, or just get lucky, there might only be 6 to 8 weeks between your book being ready to ship and it getting it onto store shelves.

BOTTOM LINE

In addition to the foregoing, there are other problems with the traditional book publishing model which I won't go into here. So, as you can see, from an author's point of view it is a highly dysfunctional, badly flawed business model that wouldn't survive in most industries.

In fact, the system is so stacked against the average author I'm amazed that some people actually try to eke out an ongoing living in that thankless industry. I guess they feel they have no other choice, or they are hoping against the odds that they will one day get lucky and pen a mega best-seller.

So, if you are an aspiring author, and you're hoping to make a modest living writing and publishing your own books or ebooks -- the traditional book publishing and distribution model is definitely NOT the way to go.

The good news is that over the past couple of years a new publishing model has evolved that eliminates all of the negative aspects of the traditional publishing model and adds a number of additional benefits.

It's called the "Online Publishing Model".

It's a combination of online digital download delivery and print-on-demand (POD) publishing that sidesteps most of the pitfalls of the traditional book publishing model.

It offers small-time authors/publishers an excellent alternative that will give them more control, and will increase their sales and profits by using little known online channels when publishing their books/ebooks.

For all the details on the Online Publishing Model, check out my eBook on the subject at the link below my name:

The Publishing War

Looking for a publisher? In North America, there are hundreds of thousands of people who dream of becoming a published author. They write in their spare time, on their days off and well into the night. Most of them, however, are reluctant to step into the 'war zone' that is the publishing world. "Do I self-publish? Can I get Random House to take me seriously? Should I use a Print-On-Demand publisher?" The war is on!

There is a 'war' going on in the publishing industry. Some people believe a writer should only approach publishing houses like Harper, Bantam or TOR. Other people believe that smaller, independent or POD publishers are the way to go. One thing is for sure; there are many aspects to contemplate when looking for the right publisher. First, what is right for one person may not be right for another. In order to make a well-informed decision you must consider the differences between the three main types of publishing.

Traditional publishing is the writer's dream. A 'big house' publisher contacts you and loves your manuscript. You sign a contract a few months later. Approximately two to three years later, your book is in print and on the shelves. If you self-publish (or use a vanity press), you invest a hefty sum of money―usually $10,000 or more. You must store hundreds of books in your basement or pay for warehousing. Your book is in print and usually on the shelves in less than six months. If you use a Print-On-Demand publisher (POD), you invest a minimal amount―usually less than $2000.00. You receive 2 - 40 FREE books to do with as you please, and your book is in print in about two months.

Traditional Publishing:

With traditional publishing, a writer must abide by strict guidelines and every publisher has their own specific preferences. Some of the 'big houses' such as Berkley, and Random House will not even consider looking at an author if the writer does not have an agent. Most will not accept unsolicited work (which means simply that they have to request to see your manuscript, whether through an agent or as a result of your query letter).

The most important step is the query letter, and there is one rule to follow. The same rule applies to any piece of work you write, and is what I call The Three Firsts - first sentence, first paragraph and first page. The first sentence must grab your audience (even a potential publisher) and should contain the title of your work. It must give them a reason to read further and 'hook' them into wanting to read more. The first paragraph must give an even stronger hook; otherwise, your query will be filed...in the trashcan. The first and ONLY page in a query letter should answer the 5 W's (who, what, where, when, why) and how. Who will buy and read your work? What is the plot? Where does the story take place and where do you see it going? When will it be finished? Why will the public be interested and why should that publisher invest their time and money in you and your work? And how are you going to help promote your work after it's finished?

Once you've sent a query letter, you may be required to wait up to 6 months for an answer. If you have not already been published, or if your query letter did not grab their attention, you will receive a standard form letter, a.k.a. the rejection letter. If the publisher is interested, he may ask you to submit a proposal or plot summary and a few sample chapters. This may sit on his desk for months before he digs through the slush-pile of submissions he receives daily.
During the editing stage, the editor assigned to you will ruthlessly cut, shred and tighten your story, to their satisfaction. Sometimes you may agree with their editorial scissoring, and other times you may not. Some editors will work with you and help you churn out a top-notch novel. Others may wield their power over you until you feel someone else has written your story.

With a traditional publisher your book could take years before it sees the bookstore shelves. In the process, the publisher will determine the cover design (you may have some input, but usually the publisher makes the final decision). In most cases, you will make less than a dollar per book sold.

There are, however, undeniable benefits to being published by a traditional publisher. These books are accepted and found on most bookstore shelves. These books are returnable; this is an advantage for the customer but a disadvantage for the author as a large percentage of traditionally published books are returned or damaged. A 'big house' publisher will spend money on promoting you and your work; they will often arrange for interviews, appearances and booksignings. Your work will qualify for more contests, be considered more readily for movie options and, in general, you will be regarded as a professional author.

Self-Publishing:

You can self-publish your book by taking your files to a printer, having them do a large run of copies, and finding a bookbinder to bind the cover or using a vanity press self-publisher to do everything. Years ago I self-published three books. I hired a layout editor, a printer and a bookbinder to publish my children's books. By the time I was finished, I had paid $150.00 for 18 hardcover, picture book prototypes―$150.00 each! My childcare directories were cheaper to publish (they cost about $5.00 each for about 100 copies) They sold for $5.99 so I made very little from them. (I still have unsold copies sitting in my basement.)

With self-publishing the biggest drawback is that you will usually have to invest thousands of dollars to publish a large print run of your book. You can print off smaller runs of your book but that will affect your retail cost and profit. Some people have invested $10,000 to $20,000 (especially with vanity presses) for thousands of copies of their book, as this reduces the individual copy price drastically. This means that when you sell your book, the profit margin is greatly higher than what you would receive from a traditional publisher.

The downside to this is that these thousands of books must be packaged (usually shrink-wrapped and boxed) and then stored. This leads to additional costs and often to a basement loaded with boxes of books. Some authors who chose this method are still wading through the boxes of unsold books, after years of trying to market their work.

When you self-publish you must constantly find ways to market your own books. This means either hiring someone or spending hours per day organizing booksignings and trying to get your book onto a book distributor's list. Most distributors will not even look at self-published books. Then there are the constant trips to the local bookstores, where even they will not look at you unless you are listed with a traditional publisher or a recognized POD publisher.

The advantages of self-publishing are that you have complete control over every aspect of your product―your book. You can design your own cover, layout the pages exactly the way you want, have the end product the size that you desire and market it wherever and however you feel. You can hire a publicist to help you, advertise any way and anywhere you want and schedule booksignings on your own schedule.

POD Publishing:

Print-On-Demand is becoming the wave of the future in the book publishing industry. POD publishers are sprouting up all over the world because there is a huge demand for publishing companies that will take anything the public can crank out. Consequently, anyone who wishes to be published CAN be published. While this is terrific for the person who simply wants to write his memoirs and keep it in the family, or for the grandmother who wants to leave behind a collection of family recipes, this method of publishing has its drawbacks for the serious author.

For a Canadian author, POD publishing requires a payment amount that ranges between $500.00 to $3500.00. This will usually pay for a specific package. Every POD is different in what they offer in their packages, and you must be careful of POD's that do not disclose all fees up front. Many POD's will charge for every process: ISBN numbers, printing costs, cover design, layout services, listing services, and internet or regular marketing services. A few companies actually give you your money's worth―Trafford Publishing is one.

With Trafford Publishing, the largest POD company in Canada, they offer comprehensive packages, and even allow you to upgrade later by paying the difference. They promise to deliver a completed product in four to six weeks. I have personally used Trafford Publishing twice and have found their services beyond compare. There were no hidden charges, no waiting for email responses, and no issues with the finished products. In fact, both books were comparative to anything you'd find published by a 'big house' publisher.

Trafford was recently featured in PROFIT: Your Guide to Business Success and ranked 5th in the Top 100 Fastest Growing Companies in Canada. Over 4000 authors (representing 5500 titles) from more than 75 countries use Trafford's service. 2% of all new titles published in North America, and about 250 new titles every month, come from Trafford Publishing.

There are other POD companies, as mentioned above. 1st Books, iUniverse, XLibris, and many more use the Print-On-Demand technology. You should always compare services. And there are things to look for before deciding which one to use. How long has this company been in business? This is a very important factor, especially with all the 'fly-by-night' POD's that have come and gone. In general, you should not even consider a company unless it has a track record of at least 5 years.

The best way to find out how a company rates is to go directly to the source. Read testimonials from other authors that have used their services. Then ask the publisher for three names and email addresses not on the testimonial list. If the publisher will not release that information, check their site. Research their authors, find email addresses and contact them. It's amazing what you will learn about a company by talking to the people who actually use their services. You will find out if the company is slow, if they return emails promptly, if there are unusual contract clauses, and if that company is worth your investment.

You should also thoroughly research the publisher online. Look for complaints or articles about the company and look especially for the publisher's site. Warning: If the publisher does not have his own .com, .net or .ca website―STAY AWAY. Never deal with a "publisher" who uses a sub-site address. A serious, respectable publisher will always invest in a proper website! Otherwise you will be using "Joe-Blows" service or "Grandma Mae's In-Home Publishing". If a POD publisher expects to be taken seriously, they will invest in a professional site, hi-tech equipment and experienced staff.

Remember to ask the 5 W's and How:

Who owns the company? Are they experienced as a publisher? Do they have the contacts to promote you? How many years have they published books?

What have they published so far? Do they have hundreds of satisfied customers...or two or three? Some 'publishers' have advertised their services when they have only self-published their own work. What technology do they use for their printing, or do they hire out?

Where will your books be promoted? Will you be listed with book distributors? Will your book appear on Amazon.com and other prestigious websites?

When will you have a complete final product in your hands? Some POD's take up to six months before you have a finished product.

Why should you trust this company? What do they offer that is over and above the other POD's? What are their policies? Ask for a copy of the agreement or contract ahead of time. Take it to a lawyer if you must.

How much is their service going to cost? What is the total cost involved from beginning to end? Are there any hidden charges? Is it a safe risk and a realistic investment?

The advantages with a POD publisher are varied, depending on the company and their package deals. By choosing Print-On-Demand, you'll be helping the environment and saving thousands of trees. Your book will be printed as each order comes in; therefore, less waste. With a POD publisher, you can supply your own cover or hire someone to design a cover for you. You are free to promote yourself and your books any way you want. You can walk into a bookstore, speak with a manager and arrange for your book to appear on their shelves. A professional POD company will be on all the right 'lists', so you will not be as limited in what you can do with your book.

Of course, for an author the best reason to go with a POD publisher is that you will not get a rejection letter, your book will finally be published and will be available to the public in less than six months, and you can finally call yourself a "published author".

So, you want to be a published author. Do you have talent and can you actually write something worth reading? Have you researched your market and target audience? Do you have the wisdom to have all your work edited by at least three other pair of eyes? Are you willing to 'shamelessly promote' yourself? If you have answered 'yes' to all of these questions, you can be published. With today's technology and new outlook on the world of publishing, 'getting published' is easy! Choosing the right method of publishing is the difficult part. Trafford was 'right' for me, but it may not be 'right' for you. The war continues―the publishing war.

Note: This article reflects the viewpoint of the writer. It is a culmination of years of research and various publishing experiences (either the author's or those she interviewed). It is up to you, the reader, to glean what advice you can, to research on your own and to make your own informed decision. Although Trafford Publishing is highlighted in this article, there are other professional, well-respected POD publishers in all areas of publishing. And there are certainly pros and cons to all three types of publishing. ~ CKT