2016 KEY BOOK PUBLISHING PATHS • BY JANE FRIEDMAN • JANEFRIEDMAN.COM TRADITIONAL PUBLISHING ALTERNATIVES TO TRADITIONAL PUBLISHING ADVANCE & ROYALTIES NO ADVANCE DIGITAL-ONLY / DIGITAL-FIRST HYBRID PUBLISHING SELF-PUBLISHING SOCIAL/COMMUNITY Self-publishing is often anything but “self”; it KEY CHARACTERISTICS KEY CHARACTERISTICS KEY CHARACTERISTICS KEY CHARACTERISTICS KEY CHARACTERISTICS • Highly selective process often requiring an • A selective process sometimes requiring • A selective process sometimes requiring an • You help fund the publication of your typically requires some assistance. Here are • You write, publish, and distribute your agent; very few authors accepted. an agent; very few authors accepted. agent; few authors accepted. book in exchange for the expertise and the main types of self-publishing you’ll find. work in a public or semi-public forum, • You receive an advance against royalties; • You don’t receive an advance. However, • You may not receive an advance or you’ll assistance of the publisher; cost is often directly for readers, for free. you pay nothing to publish. However, most your royalty rate will likely be higher to receive a nominal one. However, your royal- thousands of dollars. DIY EBOOK SELF-PUBLISHING SERVICES • Publication is self-directed and advances do not earn out. make up for it. ty rate may be higher to make up for it. • You receive better royalties than a tradi- Each author has to decide which ebook continues on an at-will and almost • You will likely sign a “life of copyright” • If created, print editions are produced via tional publishing contract, but make less retailers to deal with directly, and/or which always nonexclusive basis. contract, which allows the publisher to hold print-on-demand; there is no physical than if you self-published on your own. ebook distributor to use. • Emphasis is on feedback and growth; value FOR AUTHOR onto rights until certain conditions are met. • Publisher still shoulders risk, assuming bookstore distribution unless demand is • Your book may be available for order • Primary ebook retailers that offer direct sales are almost never involved. • Demands exclusivity; you can’t publish the the author doesn’t have to cover any kind made apparent (high sales or success). through bookstores, but in most cases it access to authors: Amazon KDP, Nook work anywhere else while under contract. won’t be stocked on the store shelves. Press, Apple iBookstore, Kobo Writing Life of editorial, design, or marketing costs. value FOR AUTHOR • It will likely take 1-2 years to reach market. • Physical bookstore distribution nearly value FOR AUTHOR • Each hybrid publisher has its own • Primary ebook distributors for authors: • Allows you to develop an audience for assured with most traditional publishers, • Publisher still shoulders some risk, assum- distinctive costs and financial arrange- Smashwords, Draft2Digital. They take a your work early on, even while you’re ment; make sure you have a clear contract 10% cut of your net sales. value FOR AUTHOR but with no advance, there might less of ing the author doesn’t have to cover any learning how to write. • Publisher shoulders risk. a sales and marketing commitment from kind of editorial, design, or marketing costs. with all fees explained. • Author is responsible for producing ebook • Popular writers at community sites may • Physical bookstore distribution nearly the publisher. • Potential for media coverage declines when files, marketing copy, etc. Most services are go on to traditional book deals. automated and offer little assistance. assured with most traditional publishers. • Decent chance of mainstream media no print edition is made available. value FOR AUTHOR • Best chance of mainstream media coverage coverage and reviews, but again—when • With experienced publishers, years of • You get a published book without having • Ebook retailers/distributors that serve the expertise in book editing, production, author market operate primarily on a non- COMMUNITY cateGORIES and reviews. you’re not paid an advance—the publisher to figure out the service landscape or find • Serialization: Readers consume con- • With experienced publishers, years of has no investment to recoup, and less of marketing and publicity work for you. professionals to help you. Ideal for an exclusive basis and profit by taking a cut of sales; you can leave them at will. tent in chunks or installments; writers expertise in book editing, production, an incentive to market your work. author who has more money than time. receive feedback that may allow them to marketing and publicity work for you. • With experienced publishers, years of IMPortant TO UNDerstanD • Some companies are run by former tradi- revise. Establishes a fan base, or a direct expertise in book editing, production, • Extremely wide range of players here, from tional publishing professionals, and offer DIY PRINT SELF-PUBLISHING SERVICES connection between the author and her marketing and publicity work for you. Big Five imprints that publish e-books, to high-quality results and good potential for Print-on-demand (POD) technology makes IMPortant TO UNDerstanD readers. Serialization is often used as digital presses run by agents, to savvy start- • Big Five (New York) publishing: These media coverage. it affordable to sell and distribute print books a marketing tool for completed works. ups (Atavist), to Amazon Publishing. via online retailers. These services are often houses represent 70-80% of what you see IMPortant TO UNDerstanD Examples: Wattpad, LeanPub • Digital-only imprints tend to focus or used in conjunction with ebook services. stocked in a typical bookstore. Your work • Big Five publishers may operate imprints IMPortant TO UNDerstanD • Fan fiction: Similar to serialization, specialize in commercial genres such as • Most often used: CreateSpace, IngramSpark. must have commercial potential. Examples: that pay no advance, but take a lot of • Not all hybrid publishers are created equal. only the work is based on other authors’ romance, where e-reading is prevalent. If you have printer-ready PDF files, it costs Penguin Random House, HarperCollins. rights. Fees dramatically vary and quality dramati- books and characters. For this reason, • Diversity of players and changing landscape little or nothing to start. If not, you’ll have to • Small or independent presses: Authors who • Literary agents may operate publishing cally varies. Do your research carefully. it can be difficult to monetize fan fic- means contracts vary widely. Ideal contract hire assistance. are writing more literary, experimental or businesses on the side that don’t pay an tion since it may constitute copyright would be a fixed-term contract (rights revert • The services mentioned above can make risky works will likely have to pursue advance. EXAMPLES OF COMPANIES infringement. Examples: Fanfiction.net, after a specified number of years). your work available to order through online publication outside of the Big Five, at • No-advance deals can be highly valuable • Curated. These companies are selective or Archive Of Our Own • Most sales will happen through Amazon. retailers and bookstore outlets. They take a presses where artistic excellence is the No. 1 when the publisher has a strong brand, may have editorial guidelines to follow. • Reader-driven publishing: Readers vote • Be very protective of your rights if you’re cut of every book sale. priority. Examples: Graywolf, Milkweed. reach to readers, and experience in the Examples: SheWrites Press, Greenleaf. on what books should be published by shouldering most of the risk and effort. • University or scholarly presses: you often marketplace. • Crowdfunding. When you raise money for the host site. Example: Kindle Scout • Given how easy it is in the digital age for give up far more rights to your work; it • Try to negotiate a fixed-term contract the publisher to work with you. Example: OTHER TYPES OF SELF-PUBLISHING (may be the only example right now!) anyone to start a press, make sure the may also be subject to peer review and/or (something that expires at a specific date). Inkshares, Unbound. • Full-service companies: pay upfront fee to • Blogs and websites: Both new and publisher is doing something meaningful to university board approval. • Examples: Berrett-Koehler, Rogue have a company handle everything for you, established authors alike use their blog Reader, Cool Gus earn its share of revenue, especially a newly while you keep close to 100% of net earn- alternate NAMES OR TERMS or website to post works in progress, born one. ings. Examples: Mill City Press, Matador alternate NAMES OR TERMS Subsidy publishing, partner publishing offer excerpts for critique, or distribute • Agent-assisted. When an agent helps and New York publishing, Big Five publishing, alternate NAMES OR TERMS free (and paid) versions of their books. alternate NAMES OR TERMS takes 15%+ of your net earnings, and may legacy publishing, commercial publishing, Sometimes called “partner” publishing, but Examples: LiveJournal, Wordpress, etc. Digital-only publishers, digital-first also charge for costs. trade publishing not to be confused with self-publishing • Old-school full services. AuthorHouse, iUniverse, Archway, etc. Avoid. • Helpful software for ebook formatting and conversion: Calibre, Sigil, PressBooks, WHO createD THIS? VALUABLE RESOURCES + ASSISTANCE Jane Friedman has more than 20 years of Apple Pages, Apple iBooks Author, Jutoh, Vellum. TRADITIONAL PRINT RUNS • The Independent Publishing