Assumptions.

This post starts from the assumption that you have a book written, or well under development. If you publish yourself via Amazon, another platform or by printing your own books to sell yourself, then you will need to deal with editing, formatting and the cover design, while a traditional publisher will probably handle those elements for you. This post does not cover those niche tasks.

There are several ways to go to get published, each with pros and cons, so I will start with the biggie.

Amazon.

Amazon has a gigantic, international reach; you can use their platform KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) to get a book published quickly. If correctly formatted with a suitable cover, the process to get a book ready for paperback, hardback or Kindle release can take minutes. Amazon provide tools to help with the process. During the setup, you will price the book which will include printing costs. And once quality checks are complete and the book approved, for multiple Amazon markets. It can be scheduled for sale for some date in the future, whereupon you can order proof and / or author copies.

If you enrol your book into Kindle Select, then it becomes available on the Kindle Unlimited platform. Meaning readers who subscribe can read your book on their eReader devices and you, the author, receive a small commission on pages read.

But, with all the good stuff comes the other. If you sell just through Amazon, using one of their free ISBN’s then it’s unlikely see your book appear on a high street bookshop. There is a caveat here that you can sign up for Amazon’s extended rights offering, which could allow your book to be ordered via other online bookstores. Generally, using a free ISBN from Amazon, or another provider like Barnes & Noble, means you’re tied to them. You could also buy your own author copies which you could sell.

If your book is used on Kindle Unlimited, then you won’t be able to sell via other eReader platforms like Apple or Google books.

And lastly, while Amazon is quick, easy and cheap the print quality on KDP books isn’t always the best.

Traditional Publishers.

While with Amazon, you control most things, i.e. the editing, formatting, cover and price, you also need to promote the book yourself. And, as mentioned above, you may become limited to Amazon controlled markets.

With a traditional publisher, they take care of your book for you. Which usually means the editing, design, marketing and distribution. They should hold greater expertise, since it is their bread and butter to know the publishing world. It’s likely that they can get your book to a wider audience, but you’ll need a contract with them which normally means you’ll receive a royalty percentage against books sold. Occasionally a publisher may like your book enough to give you an advance on sales, but this is more common with established authors. They will get your book released in a variety of formats E.g. Paperback and eBook.

 

This leads onto the question, of how you get signed with a publisher, or perhaps a literary agent who could make a book deal for you.

This blog isn’t about that specific question, but here are a few tips.

• Do your research. This applies to submissions, designers, editors Etc.
• Only apply to a publisher or agent who is open for submissions in the genre which fits your work. Read their submission guidelines and follow their instructions accurately. If they ask for a single page synopsis, then don’t send them a multi-page summary of your book.
• Talk to others who have experience with submissions. Even established authors can find synopsis writing tricky.
• Watch out for vanity publishers. They will demand an upfront charge for you to get your book published. These companies should be avoided. You SHOULD NOT pay anything upfront with a publisher to get the book to market.
• Don’t feel discouraged. Publishers and literary agents are incredibly busy. They may turn you down.

If you’re lucky enough to receive a book contract, then check the small print before you sign. Hopefully, you’ll have a great deal, and the publisher will take away a lot of the pain of publication for you.

Printing and selling direct

There are many companies out there who will print your book for you. You’ll need to have the manuscript ready, formatted and covered, but then you can give the file to the printer and agree a price per copy. Unlike Amazon, and other companies like Barnes and Noble, you’ll need to purchase your own ISBN. These cost around £70 though become significantly cheaper if you buy ten at a time.

The pro with this route to market is that you keep all the profits. It is also likely that you’ll have a higher quality result. But this comes with the burden that you need to sell your books. You’ll need to set up marketing events, possibly a website, a deal with local bookshops etc.

So, what do you do?

This is a tricky one as the route works for one author isn’t a fit for another. I’ve worked with a couple of publishers, and I have self-published. I haven’t printed my books via a third-party printing company. Which is why that option on this blog is a little lean and I haven’t made any recommendation.

 

Hopefully you can work out how and where you want to sell your books and try for the option above which fits the best. And even if that doesn’t work out, you can always try another method later. Just don’t give up.

Other stuff.

Getting a book created, edited, formatted and covered can cost a lot of money, so it is worthwhile talking to several trusted peers. There are groups available with like minded individuals, though tread carefully as some contain scammers.

While you do your research, you can create an online presence, learn how to get the best out of social media and start promoting. You need to embrace this as having followers gives you an audience.

If you self-publish, then you will need to send a copy of your book here: Legal Deposit Office, The British Library, Boston Spa, Wetherby, West Yorkshire LS23 7BY

And one last thing. Give yourself a pat on the back. What you’ve done and what you’re about to do takes courage and determination and I applaud you. Drop me a message if I can help.