Writer, Meet Your Publisher

You can write reams and reams of manuscripts, articles, and papers, but if you don’t publish, turn them into books, you’ve, essentially, written a mountain-size journal. So, how will you share your work with the world? Who is your publisher?

Will you:

• Self-publish – aka become an Indie Author?
• Pay a Vanity, Hybrid or Subsidy publisher?
• Or Mainstream (Commercially) publish?

Here’s what I’ve learned about each of the options:

Self-publish

To self-publish – or Indie Author – is to

• Write the story
• Edit – or cause to have edited
• Format – for ebook and/or print, including the cover
• Upload – the formatted file to Indie Author services like Amazon Kindle, Draft 2 Digital, Smashwords…
• Promote – Start a website, advertise, post to social media sites, set-up at street fairs and bookstores… travel the world and solve murders if you want…

You manage the whole tomato, from planting to packaging to harvesting, including hiring expert help when necessary. You are in total control of each aspect. And you decide your time and money budget for each step. You know exactly who to blame if your book isn’t getting found.

Vanity, Hybrid, or Subsidy Publishing

In the old days, before the internet and print on demand, authors who hired a vanity publisher were stigmatized because mainstream publishers had rejected their manuscript. They were also swindled — a bunch.

My how times have changed!

Vanity, aka hybrid or subsidy publishers, carry much of the load. But buyer beware… there’s a boatload of scammers out there, itching to pocket your publishing rights and cash.

If you should decide to enter this dodgy world of shops, your job is to:

• Write the story
• Make suggested corrections to the story
• Promote and sell; promote and sell; promote and sell…
• Pay the publisher for editing, formatting and printing. Sometimes buy lots of books.

Tiffany Hawks has written a very fine article that details what to look for – and look out for — in a hybrid publisher. It’s worth the read. And, according to Ms Hawks, yes, Virginia, there really are reputable hybrid publishers on hand.

Mainstream or Commercial Publishers

The bane of an up-and-coming writer… the publishing houses that pay you thousands of dollars upfront and forevermore to write, edit, and galley-proof your book. If Jessica Fletcher is a truthful facsimile, book signings are the only promoting and selling a writer has to do while they socialize, world travel, and solve murders. Don’t count on it. I’ve seen James Patterson on a few TV commercials for his latest books these days.

But I digress.

If you’ve ever perused a Writer’s Market, you’ve seen there are upwards of 1,882 publishers just in the United States. But to get one’s attention and a book contract (and a check) in your hot little hand requires:

• Queries before stories
• Usually, but not always, a literary agent
• Supreme insight as to what subjects and genres they’re looking for
• The patience of Job

It’s not their fault. Publishers have to make a living and cover the overhead, too. They have their own crap-shoot to deal with.

Remember this. Rejections are not a black mark on you! But rather, your current submission is not what is on their list of current needs. It’s that simple.

While I’ve sold to mainstream publishers, I’ve found that being an Indie Author is much less on-the-edge-of-my-seat work for a bigger payoff. And I get to be boss. But, by all means, give it a shot! Maybe you’ll hit 7 or 11 the first time out.

And that ends your introduction to publishing. There’s more to come on this subject. But this is a blog, not a book…yet.

Happy Publishing,

Alexie Linn

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