How To Publish a Book
The Easy Way
In today’s DIY (Do It Yourself) world we tend to try and tackle everything ourselves. Sometimes that works well, sometimes it does not. So, how do you publish a book the easy way? We have to review all options.
- Publish online or POD (Print On Demand)
- Publish with a traditional publishing company
- Publish with a vanity publishing company
- Publish with a publishing agency
Publishing Online
Publishing online means you are publishing an ebook, a blog or some other digital material that only exists online or is only printed on demand (POD). Although, this is the most popular publishing method these days, it comes with the stigma of becoming a self-published author, very limited or no distribution and lots of freedom. You’ve got to ask yourself: Is self publishing really the best way to go? Before you answer that, visit your local Barnes & Noble, tell them you are a self published author and want to do a book signing at their store. Ask for the requirements. Quickly, you will understand why self publishing is a bad idea.
Traditional Publishing
Publishing with a traditional publishing company is the old, formal model. It provides vast distribution, almost no control over your work, and royalties that are typically between $0.05 to $0.15 per book sold. The advantages are great if your book goes viral and sells a lot, those few cents can accumulate to a nice payout and a potential passive income. This is the preferred way for celebrities and well established authors with a wide fan base.
Vanity Press
Between traditional publishing and publishing agencies you will find a myriad of vanity presses. These are pay-per-play self publishing businesses with various offerings. Suffice to say that what they all have in common is an upfront cost and a à-la-carte payment structure. So, in the beginning it will seem like a good deal, but in the end it will cost exponentially more to publish with a vanity press. The quality of your final product will be similar to self published authors. If you need marketing, help with your social media, paypal, distribution or anything else, they can provide for an additional fee. They have no skin on the game and therefore your success or failure is inconsequential to them.
Publishing With An Agency
Publishing with an agency is the newest way to publish. You get the freedom that comes from self-publishing and the distribution that comes from a traditional publishing company. The royalties are mostly yours to keep. Our experience has shown payouts of up to $9 per book sold. So, if your book goes viral, we are talking about life-changing profits, passive income and massive payouts. And you get to keep most of the money from your work, keep your copyright and get the much needed guidance to navigate the publishing world minefield as you establish your fan base.
But what’s really the difference?
When you self publish, you do all of the writing, editing, marketing, sales and everything else like legal licenses, permissions, copyright registration, etc. It’s like riding a bicycle, the moment you stop working the pedals, you get to move a little further and then it’s over. Self-publishing is great if your goal is to sell a couple hundred books to family and friends. With a traditional publishing company, you will have to get a literary agent, pitch your manuscript to the publisher, and hope to be accepted into a hundred years old traditional business model. With acceptance, will come legal contracts, rules, processes and barriers established by the proverbial “gatekeepers” of this industry. A publishing agency is akin to the agile movement. Organized, pragmatic and not afraid of change. Agencies are industry disruptors that are book lovers themselves. Agencies will do your marketing for you in a collaborative way, will give you advice and help you understand the easiest path to book publishing success. So, if you promote your book or not, the agency will promote it for you as agencies only get paid if you get paid. With this model, you are not alone trying to figure out how to navigate the difficulties of the publishing world, but rather you will get to focus on writing, producing your passion and reaping the benefits of your business.
If you think you are ready for that, let us know. We are taking a few more authors for 2020. We can get you on your path to achieving your goal.
Briggs & Schuster
What we can do for you:
- Coach you through the process of writing
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Help you finalize your book (Choosing an editor, voice over talent, designer, etc.)
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All the legal registrations (Copyright, ISBN, LoC, Cataloguing, licenses, etc.)
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Publish and distribute your book nationally and internationally (Over 36,000 outlets.)
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All the marketing (Search Engine Optimization, Social Media, Press Releases, Web Page, etc.)
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Paperbacks, Hardbacks, eBooks and Audiobooks
…and a lot more. Contact us today.