[Working Wednesday]: How do I get published?

Hello again folks! As I said in my previous entry, I wanted to diversify the blog a bit, so that it's not just book reviews and so that posts come more frequently. While I do read a lot, I don't always have time to sit and write a proper review. So I'll be saving that for books I'm really excited about reading, while I also impart some knowledge about publishing, as well as some insight into me, myself and I.

Today's topic falls under the umbrella of the former: publishing industry info. "Working Wednesday" is going to be a once a month thing where I discuss what's going on in publishing from industry events that I've attended to knowledge I've gained on the job that could help aspiring writers or just excite readers. For my first Working Wednesday I want to talk about the question I get asked most in some way: how do I get published?

Well first of all, the most important thing to do is research. Google is your friend. If you know someone in publishing, make sure you understand what their role is, at least superficially. Don't approach a friend about your children's or middle grade book if they work at a publisher that does not handle that genre. You can probably, however, approach them while including the caveat "I know your company doesn't publish X, but would you happen to have any inside advice on it or know someone who does?" I have been asked multiple times regarding children's publishing, which is a different beast from adult and even YA. I have no experience in children's publication, though I do have a contact or two at other houses who might. Just show your contact that you have researched some things instead of just writing and then blindly approaching them.

One of the things you'll need to research is how you want to publish. The two biggest options out there right now are traditional publishing vs. self-publishing. So what's the difference and which should you do?

Traditional publishing

Traditional publishing is just what it sounds like. It's the old-school way to get published. A small or large publishing house may offer a deal to publish your book, you may get an advance, and they pay out royalties as your books sell. in most cases, you have to have an agent to present your book to different publishers, in hopes they'll accept it and agree to publish. Some publishing houses accept unagented submissions, so again, do your research. If you're not planning to get an agent, you'll have to send your manuscript to one of the publishers that accept unagented submissions.

The perks of traditonal publishing: you get a whole team! An in-house (or perhaps freelance) editor, copy- and production editing, a publicist, marketing support, the whole shebang. They'll need you to work with them, and there's plenty you'll be doing on your own to help make your book a success, but you won't have to handle everything. It's really helpful, especially if you don't know the publishing world, or if you have a busy schedule, and need assistance. Also, traditonal publishers have a direct line, and sometimes teams, who handle special sales, booksellers, libraiers and more. It's the best way to ensure your book gets as much distribution as possible, something that can be very hard on your own.

The drawback is that you don't have a lot of control. The publisher sets the timeline, they decide on covers, and you may not get too much input on that. This varies by publisher. And of course, this is all assuming that a traditional publisher picks up your manuscripts at all. Also, the larger the house, the harder it may be to get individual attention for your book. You may want to hire your own publicist to work in tandem with your in-house one.

So maybe you want to self-pub?  Well that comes with its own host of pluses and minuses.

Self-publishing

The biggest draw to self publishing is retaining control. You don't have to have an agent, you don't have to hope someone publishes your book, you don't have to wait a year (or more!) to fit into a publishing schedule, and you can decide what your cover looks like. There are a number of ways to self-publish: Smashwords, Blurb, Lulu, Createspace, Amazon Kindle Direct, etc. Some of these are digital-only, and some include print-on-demand options for a price. Some blur the line into vanity press publishing which is another beast. Some include cover design services, or you can hire a freelancer to create a cover just for you. You can also purchase or find premade covers that are available for use. These services make it easy to upload and covert your book, and then list it among puplar e-tailers.

But there are drawbacks here too. Sometimes there's limited distribution. Publishing through one e-tailer can hold your book hostage from others, which will exclude people not using that one e-tailer. If your book is only on Amazon, Nook and Kobo readers might not bother to download a kindle app to be able to purchase it. Also, you're going to be doing a lot of work yourself. Publicity, marketing, getting your books out to libraries, booksellers, retailers... It's not easy, and some of these entities straight-up ignore self-pub books. There are awards that are open only to traditional published books (and some for self-pub too!) and some reviewers that refuse self-pub as well. It's really hard to make a splash as a self-pub author, because you need to rise about a sea of other authors doing the same thing. Again, hiring a publicist would help.

Other options

• Vanity presses
• I don't have much experience with vanity publishing, so I'm just going to link to the Wikipedia article on the subject and let your draw your own conclusions. 

• Hybrid publishing
• An extremely popular and growing form. Hybrid published authors are authors that have a contract with a traditional publisher and also publish other books themselves, perhaps in a different genre. It's sort of the best of both worlds, because you get the benefits of both, and some of the drawbacks even cancel out. Your self-pub books may ride a high established via your traditional, and you can published on your own while you wait for the traditional schedule for your other books.

• Small press publishing
• Small press publishing is still traditional, make no mistake, but smaller companies are able to focus more on each individual author without them getting lost in the shuffle. Some small presses don't require you to have agents, and they may have footholds in particular niches. While some may not have great distribution, some are distributed (though not owned) but larger houses, which means they can get their books into major retailers. So it's a very good option, though it may still carry some of the drawbacks of traditional publishing.

So that's a lot of information, I know. What's the best way to get published? Well it really depends on what works for you. Self-pub is by no means a last recourse for people who 'couldn't make it' in traditional pub. Maybe bestselling traditional authors also self-pub because it gives them better control. The best answer is to do your research and decide what works for you. Do whatever makes you happiest.

(And what makes me happy is anything that results in building book fortresses)

Did I leave something important out? Get something wrong? Do you have any points you wish to add to or would let me to elaborate on? Let me know in the comments!

Note: this post expresses my thoughts on the subject of publishing, and does not represent the opinions of my employer.