The Four Paths to Publication Introduction There are four main paths to getting published. They are big publishers, independent presses, self-publishing, and print-on-demand (POD). There's no one-size-fits-all for manuscripts; each type of publishing has its place. The discriminating author knows which of his or her proposals to shop around to big publishers, and which ones to place elsewhere. In order to make an intelligent decision, the author needs to have a good base of knowledge about the pros and cons of all four. This class covers the background information every author must know in order to use his or her time wisely, and determine the best possible channels for effective publication of that particular book. Why Write a Book and Get Published? It is a sterling professional credential. It can get you lots of media attention. It brings in clients and workshop participants, some of whom might become long-term. It can be an incredibly fun adventure if you don't stress yourself. It is an important act of self-definition. You can pass what you've learned on to other people. You're giving something back. The book, all by itself, can make the author money. The subsidiary activity it produces, like workshops and clients, can be a long-term source of substantial income for the author. Summary of the Four Paths The four basic paths can be summarized as follows: 1. Big Presses. Random House and the New York crowd. They're all headquartered in New York, so it's called New York publishing. 2. Small Independent Publishers. The rest of the professional publishing world. Some are micro-publishers putting out one book every three years. Others may be sizable companies, with $2 million to $20 million in sales. Think about Chronicle Books (SF Chronicle) or Hyperion (division of Disney). 3. Self-Publishing. Authors who legitimately publish their own work. 4. Print on Demand (POD). Suitable for very small quantities. The Four Paths In Detail 1. Big Presses Most former independents are under Random House banner. But there are sill some sizable publishers who aren't part of a conglomerate. Advantages to Big Presses Good distribution historically, but problems looming. Professional presentation (usually). Largest amounts of up front money. Advances $5K to $500K. Usually larger royalties, avg 8% of cover price ($.80 on a $10 Book). Financially sound, although they take a long time to pay. Someone else is taking all the risk gambling on your big idea, investing $20K or more in it. Drawbacks to Big Presses Overburdened corporate beaureaucacy Slow response times. No control over appearance or copyright. Revolving door staffing. If the book takes off, they make the money, you don't. The books you sell in seminars, you make about 40% profit ($4 on a $10 book). Between finding an agent, pitching, contracts and publishing takes 2 to 3 years. 2. Small Publishers Perhaps 50% of them are in California. Some publish less than one new title a year, others publish over fifty new titles per year. Advantages to Small Publishers Strong distribution today, but future problems looming. Better personal relationships, usually. Better response times. Smaller or no advances, $500 to $5,000. Usually smaller royalties, avg 5% of cover price (50¢ on a $10 book). May have special niche markets, Klutz, Running Press. Publisher takes all the risk gambling on your big idea, investing $15K or more in it. Drawbacks to Small Publishers Often financially shaky. Little control over appearance or copyright. If the book takes off, they make the money, you don't. May have limited distribution, will decline in next decade Very dependent on staffing/personalities of managers. The books you sell in seminars, you make about 40% profit ($4 on a $10 book). Typically takes 18 months to 2 years. 3. Self-Publishing The author pays for the production and printing of the book. Sometimes forms his or her own imprint/Publisher Name. Different from Vanity Presses; they will publish anything, no matter what its merits, the book will have zero distribution, and they charge excessive fees. Self-publishers are different, they are authors who do the work themselves or hire competent professionals, and fund the production of a mainstream book that if properly done has the same quality, distribution and publicity as anything from Random House. Advantages of Self-Publishing Author has complete control of cover, layout, marketing. Author retains copyright. Important if book becomes successful. If the book takes off, you make all the profits. (Around $2.20 on a $10 book after printing, distribution, and other costs). The books you sell in seminars, you make about 85% profit ($8.50 on a $10 book). If you plan to do several books, you build your own brand. Get the book in print in 6 to 12 months. Drawbacks of Self-Publishing You're starting a micro-career in an unfamiliar industry. You have to learn an entire industry, just to publish one book. You are setting up a small company. Many details, significant infrastructure required. The learning curve is steep and financially expensive. First time authors typically make about $10,000 worth of mistakes. No distribution to start with, and it's very hard to obtain. No up front money coming in. The typical author working with Author's Publishing Cooperative spends a total of about $20K to get the book in print and distributed, and another $10K on promotion. You are taking all the risk gambling on your big idea with your own money, not somebody else's 4. Print on Demand (POD) Evolved from photocopying starting with machines such as Xerox's Docutech machine. Inside pages are high-resolution laser prints, with a color laser cover glued on. Done at copy shops, and also by big national companies that are sometimes subsidiaries of wholesalers. Advantages of POD You can produce very small quantities, 1 to 500 copies, at a reasonable unit cost. The up front costs are much lower, usually under $4,000. Proper POD publishing can get you a little bit of very basic distribution. POD is perfect for books that will sell very few copies. eg I might use it for one of my old books that's gone out of print, and I don't want to deal with publishing a proper edition. Get the book in print in less than three months. Drawbacks of POD Distribution in bookstores is almost nonexistent. Reviewers have a policy of not reviewing POD books. Quality is not as good as traditionally printed books, but getting better. If the book takes off, your POD costs are astronomical, maybe $6 on a $20 book. It only makes financial sense for books that will sell virtually no copies. That's no goal for an author: the whole point of publishing is to reach a significant audience. POD tells the world you are intending and planning to sell less than 500 books. Conclusions and Summary When you want to see your book in print, it is going to cost someone many thousands of dollars to bring that to pass. The company or person who takes the risk is the one that makes the major profits if the book succeeds, and also the one who loses their investment if the book fails. You as the author have the major responsibility for making your book a success, by drawing up a marketing plan, and promoting your book. It's smart to make an honest assessment of that risk, weigh the potential rewards, and choose which path is good for you. If you are a counselor and you already sell 5,000 photocopied units a year through the hospital chain you work for, then self-publishing an edition for that market is a no-brainer&emdash;though you still might consider a national edition for wider distribution. If your project is risky, then you might not want to assume that risk. But other people might not want to either, so your options are limited. And you might want to self-publish the hardback version, then sell the reprint rights to a publisher. It depends on the manuscript, and the author's skill at self-promotion; you need to look at each project by itself and make a reasoned assessment.