The idea of writing your own book and wanting to publish it can be intimidating. Fortunately, for first-time authors like you, there are now several avenues to get your work out into the world.
Thanks to almost everything going digital now, the book publishing industry has also shifted towards digital publishing options. In addition to traditional publishing, first-time authors now have more opportunities at their disposal to get published.
If you’re a new writer, and your book isn’t enticing any publishing companies, then have no fear! Now you can explore independent publishing options and self-publish your book. Here’s all you need to know about getting your book published:
Traditional Publishing vs. Self-Publishing
Whether it’s fiction or nonfiction, new writers looking to distribute their book have two publishing options: traditional or self-publishing.
A traditional publisher has exclusive print rights or can distribute your work. A writer usually has to work with an editor at the publishing house to finish several drafts. And whether the book will get published or not is totally at the discretion of the company.
When it comes to self-publishing, many first-time writers have proven their worth through this method. Self-published writers give up going to a publishing house and opt for getting their book out into the world on their own instead.
This is done simply by making the book available for print-on-demand, as an audiobook, as an ebook, or just printing and selling copies of the book themselves.
4 Ways to Self-Publish a Book
Independent authors now have more resources than ever for getting their work out to their readers. Check out
Palmetto Publishing to learn more!
Here are four ways to self publish your book:
Printing on Demand
Considered to be perhaps the lowest risk of publication method, print on demand is where copies of a book are only printed when ordered. Many first-time fiction writers often enlist the help of companies like Amazon to get their print-on-demand books out.
Ebooks
Ebooks are even easier to get out to readers, thanks to it needing no paper or printing apparatus. If your book is in high demand, you can just release the digital version, and that’s it!
Self-Printing
Self-printing is more like a gamble; it could go either way if you’re not being smart about it. For instance, you can self-print your book in advance of publication and hope that it’ll sell after. If your book catches people’s attention, then you’re in luck, and you can sell your self-published copies.
However, if it doesn’t catch on with readers, all you’re left with is stacks of books collecting dust in the corner of your home. Because of this possibility, self-publishing is sometimes disapprovingly known as vanity publishing, a most fitting term.
Be sure your books are going to fly off the shelves before you self-print!
Audiobook
It’s no secret that audiobooks have recently become super popular. Similar to printed books, audiobooks can be issued by either a traditional publisher or by yourself as well.
For this, you’ll need a good narrator who can reel people in with their storytelling abilities. Make sure they are fully committed to it because they'll have to spend hours recording the prose narration.
How Traditional Publishing Process Works
The traditional publishing process helps to generate a huge number of books that are read by a large number of audiences. You’ll also notice that every book you find listed on the New York Times bestseller list is issued by a traditional publisher.
That being said, you don’t have to be Stephen King or Dan Brown to score a publishing deal. Writers with fewer book sales can also manage to land deals with well-known publishers such as Penguin, Riverhead, Random House, etc.
A traditional publishing process needs literary agents. They’re more like gatekeepers, and if you have a well-connected agent, then your book may just reach the best publishers in the world. Some publishers offer deals to writers without agents, but that’s a hard road to take
for new authors.
4 Steps to Get Your Book Published
Sometimes unsolicited manuscripts make their way to publishers, given that writers have followed the proper steps. Here are four steps you can follow to get your book published or recognized through traditional methods.
Edit and Proofread Thoroughly
A few typos won’t affect your writing career, but having too many can make you look unprofessional. We don’t want that for you. It’s essential to remember that you might only get this one chance with a publisher or a literary agent.
Make sure whoever is reading your manuscript is getting to see the best work you can offer.
Identifying a Target Audience
For a writer, their market for publishing houses is determined by their book’s market or the book’s potential audience. In the publishing industry, certain genres always hold more appeal than others, such as thrillers, mysteries, romance, sci-fi, fantasy, young adult novels, and children’s books. There’s no doubt a good book can be found in any genre, but these have the most reliable audiences, and you’d do well to start with these genres first.
Identifying Potential Agents
While there’s no guarantee having an agent means that your book will find a publisher, it definitely helps. Thankfully, most agents and agencies these days have websites that specify their preferences, along with ways for querying.
You can find a list of all working agents at the annual writer’s market publication.
Having Your Book Proposal Ready
Most agents don’t recommend sending your entire book as part of a cold call. A publisher doesn’t have the time to read through a full manuscript; they have to read and sift through tons of them.
Instead, what you can send in is a book proposal. This proposal will include a query letter, a 1-2 page synopsis of your entire book, and 1-4 sample characters.
Submitting Directly to a Publisher
Lastly, if you don’t have an agent, you can go and submit directly to a publisher. However, just be aware that your chances of your book being accepted are very slim.
In most cases, a publisher will only consider a manuscript submitted by a well-known literary agent. The only exception to this rule is if you are submitting a niche manuscript to a niche publishing house. Or if you have a personal connection with an editor who is willing to read your work on behalf of that relationship.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, we’d like to say that it’s much easier now to get your book out to your readers now than it was even five years ago. Now, new and young writers have more to look forward to and have more incentive to write and get their work out there.
We hope our article helps you to find the motivation and courage you need to publish your own book. Let us know in the comments below if you have a tip of your own. Happy writing!
