A Simple Guide to Publishing Types

Are you a writer? If you are, you probably have – or will have – a book that you want to publish. The good news is that you can now do so relatively easily. Today there are, in fact, almost countless ways an author can publish a book.

With the publishing options in recent years, authors have not just been given the keys to the proverbial candy store – they are confronted with an entire mall full of candy stores, all waving keys in their direction. This, apparently, is called “author empowerment.” But, as someone once said, “With great power comes great responsibility” – and also a few headaches.

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It’s easy to get lost in a big mall full of publishers, especially as they all seem to have different names; royalty publishing, traditional publishing, free publishing, self-publishing, subsidy publishing, vanity publishing, partner publishing, print-on-demand publishing, custom publishing, and e-book publishing. What do they all mean? Which one should you pick? Being an “empowered” author isn’t as easy as it seems.

Thankfully, as someone else once said, “when I see a bird that walks like a duck and swims like a duck and quacks like a duck, I call that bird a duck.” The best way to cut through all the labels and jargon (and mixed metaphors) is to break down the actual features that are involved. In reality, you’ll find that there are only a few types of publishing.

Free Publishing

Free publishing, as the name suggests, costs you nothing upfront. This is certainly quite appealing to most authors on first glance – but, to risk another cliché, remember that you only get what you pay for. You’ll have to do all the editing, layout, and design yourself – which means that, unless you happen to be a professional editor, graphic designer, and typesetter, you won’t be getting professional publishing. The cost of printing or “manufacture” per book will also be much higher – as that’s how the publisher makes money. Distribution is usually limited to an on-line store and whatever you can sell yourself. As for marketing, you’re completely on your own. Your chances of successfully promoting a non-professional product and being taken seriously – while not impossible – are much reduced.

Self-Publishing

There’s a very important “duck test” to remember when it comes to self-publishing: if you have to pay to publish your book then you are “self-publishing.” Don’t be fooled by companies who disguise the payment by calling it something else or require you to buy a certain number of books – you’re still, ultimately, paying them to publish your book. If you value honesty and integrity then you’ll want to look for a self-publisher that provides quality services, and is upfront about exactly what you’re paying for.

Self-publishing is a great way for new authors to get started or to build a platform. You keep the rights to your book, and so it provides an excellent opportunity to build a platform or following that will make other publishers sit up and take notice. The quality of services varies considerably depending on the company you select and cheap, fast self-publishing inevitably cuts corners. An often overlooked consideration is experience. Self-publishing requires specialized skills to build relationships with authors and involve them effectively in the publishing process – and this is something which new publishers and royalty publishers are not yet accustomed to.

Royalty Publishing

Royalty publishers do not charge the author any money to publish a book. In fact, they pay you a small percentage of the income made on the books sales. Again, be sure to apply the “duck test.” If a “royalty” publisher is asking you to pay anything, be extremely cautious.

Royalty publishing works well for established authors or personalities with a built-in audience; it’s extremely rare for new authors to be “picked up” by a royalty publisher – but certainly not impossible. Because the publisher pays the author upfront, or gives them a “royalty advance,” they will normally buy the rights to your book and keep most of the profit – which also means they can edit or change your book if they choose to (and they often do). However, if an advance is paid, then sales must cover that advance before you will see royalties. This is all fair enough, as they are investing the money to publish it themselves – but be sure you can live with it before you make a decision.

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Royalty publishers know the need for a quality product, so their standards for initial acceptance are high, and your book will be professionally edited (usually several times). Distribution on-line and to actual bookstores is usually very comprehensive, but many authors are surprised to find that they are still required to do most of their own marketing – and often at their own expense.

Many royalty publishers have now realized the financial benefits to having a self-publishing division, which can be even more confusing. While authors tend to see this as a “shortcut” to getting a royalty deal with the parent company, be careful that you don’t get locked in or raise your expectations too high. In reality, only successful books have a chance of being picked up – and, if your book is successful, several publishers may be interested and they won’t mind who you originally published with. If you’re considering this kind of publishing strategy, be sure to keep your options open and look for solid features rather than just a name.

What To Look For

Different types of publishing fit different authors’ needs, so the goal of this guide is not to tell you that one type or another is good or bad. The important thing is to know exactly what you’re getting upfront and, if you are comparing publishers, to compare “like with like.” In general, there are several factors that should inform your decision:

• Honesty. Prices, services, and contracts should be clear and straightforward. Marketing hype can be appealing but misleading, so ask questions and find a publisher you can trust.
• Quality. It’s worth paying more, or waiting longer, to get the best. It’s not enough to talk about quality, a publisher must have the expertise and reputation to deliver it.
• Services. Do they offer all the necessary elements – fulfillment, distribution, marketing, publicity, and more – in addition to quality book production?
• Experience. A publisher of any type that has stood the test of time and fully developed its services is always going to have a significant advantage.

To find a more light-hearted summary of the types of publishing, take a look at our recent PubToons™ comic.

Further Study

To learn more about book publishing and the industry, take a look at these additional articles on the subject:

• Before the Publisher: Finding the Right Agent
• The Authorprenuer
• Publish with Confidence: A Writer’s Checklist for Picking a Publisher

Unbeatable Book Publishing Quality, with You in Control

It’s time to reform the way we think about book publishing. Stop giving up all your rights. Stop giving up control of the process. Stop settling for mediocre “self-published” books. Start publishing the right way. WinePress provides all the services and representation you need to publish books people will read and enjoy.

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Malcolm Fraser

Malcolm Fraser is the Executive Officer at WinePress Publishing, and serves as the assistant to the Executive Publisher. He helps to oversee and coordinate all of WinePress’ different departments, handles customer service issues, contract development, and also contributes to programming and designing websites and author blogs.

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