Marketing Expectations: What Will a Royalty Publisher Do for Me?
It’s a common misconception that once the contract with a royalty publisher has been signed and the book written, that’s it. The publisher will edit, typeset, print, and market/publicize the book. Then, the author just sits back, relaxes, and watches the royalties roll in.
While royalty publishers have their own publicity and promotion departments, they still expect authors to spend their own time and energy and money, promoting the book. New authors must pay a large part in marketing and publicity if they want their books to succeed. Which only makes sense, because it’s the author’s passion.
Things to Keep in Mind
If you pitch your book to a royalty publisher, here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Publishing proposals must include specific plans about how the author will market their own book, provide information about their platform, and show how they will target their audience.
- Marketing with a publishing house, if done at all, concludes within the first 6 months—and that’s it. Typically, the author must continue promotional efforts.
- Authors are expected to sell a portion of the print run. The publisher will sell as many books as economically feasible, but don’t expect them to sell all your books; you need to make efforts to sell books yourself.
- Authors are required to purchase any books they want to sell themselves (at a discount)—royalty publishers don’t give away free copies.
- The profits from selling your own copies are much greater than the royalties you receive from the publisher’s sales.
So Where Does This Leave You?
In control of your own sales destiny! If you are picked up by a royalty publisher, then you are able to utilize what the royalty publisher does and promote sales from your end with your own marketing and promotions.
Another option is to work with a professional self-publisher. The royalties you receive from printing your own books are much better and you’ll be working for yourself, not the royalty publisher, in addition to marketing and promotional help. Either way, the success of your book in sales and promotions is spurred by you!
Additional Resources
- A Simple Guide to Publishing Types
- Before the Publisher: Finding the Right Agent
- Dangers of D.I.Y Series: 7 Reasons Not to Book Publish On Your Own
- The Authorprenuer
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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