So You're Wondering How to Be Published...

It's a question I've heard several times in the last couple of weeks. Usually along the lines of: "I've finished my book, how do I get published" or "Does anyone have any advice on how to get published?" or "What's the best way to get published?" or words to that effect.

I only have one piece of advice for this and it's: Do your research.

The slightly expanded version reads more like this: Do your research and decide which path suits you best.

The really LONG version is more like this:

Investigate your options and understand your goals. You can take the traditional path and query agents and publishers. That has the upside that people will give your book respect because someone else chose to publish your book and you will have easier access to a few markets others have difficulty getting into.

 

You can take the independent path and hire a professional editor and cover artist, then do the processing, upload and marketing required to get your book to a large other audience. The upside of this is that you will have control over what your book looks like, when it is released and how widely it is distributed, be able to guarantee that the first book of a series is still available when the last book is released, receive a higher percentage of royalties and be able to set your own publishing and marketing schedule, including a higher release rate if that suits you.

 

Both of these have downsides.

 

For traditional, it is that your release schedule is a long drawn-out business, your publisher will pay very little in royalties, you will have no control over the cover and appearance, you will be limited as to how many books you can have released in a year, you are not guaranteed being offered a second contract if your book doesn't meet a certain sales threshold within 6-12 months of being published, you will have to sign most, if not all, of your rights away and your rights are not likely to be returned even when the publisher is no longer actively making your book available, and the first book in a series is not guaranteed to be available when the last book in the series is released *if* the publisher even continues the series to its conclusion.

 

The downside of independent publishing is that people will cast aspersions over the quality of your work because no one else said it was good enough for them to publish - even if your readers say it's good enough for them to buy, you will not able to be just a writer but will have to get your head around the business of writing, too - including distribution, marketing and publication - and that is a steep learning curve; and the other aspects of the writing business will curtail your writing time.

 

Don't take just my word for this, though - all of that is based on my own personal experience over the last 30 or so years of trying both paths, and also on the research I have done into all available publishing paths - and which I continue to do in order to try and keep up. I started when independent publishing was not a widely known option (1991), and had success with contracts for a few companies (my latest being an 8-book series with LMBPN - a very *non*-traditional company) - and I've edited. Now, I do work-for-hire as my day job, and use that to fund covers as I update my backlist and write more front-list, while I study marketing and try to work out what will fit for me

 

My advice to you is do your research, maybe go to blogs like The Passive Voice and use that as a springboard to learn about the experiences of other writers who've tried these paths - and then make a decision about which path - or blend of paths best suits you.

 

Personally, I found Kristine Kathryn Rusch and Dean Wesley's blogs enlightening, just from the point of view that they have almost 40 years in the publishing industry and experiences from both sides of the editor's desk - but I blended their advice with reading what agents, traditionally published authors , independently published authors, and a variety of (large and small) publishers had to say, too.

 

The only person who can decide what publishing path is best for you to take...is you...and you need to make that decision based on all the data you can find...and to not be afraid to change direction as new data comes to light. Take your time to search it out and evaluate it, then decide....

 

And good luck , whatever path you choose.