FAQ’s
What is the difference between traditional publishing and self-publishing?
Traditional publishing
In traditional publishing, the author completes his or her manuscript, writes a query letter or a proposal, and submits these documents to a publishing house. An editor reads it, considers whether it is right for the house, and decides either to reject it (leaving the author free to offer it to another publisher) or to publish it. If the publishing house decides to publish the book, the house buys the rights from the writer and pays him or her an advance on future royalties. The house puts up the money to design and package the book, prints as many copies of the book as it thinks will sell, markets the book, and finally distributes the finished book to the public.
Self-publishing
The process is a bit different for self-publishing. With self-publishing, the author has much greater control over the contents, design, and appearance, as well as where the book is marketed and distributed. When you self-publish, you pay for everything—design, editing, printing, advertising, distribution—to get your book into stores and ultimately into people’s hands.
Is it wise to shop around for publishers and agents?
ABSOLUTELY! Do your homework! Make sure you know what services you are getting and what costs (if any) are involved.
Should I belong to a professional association?
Yes. As a member of an association that pertains to your genre or interest, you will gain valuable insight to what’s new in the industry. Local writing groups are also very helpful.
I’m really eager to see my book in print…what should I do?
Be patient, persistent and positive! Don’t be discouraged and don’t rush things. Take the time to fine-tune your craft, present a quality query letter & manuscript and don’t let vanity take over!
Do I REALLY need my work edited?
YES! Would you be excited about spending money on a book with lots of errors? If you are self-publishing, be sure to have you work professionally edited. In some cases, houses that self-publish may offer editing as an “optional” item because there’s an additional fee for that. This is not an area where you need to cut corners. Traditional houses will take care of that for you.
What is a distributor? What is a wholesaler? What is a retailer?
A distributor is a business that has a signed exclusive contract with a publisher to sell their books. The distributor warehouses the books, fulfills orders, and issues invoices. A wholesaler buys and sells books without an exclusive agreement with the publisher. The wholesaler consolidates orders to retailers. A retailer sells books to the public. A retailer can be a physical store or it can be online.
