HOW DO THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF PUBLISHING COMPARE?
In a recent post about whether you should pay to get published, we discussed the three types of publishing that will help you determine which type of publishing you should pursue. However, how do those different routes stack up against each other? It’s time to take a closer look at the benefits and drawbacks to traditional publishing, self-publishing, and hybrid publishing. Spoiler alert: When you publish with a hybrid publishing company such as BMcTALKS Press, there are far more benefits than drawbacks!
Traditional Publishing Benefits
o The author does not need to pay any money up front.
o The publisher makes all the decisions.
o The publisher edits, formats, prints, markets, and distributes your book.
o The book will be published properly.
o The author receives an advance against future royalties.
Traditional Publishing Drawbacks
o There is a one-in-a-thousand chance you will get a return call from an agent or that the publishing company will provide any feedback on an author’s proposal and manuscript.
o It can take a long time to get published; it is normally a one- to two-year process.
o One has to write a tremendous book to be chosen by a traditional publisher.
o The publisher makes all the decisions; the author does not have any say in cover design, marketing, etcetera.
o Depending on the publisher the quality of the book can be compromised.
o One normally has to have a platform, an extremely large following, or a big name to get picked up.
Self-Publishing Benefits
o You are guaranteed to get your book published.
o You retain creative control.
o You do not have to allow other people to determine your success.
o You and your readers decide the worth of your words, thoughts, and ideas.
o You do not have to wait to get your book published. You publish when you are ready.
o You decide who gets your manuscript.
o You get the majority of the royalties.
o Successful self-publishing will make it more likely you could be picked up by an agent and traditional publisher.
o You do not spend a ton of time trying to get an agent’s attention.
o In the Amazon Kindle store, you can publish a new book whenever you want.
o There is nothing to stop you from using your book content to develop and sell supplemental lines (courses, updated versions, audiobook re-release, et cetera)
Self-Publishing Drawbacks
o You have to pay as you go for services you contract.
o You are working with independent contractors.
o You have to hire someone to do all of the following or figure out how to do it yourself:
Editing
Typesetting
Cover design
Proofreading
Copyright
ISBN
Sell sheet
eBook format file
Printing
Distribution
Marketing
o You should self-publish only if you have the time, drive, money, and dedication to vet your suppliers at each step.
o You have to know how to properly position your book for Amazon, market it, and even title it.
o Writing your book is a lifetime achievement; you don’t want to ruin it during the publishing process.
Hybrid Publishing Benefits
o You are guaranteed to get your book published.
o You have major input into your book.
o You can get published quickly. (We published one author in a week! Read Bianca’s story HERE!)
o It will be of excellent quality.
o We will save you a tremendous amount of time.
o We will help you market your book.
o You own your content to use to generate revenue through other products.
o We will create an eBook for you.
o We get your ISBN and LCCN for you.
o We can help you leverage your content into other streams of income.
o And many more benefits (see our packages)!
Hybrid Publishing Drawback
o There is an upfront investment.
So how do you decide which is the right fit for you? The post at this link will help with that.
###
Ready to work with a hybrid publisher like Press 49? CLICK HERE to schedule your consultation today!
Content credit: B. McGowen-Hawkins and D. Hurley
Image credit: Markus Winkler