Self-Publishing 101: Understanding Your Options
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So you have written your masterpiece and now it’s time to publish and bring your written baby to glory – but you’re skipping the traditional publishing route. Perhaps the thousands of query letters you sent only warranted rejections or more likely, you want to maintain total creative control over your literary baby. Many bestselling authors have chosen this route and we get it, so we’re here to make sure you choose the right path for book’s success.

When diving into the world of self-publishing, it’s important to understand the different independent publishing paths. She Writes is here to give you the 101 on four diverse but incredibly lucrative self-publishing options.

 

What is Vanity Publishing?

Vanity Publishing (also known as Subsidy Publishing) is when an author pays all the costs upfront to a vanity publisher for having their book published. Vanity publishers typically aren’t selective in what they print and hold no criteria. They offer total creative control and a one-stop shop for authors to breathe life into the book of their dreams and distribute it through major book channels.

The lowdown: In essence, you are paying a company to be your publisher – one who allows you to maintain 100% creative control over your book. As with any contract, there is risk in the fine print. Certain aspects and rights of your book may the belong to the publisher, such as the ISBN number, and they will potentially make royalties from your investments – so always be sure to double-check with a lawyer. Still, vanity publishing is a quick, sure and potentially powerful way to get your book out there and may open new doors for your book you never new existed. But author beware: once your book is out there, it’s up to you to market and sell it – vanity publishers won’t lift a finger here.

 

What is Hybrid Publishing?

We’re a little biased here (She Writes Press falls into this category), but we’re big fans of the hybrid publishing option. Year by year, hybrid publishing is transforms the landscape of publishing and creates new mountains of potential for talented authors to reach. So what is hybrid publishing? Authors pay to publish under a hybrid publisher’s imprint and in return receive creative control, maintain a high percentage of royalties and often have a “team” to support book sales and marketing. 

The lowdown: Authors usually do pay upfront in some capacity for hybrid publishing, so there is a financial risk if the book doesn’t succeed. Authors do maintain most creative control and through the support of their hybrid publisher, usually have a team to push their book into traditional review channels such as Booklist and Kirkus. There is criteria and different stages a manuscript must go through before it’s published – but most hybrid publishers will work with you to make your book sales-perfect. There is also the speediness element; hybrid publishers usually make the editing to print process a matter of several weeks.  

What is POD publishing? (AKA: Print On Demand Publishing)

A POD publisher is another lucrative route for authors to take and involves producing a certain number of books based on orders or book buyer needs. This is a more practical option for those authors who don’t have any huge goals of becoming famous or landing on the New York Times bestseller list, but perfect for authors who simply want to see their book in local bookstores and at last, in print.

The lowdown: POD publishing offers very attractive royalty rates and it could be a more financially sound option for those authors not willing to invest in great amounts upfront into other self-publishing routes. There is little to no risk of over-printing and losing out on investment, as books are only printed on a demand basis.

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