Writing And Publishing A Book
Publishing Options

When looking at writing and publishing a book the question is, where do you start to look when it comes to finding the perfect way to publishing your book? At one time the only way we could go about writing and publishing a book was to sign a contract with a traditional publishing house, but these days, thankfully, there are many other options.

Below you’ll find a general look at the pros and cons of each way. My only plea is that if you’re thinking of investing money in self-publishing please, please, please do your homework, not just in who you hire but also into your target market and the quality of your book. When it comes to self publishing there are some fantastic stories from people who have done well out of it, but there are also some horrible, heart-breaking, bankrupting stories.

In other words, if you're looking at writing and publishing a book in any way, please read on.

COMPARISONS BETWEEN BOOK PUBLISHING STYLES

Traditional Publishing
(Writing and publishing a book through a traditional publishing house, such as Pan MacMillan, Harper & Collins, etc.)

Advantages
• Publishing houses will pay the costs of getting your manuscript into a book and on to store shelves.
• Publishing houses will often handle promotion.
• Publishing houses have the contacts to enable your book to reach a large market.
• You could receive an advance payments and royalties.

Disadvantages
• 98% of manuscripts sent to traditional publishers get rejected.
• It can take 18 months or more till your book is on the shelf.
• The publishing house has final say on content, layout and presentation of your book.
• Most books under 40, sometimes 60, thousand words will not be considered unless you're writing for children or a niche market.
• You'll only receive around 10% of the book's recommended retail price.

Self Publishing
(Writing and publishing a story by paying a printer to create your book.)

Advantages
• You have the final say on everything.
• Your book will be published.
• The book can be created well within 6 months.
• If the book sells well you could make a larger percentage.
• There are many formats in which to publish your work, not just paperback.

Disadvantages
• You take all the risks.
• You pay for the whole process.
• You'll need to market your book.
• If you don’t know the process it will require a lot of research.

E-publishing
(Writing and publishing a book online, this includes, E-books, E-zines.)

Advantages
• Anyone with a computer and the right software can E-publish.
• No printing costs, no/little freight costs, no storage space.
• Quick.

Disadvantages
• The tactile aspect of reading is lost.
• Many people who read books will not consider reading E-published works.

Print On Demand (POD)
(There are printers (usually working through the internet) who you pay a set-up fee and they will then produce books on an individual basis as required. With each sale you receive a royalty that will hopefully, in time, cover your set-up fee. Since this is an option that would not have been available to anybody who had planned writing and publishing a book ten years, the many individual POD publishers are still adjusting and refining their services. The comparisons below give a general idea, but may not be entirely relevant for every POD contract.)

Advantages
• Cheaper than many kinds of self publishing.
• Your work is produced in an actual book.
• No storage required.
• You have the possibility of receiving royalties.
• Can be produced in under six months.
• Because you can deal with any publisher, regardless of their location, variations in cost can be huge.

Disadvantages
• You maybe dealing with people many miles away from where you are.
• You’re not always able to see the finished product before it’s up for sale.
• You need to promote your book or pay for it to be promoted.
• In most cases you're selling a virtual product.

Vanity Press
(Writing and publishing a book through a vanity press is something I would personally advise everybody to avoid like the plague. These publishers charge a lot for almost nothing, and are usually just preying on a beginning writer’s wish to be published.)

Advantages
• Your work gets published.

Disadvantages
• A lot of money, thousands in some cases, for limited return.
• You don’t always receive what you are promised.
• Possible limited commercial value for your work.

Writing and publishing a book is something that many people dream of and, thankfully because of the advancement in technology, it's now available to almost everybody in one way or another.

However, this doesn't mean that it shouldn't be fully researched before any decisions are made. Not every form of publishing suits everybody. Always make sure that you make the best possible choice to suit you and your requirements.

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