When you write a nonfiction book, you need to know from the start how you plan to get it into your reader’s hands.
Are you hoping for that elusive “bestseller” status emblazoned on the cover?
Do you hope that a good, respectable, if rather small, publisher will pick it up?
Do you prefer to keep complete control over your book’s publishing journey and know you will self-publish?
As soon as you start noodling a great idea for a book, you’re faced with a big decision.
Traditional, or self-publishing?
If you read on, I’ll explain the difference at its simplest level.
But making a really good decision requires an understanding of the way money flows in the book world.
See my full article, free on this link, for a more in-depth explanation.
Publishing by the traditional route of querying a publisher, or finding an agent to find you a publisher, is hard to achieve. You have to persuade a publisher there is a viable market for your book.
But if you secure a publisher, you gain access to a wider distribution network.
There are a few ways to achieve self-publication.
If you opt to do everything (design, formatting, file-making, book cover and all things related to book production) then the only person you have to convince to buy your book is your reader.
Truly independent publishing enables you to keep control of your book’s production at every stage of the process.
If you want to engage a team to help you, there are high-quality, hard-working book producers out there who will assist every step of the way. You can hire PR help, Marketing help, and anything else you need. The difference with traditional publishing is you can expect to pay a high price for such services.
You might instead opt to contract with a hybrid publisher to publish your book: in return for their distribution network, you pay a (sometimes considerable) fee and share your royalties.
You never pay for traditional publishing. Whether you are prepared to relinquish control of your creative decisions, and to work to someone else’s timetable, is for you to think about.