Traditional publishing vs independent?

Where do we come in?

You have a completed manuscript, and you want to find the best way for you and your book. Now what? Do you get an agent? Do you go it alone? To begin, let’s examine the processes involved in the choices you have. There are similarities, but each will carry its own set of pros and cons depending on your individual needs- only you decide the path you venture.

Traditional Publishing

Step 1: Complete a manuscript, including editing

Step 2: Find an agent who will query publishers

Step 3: A publishing agent picks up the books, creating the cover, interior art, and may perform a light edit, then sends it to online distributors.

Step 4: Market, market, market (90-100% is done by you)

What else

  • The advance will be about $5,000 paid in installments

  • Royalties-15-25% and don’t start until the advance is paid

  • Infrastructure and community- institutional knowledge and fewer mistakes may be made, and you may be able to get a blurb from a ‘big name’ author

  • You own the copyright, but they own the licensing rights to sell the book how and when they want

Independent Publishing:

Step 1: Complete a manuscript, including editing

Step 2: Package your book: create a cover, create interior art, book art/swag

Step 3: Sales- find locations to sell your book. Carefully read any agreements / POS you are signing.

Step 4: Market, market, market (100% done by you)

What else

  • Royalties: 60-70%

  • You have complete control and can go at your own pace

  • Freedom of marketing and pricing: giving away copies for promotional purposes or setting sale prices

  • No infrastructure- more opportunities for mistakes to be made

  • There is no advance, but you can use a resource like Kickstarter to obtain project funds

Hybrid Publishing

As you can see, the steps are the same here as they are for you doing it on your own. The difference is you have us! We help as little or as much as you request. Most of our services are completely free, and the ones that aren’t, we do our best to keep them budget-friendly.

Step 1: Complete a manuscript: we have editors and readers to help with feedback and pre- and post-launch book reviews

Step 2: Package your book- we can help with formatting, creating covers and interior art, and even help you get ISBNs

Step 3: Sales- you decide when, where, and the prices. If you want to do a promotional sale, a giveaway, or change it up, you make the decision.

Step 4: Market- PR boxes, create book-related merchandise, pre-launch week support, book clubs, podcast, spotlights, set up author pages or author website

What we can DO

Create cover, title page, chapter page art- prices vary $150-$300

We create 3-5 picture files $30-$50 to make book-related merchandise such as tumblers, bookmarks, PR boxes, and apparel.

We have a team of over 50 beta, arc, language, and sensitivity readers who have signed an NDA to provide feedback and reviews at no cost

We help launch a Kickstarter campaign at no cost

Pre-launch week support with our advanced readers, book clubs, podcast, spotlights on TikTok at no cost

We add you to our Indie Author Card Catalogue at no cost

At any point in the process, you find yourself spinning, sign up for a meeting with the co-founders for FREE advice

We set up the author's website, which is determined by the cost of the platform you choose and a one-time service fee

What else

You keep Copyright and Licensing rights

You have full creative control; we only help your vision come to life.

When making this decision…

1. First, put your emotions aside and be sure to use your logical judgment.

2. Next, assess your values:

-How important is speed to you? Once a contract is signed, it can take about 12 months with a publisher

-How much control do you want over each step in the process? Designing your own cover, release date, sale prices, etc

-How important is the advance? Remember, the most frequently given amount is between $5-10K

-How important is validation from the publishing community to you?

-How much money do you have to spend?

-How much time do you have to spend?

3. Make a decision and commit for at least a year

You Choose