For many new writers, asking “how do I publish my book” elicits a daunting and overwhelming answer. The book industry can be confusing for first-time authors, and many authors choose a path without knowing what other options are available.
With all of the possible methods of publishing, authors must first determine which method best suits their needs, timeline and budget.
To publish a book through a commercial publisher, authors must first secure an agent, who will then pitch their manuscript to be purchased. This process can take years, and authors can suffer a hefty load of rejection while waiting for a publisher to show interest in their book, if they ever do.
For many authors, commercial publishing is not a possibility. If a first-time author is lucky enough to get picked up by a commercial publisher, they typically sell the rights to their book to the publisher, who then has complete control over the content, design, promotional effort and whether or not the book is even published. Authors receive a very small portion of the proceeds only after the publisher has recouped all of his costs. The major advantage of commercial publishing is that the publisher finances the production and distribution of the book, thus bearing the majority of the financial risk.
For those authors wanting to publish their books while retaining all rights and royalties, BookPros offers a solution. By choosing to work with an author funded publisher, like BookPros, authors enjoy all of the amenities associated with commercial publishing but retain complete control of the product.
When considering publishing options, authors need to educate themselves about the industry. There are many publishing companies to choose from, but many do not offer high-quality products or effective distribution.
Generally, self-publishing companies incorporate a form of printing and distribution called print on demand, or POD publishing. POD publishing is a limited technology that allows authors and publishers to print one copy of a book at a time. By printing books using this process, self-publishing companies essentially trade quality for cost. Books printed through the POD model are easily spotted by reviewers and professionals within the industry and are no longer available through Amazon.com, the most widely used online book retailer, unless it is contracted through Amazon.com’s own POD printer, BookSurge.
Other disadvantages of many self-publishing companies are their poorly designed covers and mediocre edits, which can hinder a powerful message and a potentially successful book. Oftentimes, self-publishers use templates to create book covers and edit manuscripts by feeding them through a program that is slightly more advanced than spell check. These methods are not only limiting for a book’s potential but also stifle the author’s creativity.
When publishing through BookPros, authors are exposed to the best of both worlds. Unlike a commercial publisher, BookPros allows authors to retain the rights and royalties of their book while receiving production, distribution and promotional services equal to that of established, commercial publishing houses. BookPros publishing imprints remain some of the few author funded, traditional imprints to partner directly with distributors’ Midpoint Trade Books, National Book Network and Ingram Book Group to provide nationwide in-store distribution.
Our cover designers are professional graphic designers who also work for major commercial publishing houses. Our authors receive book cover design concepts from professionals who understand the media as well as the professional standards of the publishing and retail book industry. The BookPros editing process is on par with that of commercial publishing houses. We offer a substantial manuscript edit that reviews focus of topic, flow, organization and consistency in addition to spelling and grammar. |
