Helpful Publishing Tips for Budding Writers

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It takes a lot more than putting your thoughts into words and those words on paper to become a successful writer, even if your talent is undeniable. There are also practical aspects you have to consider if you want the world to read what you’re writing. Finding the right publishing company for your book is a big part of the equation. However, this is never a simple process. When you’re just starting your career as a writer and you don’t know the ins and outs of the publishing industry, things can get even more complicated.

But if writing is your true calling, no obstacle should stop you from chasing your dream of becoming a published author. So, we’re going to share some tips that will make the process of finding a publisher a bit easier and help you get your first book out there. 

Traditional Publishing or Self-Publishing

Before you even start researching book publishing companies, you should gain a thorough understanding of the two major publishing models: traditional publishing and self-publishing. Learning about the differences between these two models is absolutely essential if you want to start your writing career on the right foot. 

A while ago, the only way to get a book published was by submitting a proposal to a traditional publishing company or to an agent, so it was extremely difficult for aspiring authors to get their work reviewed. Times have changed and now writers also have the possibility to publish their books through self-publishing houses and become indie authors. Having more options is always a good thing, but how do you know which one is best for you?

Established authors would advise to get your book published at a reputable publishing house, as that will increase the chances of becoming a successful writer. However, that might prove impossible for new authors, because the chances of getting rejected are quite high. Apart from that, all the rights for your book will belong to the publishing company, not to mention you usually have to wait at least six months until the book reaches the shelves. 

On the other hand, self-publishing offers the advantage of getting your work published on your terms. You retain all the rights for your book and you can get it published in just a few weeks. However, you have to work a little harder if you choose this option, as you’ll have to review all the services the self-publishing company offers and choose the ones you find suitable for your future book. Self-publishing houses usually provide additional services such as editing services, custom book cover design, book interior formatting, proofing, copyediting etc. 

Do your research 

No matter which option you choose to publish your book, you’ve got to do your own research before choosing a publishing house. It’s easy to find information about the biggest names in the publishing industry, but when it comes to smaller companies or self-publishing houses, you’ll have to dig deeper to gain a good understanding of who they are and how they work. Still, internet research is a good starting point for both situations. Information such as the books that the company has published in the past, what type of books they’re interested in, what are the submission guidelines, whether they accept unagented submissions or not will help you narrow down your options and find a publisher that is right for you. 

Hire an agent

If you don’t want to go through the process of publishing a book alone, the best thing you can do is to hire the services of an agent. Working with a literary agent comes with a lot of benefits. Not only will it take much of the burden off your shoulders and make the process a whole lot faster, but an agent also has a lot of connections with editors and professionals working in the publishing industry, so he can make sure your work gets seen by the right people. The percentage an agent receives from your earnings is well deserved for all the work and effort they put in. But the difficult part is finding a good agent to work with in the first place. 

Analyze your options

Getting an offer from a publisher is amazing, but sometimes you can get even luckier and receive more proposals for your book. If you’ve got more than one publisher on your shortlist, it might be hard to know which one to choose. For new writers it’s tempting to go with the publisher that offers to pay more for a book, but you’ve got to ask yourself if the only thing that matters to you. Money is important, there’s no question about it, but there are other aspects to take into consideration when choosing a publishing house. Take your time and analyze the offers carefully before deciding on the publisher that will help you launch your career as a writer. 

Get to know the publishing team 

There’s a lot of work involved in publishing a book, so you’ll get to work with an entire team of professionals for that. It’s important to know every member of the team you’ll be working with, from editors, to marketing, sales and PR experts. Good communication and cooperation between all team members is absolutely essential for the success of the project. You’ll be working side by side with them for quite a while, so it’s important to get to know them and establish a fruitful relationship. 

Know where to draw the line 

Part of the publisher’s job is to improve on your work so it has better chances at being well received by the public. That obviously implies making certain changes and adjustments to what you’ve written. Although your work might seem perfect to you as it is, you must keep an open mind and be ready to listen to your publisher’s opinions and ideas. Still, you must know where to draw the line and how much of their suggestions you should accept in order to maintain the integrity of your work.