Writers have so many options when it comes to publishing these days. When just starting out, many get quite confused on the differences in Traditional and self-publishing.
It’s easy to get confused! I’ve talked about these differences in the two a lot, but for now, let’s focus on the Traditional model, and whether a small or large house is right for you.
The question from the outside may seem a bit deceiving. Writers have dreams of being published by Random House, or Simon & Schuster, or any of the big conglomerates in NY, under whose umbrella myriad imprints abound. But going with a smaller house has many perks, and can often—even for seasoned authors—be a better way to go.
Yes, the prestige comes with the big boys. We all know that. A galley review coming from any of the five major publishers does get noticed more quickly, whether from Publishers Weekly or the local paper and every review outlet in between. And usually (although even this has changed drastically in recent years), you’re also looking at more advance money. But after that, unless your last name is King or Clancy or Rice or any of the list of bestselling authors, the benefits pretty much fizzle from there.
With the death of the mid-list author came the reality that everyone else is pretty much left to promote his book himself. Advertising dollars go to that list of well knowns. So either way you’re left to do the promotion.
That small publishers have much fewer promotional dollars is a fact. But, they’re quite willing to help you to promote your book, and guide you through the process. Sometimes you’ll work with a good book editor, sometimes not, but often at a big house your manuscript has to be camera-ready before submission as well.
The main thing is, rather than a minnow being bashed around publishing’s treacherous seas within a big house, you’ll be a fish on equal footing at smaller presses.
And the small press is much more vested in seeing your book become a success—its success depends upon it, rather than a couple of huge-selling authors who are keeping the entire boat afloat.
Small publishers are usually operating out of a labor of love, and want to see what they consider to be “good” books being published. Especially in fiction, where small presses may come out with 10 or 12 titles a year, they publish what they truly believe has merit. Novel development still matters to them. Characterization makes a huge difference. The craft of book writing remains paramount.
One of the biggest plusses of a small house is that it will keep your book in print. The shelf life at the big publishers is about six weeks (although a lot of editors are telling me now that we’re looking at four weeks).
Six weeks, you say? My Lord, how on earth do you build an audience in six weeks! Well, that’s a problem, even if you start way ahead of pub date. But if the book doesn’t sell in that amount of time, it’s pulled from the shelves, remaindered, and dead.
A smaller publisher, on the other hand, will keep the book in print, sometimes for a decade or more, backlisted but still available. This gives authors (new and old) the time to promote and build an audience, and often books sell well for many years, even if they’re not bestsellers. I still receive royalty statements on books that have been out for a decade. And in a recent case, I Just Came Here to Dance keeps selling—3 years after first release, then sold to a nice small house (White Bird Publications) and re-published 1 year ago. Had it been published by a big house, the book might have been dead years ago, and not based on sales, but print runs. (It’s a complicated formula!)
So don’t sell the small presses short. Often, they’re a much better option for any author, even those with many books to their resume. The point is to find your audience, and often that isn’t in the mega-sea!
As an award-winning author and editor, since 1993, 50 + of my authors’ books have sold to Traditional publishers. Many have won awards, been made into films, been featured in Publishers Weekly, and become bestsellers. I also love English Labradors, red wine, and write literary fiction and co-authored nonfiction,
This post really turned a light on. I had no idea the average shelf life of a book published my a major house was between 4-6 weeks. Unless you’re a big name how does anyone beat those odds? The fact that a smaller press may keep your book in print for years is very appealing.
Hi Kevin,
That’s one of the big beauties of small presses–they keep your book in print, and give you time to not only promote it, but build an audience for your work. It makes a huge difference!
As an agency, we always work our way from the top, and then focus on the mid-range houses, then down to the smaller boutique publishers. Yes, nailing a contract with the big boys can be a plus, but if you are an unknown you are left to your own devices when it comes to promoting your book. And advances for new writers at the big houses are nowhere near as large as they used to be.
In fact, many of the big houses (no names mentioned) are offering vanity contracts to new writers. This is simply shocking, and is relatively new. Some houses will take your book on if you pay upwards of $5,000.00 to recoup losses, and in return, they will give you a $1,000.00 advance. I am not kidding. I have seen the contracts myself. If you decide to go that route, nobody will know the diffence except you and your agent.
Smaller houses are in business for the love of seeing good fiction in print. Many small houses don’t have editors to work with you, so it is up to the writer to submit camera-ready copy. But they have a vested interest in seeing your book succeed, and will stay with you and help promote your book, mostly through their distributor channels, and promoting your book to newspapers.
When considering a smaller house, always find out which distributors they work with. Midpoint is big, and they are picky when it comes to taking on small, independent publishers. Baker & Taylor and Ingram are crucial for getting your book to market. A lot of small publishers love to work with Indiebound, and you will be surprised at how effective a small publisher can be at finding a nitch in the independent bookstores.
I personally love working with small houses. Their dedication to their writers goes a long way, and they will continue pushing your book if it generates revenue, even if it’s not a bestseller. The small houses rely on a steady cash flow stream, and because of the way distributors normally pay out on published books six months after the fact, many of them find themselves squeezed, especially in the fall. So, having a steady income is crucial. This explains why small houses will keep books alive and well for years to come.
Susan, I can’t thank you enough for making such an informative post. A good, small publisher is worth its weight in gold.
All best,
James M. Weil
James–thank you for this insightful and information-filled post! I whole-heartedly agree with all of this. It’s so difficult for a writer breaking in to sort through all the misinformation out there.
And thank you so much for pointing out that so many of these new “imprints” at larger houses are actually vanity presses. It’s funny–I sometimes peruse writers’ groups on LinkedIn, etc., and there are always people claiming to be “published authors” who actually paid exactly that scam to which you alluded to “publish” their books. The rest of the folks in those groups don’t know the difference. It’s such a shame, really The blind leading the blind . . .
So again, thank you so much for these insights. They make a huge difference coming from an agent, who is also fixing to have his first novel, Swiss Chocolate, published this month by a Traditional small publisher!
Hey, thank you for this post! I am reading it late (I know) but I’ve been accepted by a small press recently and I needed advice. I’ve learned so much interesting tidbits reading this. I’ll be sure to keep all this in mind when I make my contract decisions. 🙂
Glad to be of help, Diva! Being published by a small press is a great way to go. Don’t hesitate to ask me anything about it, or about anything else! 🙂
Hi Susan,
Another very useful article! I’m still looking to be published, but your advice and insight into the changing state of publishing is extremely valuable to someone new to the business. Thank you!
Thanks for highlighting the benefits of small presses like ours. We have a lot more benefits even than pointed out here. Nice to see some good publicity for a change.
You bet, Jason! I absolutely love small presses. Feel free to list your additional benefits here as well.
All Best,
Susan
Susan, I found your article very enlightening and supportive of the small press publishers. My book, Wind-Free, was published through a small press and I really enjoyed working with the editor who taught me much more than I thought I needed to learn. Yes, I must do my own marketing, but thanks to the help of more experienced authors, I am finding that increasingly easier to handle. Keep informing us through your expertise.
Pat La Vigne
Glad it was helpful, Patricia! And so glad you had a good experience with the editor. Great news on your book!
And you know, even if you’re published by one of the big guys, you have to do most of your own marketing. Wonderful that you’re getting a handle on that!
Wishing you the very best with it,
Susan Mary
Love Deeds Publishing in Athens GA for all those reasons. My first Southern Fiction book releases in March, and they will be handling the sequel for release in the Fall. They have walked hand-in-hand with me since we first talked last Spring. Their enthusiasm and marketing strengths fit extremely well with my goals and audience intended. The network of authors they represent all agree.
Wishing you the best of luck with it, Mike!