Your book is ready. And you need to find a publisher fast! Yet every known publishing house appears as remote as the moon. Don’t despair. Even if these reputed houses don’t respond to your overtures as is their usual wont there are many others that will. Not necessarily the ones you’ve heard of but those that can put your name to a cover and give you a high along with actual royalties thrown in! Today there are other kinds of publishing avenues on offer as well. While some may take a fee to publish, others will help you self publish. Here’s a quick run through of the various kinds of publishing.
Traditional-commercial-Publishers
The ideal way to see your book in print is still through traditional publishers who are prepared to publish, edit and distribute your book at no cost to you. They will promise to pay you a % of the ‘realizable amount’ as royalty which is usually no more than 4-5 percent of the total price. So pricing becomes an important factor here. And they definitely call the shots. Some of the popular well heeled ones pay you a signing amount or an advance for fiction but most others don’t.
There are also many small Independent Publishers who may publish just a few books a year or specialize in a few subjects. They are a more amenable and viable lot compared to group publishers or recognized publishing houses that usually run after already established authors.
Publishing houses that dabble in varied subjects and pander to the masses are also open to new untried authors and have an enormous distributor network that succeeds where others might fail.
Electronic Publishing-E-books
Currently on a high with Indian writers who haven’t been able to rope in the big print guns. Publishing websites offer the author a one-time payment or a large % of the total price on books that are sold online and downloaded directly thereafter or as CDs. A happy alternative, it helps writers achieve their potential as authors. It also enables them to keep their options open vis-a viv print later. But no signing amounts or advances and marketing is limited to online readers.
Vanity Publishing
The publisher demands a fee for reading, editing, printing and marketing your book .It is usually to be paid up front. The money from the sales of the completed book goes directly to the author who has sole ownership. While it is attractive in theory it is not so in practice. Since the publisher has already been paid he does not retain the incentive to edit it professionally or market it as it should, had it been the other way around as in normal publishing. A fertile field for scams despite or perhaps due to its popularity.
Print On Demand
This seemingly innocuous method appears to be gaining ground with even publishers like Random House. Here the digital printing technology allows the publisher to easily produce books in smaller numbers or on demand (POD) as and when required quickly and cost effectively. Unfortunately as stockpiling is done away with, the book tends to slip into oblivion, unless there is continuous publicity! A better option than vanity. Good for revivals or as promos. Beware the ones on the internet though since most of them are fee based. And no, not a good avenue for first timers who hope to make it big
Subsidy Publishing
Subsidy publishers take a fee for publishing but they also contribute a certain amount towards the costs. The completed book becomes their property and a royalty is paid to the author not unlike traditional publishers. They follow a more selective method than vanity publishers of choosing who to publish and how to market.
Self Publishing
If all else fails there is always this avenue out! Though not accepted in the professional world as a creditable form of bringing out a book it nevertheless achieves the same end and is a lot better than vanity. The entire cost of creating and selling a completed book is borne by the author who is in total control of everything. He gets to own his books, maintain editorial quality and keep the proceeds. But it is hard work though cost effective and not as prestigious. Self promotion too has its limitations.
Literary Agents
Agents are still a largely unknown entity in India used by an intrepid few. But honest agents with contacts can help open closed publishing doors and market your book to them as no one else can. It is time and money well spent. But the problem is to get a dependable one who does not only not charge a ‘reading or an evaluation fee’ but is reasonably priced.
- Sreelata Menon
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Comments:
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pl send list of books latest published for school library
Very useful..writers can choose the publishing avenue best suited for their work.
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