-AUTHOR-
Phillip J. Adamczyk
Publishing Tips
Did You Know?
There are many different options to choose from when looking to publish something. One of the most important things to look at when choosing a publisher is money. Everything takes time and money. Many writers, when they first start out (and sometimes even when they're already published), have problems marketing and soliciting manuscripts due to the fact that they don't have the money to fund it. However, there are some tips one might be able to utilize to help him or her with funding a project.
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Look for scholarships and grants. You'd be surprised. They are out there. Some time set aside and a little effort can go pretty far in the long run.
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Sometimes, you can try to find a sponsor. There are some organizations that are willing to help sponsor an aspiring author.
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If you're not completely sure how to go about funding your work, set it aside for the time being and try working on some more writing. This is not to say you should leave the unpublished manuscript laying around for the rest of forever; just for the time being. Not everyone can have favorable circumstances all the time. Your work is important and is incredibly valuable. Don't let anyone tell you differently!
Another option that may very well be in your best interest is to find an agent who will market your work. Agents are almost always a necessity if you want to try to market your work to a larger publisher--be the work novel-size or poetry. Also, it's good to look for an agent who specializes in the type of genre your work is, as well as a publisher. This makes the entire process of location just a tad easier.
It's also a good idea when looking for an agent/publisher to check their credentials before submitting any work of any kind. Unfortunately, there are a lot of scam artists out there who are more than willing to steal your work to make a profit.
Now, For the Types of Publishing!
There are four main types of publishers that exist. Each of the four is specific in a certain way. Below, you will find the four main types of ways to publish, and also some pro's and con's with each type of publishing method.
So, let's get started, shall we?
1. Publish On Demand. This is the method I used when I published my first novel, The Chronicles of Terra: The Adversaries. There are many publishing companies nowadays that do publish on demand. Sometimes, it is also called "Print on Demand." It is basically a method utilized by publishers in which new copies of a book or a similarly-related work are not printed until after an order for them has been received.
Pro's:
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If you would like to have a novel or another piece of writing quickly printed, published, and ready to sell, this is the method for you.
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You retain the copyright to your work.
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If you receive an order, you can simply call the publisher and place the order yourself. Oftentimes, publishers will give authors who order directly from them discounts.
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The staff of the publish on demand company is generally easy to work with.
Con's:
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Oftentimes, the author doesn't have a choice in the price of the published work.
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Publish on demand companies do not generally market the author's work; they do oftentimes offer to submit an advertisement for the work to a media outlet such as the New York Times...for a certain fee.
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It is very hard to buy large quantities of books from the company, especially if you are short on money.
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At most publish on demand companies, the editing of the manuscript is done by paying a separate amount to have a professional editor go through the manuscript.
2. Subsidy Publishing. Subsidy publishing is most often referred to as a vanity press or vanity publisher. This type of publisher charges the writer a fee in return for publishing his or her books, making most of its money from the author rather than from the public. A vanity publisher's intended market is the author himself or herself. In other words, the author "subsidizes" or finances the publication. A vanity press will generally agree to print and bind any author's work if the author is willing to pay for the service; these fees typically form a vanity press's profits.
Pro's:
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The author has his or her work published.
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The author's work is finished and completed in a timely fashion and to the author's liking.
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The author retains the copyright.
Con's:
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The author has to finance the publication of the work.
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This process of publishing is often very costly.
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Subsidy publishers or vanity presses tend to charge extra for additional services.
3. Self-Publishing. If you have the time, resources, and money and want your work done exactly as you can see it in your mind's eye, then this is most likely the type of publishing you should look into. Although it represents a small percentage of the publishing industry in terms of sales, it has been present in one form or another since the beginning of publishing and has seen an increase in activity. This is also a good method if you want to try out a "test run" of your work. Oftentimes, authors utilize self-publishing to print smaller quantities of their work; this is mainly done to get a feel for reader response.
Pro's:
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The author retains the copyrights to the work.
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The work is done to the author's liking.
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This is a good method to utilize when engaging in a "test run" of the intended work.
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The author has the say in almost all (if not all) aspects of the work being published and printed.
Con's:
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This process is usually quite expensive.
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The author requires a great deal of time to partake in this method.
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Oftentimes, the author does not have the resources needed to self-publish.
4. Mass Market Publishing. The fourth and last most-recognized method of publishing. Read the Harry Potter series? These books were published using this method. If you, the author of your work, really want to make a name for yourself and get your work recognized, this is probably the method you'll want to look into.
Pro's:
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The author's work is completed in a professional and timely manner.
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The author is generally allowed a say in how the work will be formatted.
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Publishers often offer a monetary advance to the author before the work is published; this advance varies based on the publisher.
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These publishers have editors who go through the manuscripts and proofread them.
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This method costs the author a lot less money than the other three.
Con's:
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Many of the larger companies do not accept unsolicited manuscripts.
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Many of these larger companies also require the author to have an agent; the author then has to go through the process of locating an agent suitable to market his or her genre of work.
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Sometimes, the author does not retain full copyrights to his or her work.
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Oftentimes, the author does not get a say in what is edited or changed in the work.
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Some of the larger companies do not accept simultaneous submissions, meaning that the author cannot submit his or her work to more than one publisher at a time. This can take up a lot of time and resources for the author--and it can also be discouraging.
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The larger companies tend to reject work a lot. THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE WORK IS BAD. Sometimes, the companies just don't have the time or staff to look over the work.
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Finally, many of these companies take time to edit, format, and publish the work. Sometimes, the entire process can take up to a year to complete before the book is printed and begins distribution.
I hope that these tips and descriptions have helped you in your search for a publisher. As a parting comment, I would like to express that if you are to undertake the process of locating an agent or a publisher, don't be discouraged if you get a rejection or two. Some of the greatest works have been rejected lots of times. So if this happens to you, don't give up. Try again. And again, if you have to. It may take hundreds of rejections (hopefully not) to land that one "yes." Best of luck to you all!