TRADITIONAL PUBLISHING... NO THANKS!
- Shay Ruff
- Sep 18, 2019
- 2 min read
Updated: Sep 30, 2019
This is my truth about Traditional Publishing. Get your wallet ready.
It was my dream to publish my book with a major, traditional publisher and to reach the masses. However, after submitting my book to those major, traditional publishers, I found out that I could not afford the cost.
Typical Response
“You have an amazing book and it fits our company's scope! We would love to publish your book!”
Then the fine print came, "We will edit your book, complete the design, and print. The cost for our gold package is $3,500. We don't do marketing and we don't reach out to bookstores on your behalf to shelve your book. You will have to do that on your own. However, we will publish your book with Amazon, Kindle, and other online bookstores. Also, because we are doing this work for you, your royalty amount will be 30% of your book sales."
SAY WHAT?!! I'm going to pay your company to do nothing and take 70% of my book royalties?! No thanks!
You Can Do It!
Here's the truth.. getting paid 30% of your hard work is not realistic and I don't know anyone who is willing to give up that much equity for something that they put their heart into. The publisher wasn't there when you had 800 sticky notes with your thoughts written on it trying to construct a book at 3 AM in the morning!! FURTHERMORE!! THERE IS NO MARKETING!!! Marketing is how you sell your book people!!
Here's what to do:
Consider self-publishing and call us! (Hehe.. shameless plug)
If you want to do it yourself, publish through Amazon. You have the option of publishing an e-book, a hard copy, or both. The cost to print your book could be as low as $2 per book and your royalty percent is 70%.
Create your own publishing business. Set up an LLC, an EIN, purchase an ISBN, find a reasonable yet reliable local book printer, and sell your book on your own website.
Find a traditional publisher that offers you a 70% or higher split, marketing, reasonable printing, contracts with Amazon, Barnes&Noble, etc.
For more help, here is one of my favorite "Self-Publishing Checklist."
Good luck!
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