by Jane Friedman, reprinted with permission.
Since 2013, I have regularly updated this informational chart about the key book-publishing paths. It is available as a PDF download, ideal for photocopying and distributing for workshops and classrooms, and the full text is also below.
One of the biggest questions I hear from authors today: Should I traditionally publish or self-publish?
This is an increasingly complicated question to answer because:
There are now many varieties of traditional publishing and self-publishing, with evolving models and diverse contracts.
You won’t find a universal, agreed-upon definition of what it means to traditionally publish or self-publish.
It’s not an either/or proposition; you can do both. Many successful authors, including myself, decide which path is best based on our goals and career level.
Thus, there is no one path or service that’s right for everyone all the time; you should take time to understand the landscape and make a decision based on long-term career goals, as well as the unique qualities of your work. Your choice should also be guided by your own personality (are you an entrepreneurial sort?) and experience as an author (do you have the slightest idea what you’re doing?).
My chart divides the field into traditional (advance-based) publishing, small presses, assisted publishing, indie or self-publishing, and social publishing.
I define traditional publishing primarily as receiving payment from a publisher in the form of an advance. Whether it’s a Big-Five publisher or a smaller house, the traditional publisher assumes all financial risk and typically invests in a print run for the book. The author may see no other income from the book aside from the advance; in today’s industry, it’s commonly accepted that most book advances don’t earn out. However, authors do not have to pay back the advance; that’s the risk the publisher takes.
This is the category most open to interpretation among authors. For the purposes of this chart, I define small presses as publishers who take on less financial risk because they pay no advance and avoid print runs. Authors must exercise caution when signing with small presses; some mom-and-pop operations offer little advantage over self-publishing, especially when it comes to distribution and sales muscle. Also, think carefully before signing a no-advance deal or digital-only deal, which are sometimes offered even by the big traditional houses; you may not receive the same support and investment from the publisher on marketing and distribution. The less financial risk the publisher accepts, the more flexible your contract should be, and ideally they’ll also offer higher royalty rates.
This is where you pay to publish and enter into an agreement or contract with a publishing service or a hybrid publisher. Once upon a time, this was called vanity publishing, but I don’t like that term. Costs vary widely (low four figures to well into the five figures). There is a risk of paying too much money for basic services or purchasing services you don’t need. Some people ask me about the difference between a hybrid publisher and other publishing services. Usually there isn’t a difference, but click here for more details. The Independent Book Publishers Association also offers a set of criteria for evaluating hybrid publishers. Click here to read.
I define this as publishing on your own, where you essentially start your own publishing company and directly hire and manage all help needed. Here’s an in-depth discussion of self-publishing.
Social efforts will always be an important and meaningful way that writers build a readership and gain attention, and it’s not necessary to publish and distribute a book to say that you’re an active and published writer. Plus, these social forms of publishing increasingly have monetization built in, such as Patreon.
Feel free to download, print, and share the chart; no permission is required. It’s formatted to print perfectly on 11″ x 17″ or tabloid-size paper. Below is the full text from the chart.
Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Hachette, Simon & Schuster, Macmillan (each has dozens of imprints). Might soon become the Big Four if Penguin Random House does in fact acquire Simon & Schuster (deal requires regulatory approval).
Big Five publishers take on all financial risk and pay the author up-front (an advance); royalties are paid if the advance earns out. Authors don’t pay to publish but may need to invest in marketing and promotion.
The Big Five have an in-house sales team and meet with major retailers and wholesalers. Most books are sold months in advance and shipped to stores for a specific release date. Nearly every book has a print run; print-on-demand may be used when stock runs low or sales dwindle.
Almost always requires an agent. Novelists should have a finished manuscript. Nonfiction authors should have a book proposal.
Not part of the Big Five, but work in a similar manner (similar business model).
Examples of larger houses: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Scholastic, Workman, Sourcebooks, John Wiley & Sons, W.W. Norton, Kensington, Chronicle, Tyndale, many university presses (Cambridge, Univ of Chicago Press). Smaller houses: Graywolf, Forest Avenue Press, Belt Publishing.
Same as Big Five. Author receives an advance against royalties.
The largest houses work the same as the Big Five, but smaller houses often use a distributor to sell to the trade. Ask your agent or editor if you’re unsure. Nearly every book will have a print run.
Identical to Big Five advantages. Sometimes acquisitions may be ideals driven or mission focused.
Doesn’t always require an agent; see submission guidelines for each publisher. Novelists should have a finished manuscript. Nonfiction authors should have a book proposal.
Smaller houses offer smaller advances (and possibly a more flexible contract).
This category is the hardest to define because the term small press means different things to different people. For the purposes of this comparison chart, it’s used to describe publishers that avoid advances and print runs. Thus, they take on less financial risk than a traditional publisher.
Author receives no advance or possibly a token advance (less than $500). Royalty rates may look the same as a traditional publisher or be more favorable since the publisher has less financial risk upfront.
They rely on sales and discovery through Amazon and possibly through their own direct-to-consumer or niche efforts, as well as the author’s marketing efforts.
All types of authors. Often friendly to less commercial work.
Possibly a more personalized and collaborative relationship with the publisher.
With well-established small presses: editorial, design, and marketing support that equals that of a larger house.
Rarely requires an agent. See the submission guidelines of each press.
Companies that require you to pay to publish or raise funds to do so (typically thousands of dollars). Hybrid publishers have the same business model as assisted services; the author pays to publish.
Examples of hybrid publishers: SheWrites, InkShares; examples of assisted service: Gatekeeper Press, Matador
Most don’t sell at all. The selling is up to the author. Some offer paid marketing packages, assist with the book launch, or offer paid promotional opportunities. They can get books distributed, but it’s rare that books are pitched to retailers.
Get a published book without having to figure out the service landscape or find professionals to help. Ideal for authors with more money than time, but not a sustainable business model for career authors.
Some companies are run by former traditional publishing professionals and offer high-quality results (with the potential for bookstore placement, but this is rare).
Some services call themselves “hybrid” because it sounds fashionable and savvy.
Avoid companies that take advantage of author inexperience and use high-pressure sales tactics, such as AuthorSolutions imprints (AuthorHouse, iUniverse, WestBow, Archway, and others).
The author manages the publishing process and hires the right people/services to edit, design, publish, and distribute. The author remains in complete control of all artistic and business decisions.
With more than a dozen imprints, Amazon has a sizable publishing operation (1,000+ titles per year) that is mainly approachable only by agents. Amazon titles are sold primarily on Amazon, since most bookstores are unwilling to carry their titles.
All publishers, regardless of size, sometimes operate digital-only or digital-first imprints that offer no advance and little or no print retail distribution. Sometimes such efforts are indistinguishable from self-publishing.
Jane Friedman has 20 years of experience in the publishing industry, with expertise in digital media strategy for authors and publishers. She is the publisher of The Hot Sheet, the essential newsletter on the publishing industry for authors, and was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World in 2019. In addition to being a columnist for Publishers Weekly, Jane is a professor with The Great Courses, which released her 24-lecture series, How to Publish Your Book. Her book for creative writers, The Business of Being a Writer (University of Chicago Press), received a starred review from Library Journal.
