Publishing Your Book
To publish a book, you choose a route (traditional, hybrid or self-publishing), prepare a polished manuscript, cover and interior, register your identifiers and get the book onto retailer and library systems. The steps are the same in outline whichever route you take, but who pays, who decides and who keeps the money are very different. This guide, part of our author resources, compares the routes honestly and walks through each step.
Nobody can promise that a book will sell, and you should be skeptical of anyone who does. What you can control is the quality of what you publish and how well you understand the choices in front of you. If you want hands-on help, our book publishing services are described below, but nothing here requires you to hire anyone.
Your first real decision is the route. There is no universally best choice, only the best fit for your goals, budget, timeline and appetite for doing things yourself. Here is how the three compare in general terms.
| Traditional | Hybrid | Self-publishing | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who pays upfront | The publisher, who often pays an advance | You pay for services, often a package | You pay for each service you use |
| Creative control | Shared, and the publisher usually has the final say on title, cover and edits | Usually high, though it varies by company | Complete |
| Speed | Slow, often a year or more from signing, plus time to find an agent or publisher | Faster, often months | As fast as you choose to work |
| Royalty share | Typically 10 to 15% of retail price to the author | Higher than traditional, varies by contract | Highest per sale, such as 70% of list price on Kindle ebooks priced $2.99 to $9.99 |
| Bookstore reach | Strongest, through established sales teams | Varies by company | Possible through print distribution, but you do the outreach |
| Main risk | Rejection, long waits and less control | Paying a company that overpromises | Quality varies and you do all the work |
The honest pros and cons are these. Traditional publishing brings professional production, bookshop access and prestige, but you wait, give up control and may see little marketing support unless you are a priority title. Self-publishing brings speed, control and higher royalty shares, but you carry the cost, the quality control and the marketing. Neither route guarantees sales, and each can produce excellent or poor books.
Hybrid publishing sits between the other two. You usually pay for professional services, and the company handles production and distribution. Quality and fairness vary a great deal, so ask what you pay for, who owns the rights, what the royalty split is and whether distribution is real. A good hybrid or assisted publisher is transparent, gives you a written scope and price, and does not take your rights or royalties without a clear reason. Be careful with companies that call themselves traditional publishers while charging authors large fees. At Small Press Distribution, you keep 100 percent ownership and we never take royalties.
How do you choose? Ask yourself four questions. How important is a place on bookshop shelves compared with creative control? How much money can you invest, and how soon do you need results? Are you willing to learn, or pay for, the production side? And is this one book or the start of a series or a business? Authors who want a major publisher's prestige and sales team often try traditional publishing first. Authors with a deadline, a niche audience, a business book or a strong existing platform often choose self or hybrid publishing, because they can reach readers directly.
You are not locked in forever. Some authors self-publish one book to prove an audience exists, then approach agents with results. Others start traditional and publish later titles themselves. Treat each book as its own decision, and keep copies of every contract so you always know which rights are available.
Not sure where to begin? Our publishing directory can help you explore options, and our free consultation is a no-pressure way to talk it through.
Whichever route you choose, these eight steps cover the work. In traditional publishing the publisher handles many of them, while in self-publishing they are yours or your team's.
Do not publish a first draft. Revise it yourself, gather feedback and then hire professional editing at the level your book needs. A clean manuscript is the most important asset you will ever send out. Agents, readers and reviewers all form an opinion within the first pages, so errors cost more than they seem to. Our guide to editing your manuscript explains the process, and our book editing services are there if you want a professional.
Use the comparison above. If you want a major publisher, you will usually need a literary agent and a polished query. If you want control and speed, self-publishing or a trusted hybrid partner fits better. Many authors try one route first and change course later, and that is normal. The real mistake is choosing by fear of missing out rather than by what the book needs. Whichever you pick, write down your goals first, such as reach, income, credibility or a legacy project, because they decide what success looks like.
An ISBN is a number that identifies a specific edition of a book. Each format, such as paperback, hardcover and ebook, usually needs its own. In the United States, ISBNs are sold through an agency called Bowker, and platforms such as Amazon KDP also offer free ISBNs with some limits, explained in the Amazon KDP guidance on ISBNs and imprints. If you buy your own, you are listed as the publisher of record. Our team registers ISBNs in the author's name. Copyright exists automatically once you write the work, and registration with the U.S. Copyright Office is optional but useful. Keep your registration paperwork and your ISBN records in one folder. See the author business for more on rights and identifiers.
Readers do judge books by their covers, and a professional layout makes a book comfortable to read. Cover files need the right trim size, bleed and spine width for print, and a separate high-resolution file for ebooks. Interior formatting covers fonts, margins, chapter openings and front and back matter. Explore our book cover design services and book formatting services, or hire independent designers. Files should be checked against each platform's requirements before upload to avoid rejections. Ask for the final files in print-ready and ebook versions, and keep the editable source files so you can update the book later without paying again.
Metadata is the information retailers use to list and recommend your book: title, subtitle, author name, series, description, keywords, categories, price and age range. A strong description reads like back-cover copy, leading with the reader's problem or the story's hook. Choose categories that match where your readers browse. Weak metadata is one of the quietest reasons good books go unseen. Look at how comparable books in your genre are described, then write something original. Keep a master document of your metadata so you can reuse it across every store without retyping or introducing small differences.
Print on demand, usually shortened to POD, prints a copy only when someone orders, so you carry no inventory. Platforms include Amazon KDP for Kindle and print, and IngramSpark for reaching bookshops and libraries. Ebooks can go to Apple Books, Kobo, Nook, Google Play Books and others. You can go exclusive with one store for certain perks, or wide across many. Audiobooks have their own channels, which our audiobook production services explain. Decide on price per format at this stage, and remember that a print price must cover printing costs before you earn anything, so check each platform's calculator.
Always order a physical proof of the print book, and read it slowly with fresh eyes. Small errors appear on paper that you missed on screen. Check the cover color, the spine, the margins and the page numbers. Fix any problems, then approve. Ask a trusted reader to look at the proof as well, since a second pair of eyes catches what yours no longer see. Upload final files, set prices and territories and submit for review. Platforms commonly take a few days to approve and show a book, and sometimes reject files that break their rules. Common causes are low-resolution images, incorrect trim sizes and fonts that are not embedded. Fix the issue named in the rejection and resubmit rather than guessing.
Publishing day is rarely a single moment. Listings can appear on different stores at different times, so allow a few days. After approval, search for your book on each store. Confirm that the title, description, price and formats are correct, that the ebook and print versions are linked on one page and that your author page shows the book. Order a few author copies to check quality and to use for review outreach and events. Then follow a launch plan. Our guide to how to market a book covers what to do next, and our book marketing services can help if you want a team.
Traditional publishers pay you, not the other way around. Large publishers usually accept work only through literary agents, so most authors begin by querying agents. A query is a short letter introducing you and your book, often sent with a synopsis and sample pages.
A strong query is short, specific and professional. It opens with a hook, names the genre and word count, briefly describes the book and says a little about you. Avoid comparing your book to the biggest bestsellers ever, and never claim your book has no competition. Agents want to see that you understand the market and can write.
For fiction, you generally need a complete, edited manuscript before you query. For nonfiction, you typically submit a proposal: an overview, an author bio, a description of the audience, a marketing plan, a chapter outline and sample chapters. Research each agent, send only to those who represent your genre and follow their submission rules exactly. Keep a simple spreadsheet of who you queried, when and what they said. Expect rejections and long waits, since this stage commonly takes months or even years.
If an offer arrives, read the contract carefully. Pay particular attention to rights granted, the royalty rates, any advance, the reversion of rights if the book goes out of print and the option clause. The Authors Guild publishes advice on contracts for its members, and a literary agent or publishing lawyer can review terms. An advance, when offered, is a payment against future royalties, so you generally receive royalties only after sales have earned back the advance. Typical traditional royalties are 10 to 15 percent of the retail price, though terms differ by format. Traditional publishing offers strong bookshop reach and no upfront costs, but less control and a slow pace. It is worth trying if that route suits your book, and you can still self-publish later. Some smaller presses accept submissions directly from authors without an agent, so check their guidelines. Publishing is a business of taste and timing, so a rejection says little about the quality of your work.
Self-publishing means you act as your own publisher. You decide on the edit, the cover, the price and the release date, and you keep a much larger share of each sale. Kindle ebooks priced between $2.99 and $9.99 pay 70 percent of list price, while print on demand royalties are lower but carry no upfront inventory risk. Each platform publishes its own current royalty terms, so check them before you decide.
The trade-off is that you become responsible for quality and visibility. Many self-published books look amateur because the cover, editing or description was rushed. Treat each element as seriously as a traditional publisher would. Hire professionals where your skill is weakest, particularly for editing and cover design.
Ebooks are usually delivered in a reflowable format such as EPUB, which lets text adapt to different screens, and some retailers also accept other file types. A well-built ebook has a working table of contents and clean chapter breaks. Ebook and print are the usual starting formats. Paperbacks are commonly perfect bound, and hardcovers come in styles such as case wrap or with a dust jacket. Page count affects which bindings are possible. Many authors add an audiobook later. If you plan to sell in bookstores, ask how returns work and whether your print distributor offers wholesale discounts, because stores generally expect standard terms. Keep your files, because you own them.
Pricing deserves thought. Price too high and new readers hesitate, price too low and you may signal low quality while earning little. Look at comparable books, think about your goals, and test changes over time. Many self-publishers also set a lower price for the first book in a series to draw readers into the rest. Whatever you choose, watch your costs per print copy, because print on demand pricing has a floor.
Finally, decide on the name that appears as publisher. Some authors create an imprint, a simple publishing name, so their books look professional and are not listed under a retailer. It costs little to set up and keeps options open if you publish more titles.
Costs depend on length, genre, the services you buy and who does the work. Self-publishers pay separately for editing, cover design, formatting and marketing. Commonly quoted cover prices range from roughly $30 to $150 for budget stock services to $600 to $900 for experienced designers who work with major publishers. Editing is usually the largest line item and is priced by word count. See our editing guide for the figures.
Where does the money go? Mostly to people with specialist skills: editors, designers, layout professionals and marketers. Cutting costs on the cover or the edit is the most common false economy, while spending on features readers never see rarely pays back. Set a budget before you begin, add a cushion of ten to twenty percent for surprises and ask every provider for a written, itemized quote.
At Small Press Distribution, the starting prices are: Ebook Launch from $1,490, Complete Publishing (print plus ebook) from $3,900 and Signature Edition (print, ebook, hardcover and audiobook) from $7,900. Your final fixed quote depends on scope and is agreed in writing before work begins. Check the pricing page for details.
A typical publishing project with us takes 4 to 8 weeks from manuscript handover to live distribution. It runs roughly like this.
Our four publishing tracks (Traditional, Self Publishing, Digital and Specialized) cover different goals, and each project includes editing, interior formatting, cover design, ISBN registration, metadata, distribution and launch support. Distribution reaches Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, Apple Books, Nook, Kobo, Google Play Books and library platforms, with files checked before submission. We do not guarantee sales. Rush timelines are possible for firm dates, subject to confirmation. Delays almost always come from late feedback or approvals, so prompt replies keep the schedule on track. Doing it yourself can be faster or slower, depending on your skills and how quickly you make decisions. Whatever the timeline, remember that none of it includes the writing and the marketing, which often take longer than publishing itself.
Unfortunately, some companies target eager first-time authors, and the excitement of finishing a book can make anyone less careful. Be careful if you see any of these signs.
Search for the company and read independent reviews. Writer Beware is a long-standing resource for spotting problems. Ask for terms in writing and read them slowly. A trustworthy company welcomes questions, explains its fees line by line and lets you take time. If a deal sounds too good to be true, it usually is.
Run the list the week before you submit files, not the night before. Anything unchecked is a task for this week, and finding gaps early is much cheaper than fixing a live book. Keep the list for your next title as well, since the second book is always faster.
It ranges from nearly nothing for a do-it-yourself ebook to several thousand dollars for professional editing, cover design and formatting. Traditional publishers cover costs, while self-publishers pay for each service. Get itemized quotes so you can compare, and beware of vague bundles.
Self-publishing can take weeks to months once the manuscript is final. Traditional publishing often takes a year or more from signing, plus the time to find an agent or publisher. Our typical project runs 4 to 8 weeks from manuscript handover to live distribution, and rush timelines may be possible.
Most retailers and libraries expect an ISBN for each edition. Some platforms assign one for free with limits, and buying your own gives you more control over the publisher name. Each format needs its own number, so budget for paperback, hardcover and ebook if you plan all three.
For large traditional publishers, usually yes. For self-publishing, hybrid publishing and many small presses, no. Agents are paid only when you sell, so be wary of any who charge reading fees. A small press or hybrid publisher may accept direct submissions.
In self-publishing you hire and manage everyone. In hybrid publishing one company provides production and distribution services for a fee. Quality varies, so check rights, royalties and transparency, and walk away from anything unclear.
Now you know how to publish a book and which route fits. Pick one, work through the steps and keep your standards high. Publishing is a skill that improves with each book, so expect your first to teach you the most, and expect the process to feel simpler the second time. Keep notes on what worked, which vendors were reliable and how long each stage took, so your next book starts faster and costs less. Be patient with the waiting periods and firm about quality. If you would like a partner, submit your manuscript or get a free consultation.
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