Writing a book is pretty hard, but you know what’s even harder? Publishing it. As a writer, I am asked all the time why I’m not published. To that, I reply with one of two answers: [insert this article] or “I’m literally nineteen.”
There are two routes to being published. The first, and likely the one that people default to is self-publishing. Then, there is traditional publishing. Neither one is right or wrong, so writers choose whichever route they find most effective or whichever one they prefer.
Self-publishing may seem like the simpler route, but it both is and isn’t. I cannot even count the number of times people tell me I can publish my books on Amazon as if I’ve never heard of that option before. But there are also a lot of other platforms to self-publish from, like Barnes and Noble Press, Kobo Writing Life, Blurb, and IngramSpark.
To self-publish, you need a novel. Which, you’d think after you finished writing that, it would be finished, right? Wrong, actually. The majority of novels, both self and traditionally published, are the end-work of numerous rewrites. My main project, which is still unpublished, is on its fifth rewrite.
Rewrites happen for many reasons. For instance, there might be a huge change the author wants to make, like switching the genre or the plot. There might be issues so big that it might be more time-effective if the full novel is rewritten rather than edited. Another reason for rewriting is the author’s style has changed. Or maybe they wanted to change the novel to fit feedback given to them by readers.
Once an author is done drafting, they usually consult an editor. This editor sometimes is family, a friend, or someone they hire online. Though this isn’t required for self-publishing, nor are multiple drafts required, it is usually a good idea.
There are many different types of edits and editors, and a writer can hire them for whatever stage they’re in. There are developmental editors who target fundamental points of a novel, and there are line editors, who look at phrasing. Copyeditors look specifically at grammar. Oftentimes, authors can find editors who do all of these things.
Once the novel itself is finished, the author needs to find someone to format their book, as well as a cover artist, unless they do it themselves. This can cost a lot of money, even if the author wants to do it themselves since programs to format books can be pricey.
Afterward, the job of marketing begins. If a self-published author wants sales, this is a must. Unfortunately, marketing never stops for novels unless the author no longer wants sales. If an author wants early feedback, they can send out advanced reader copies, aka ARCs, to readers. In exchange for an early copy, readers give a review.
Like self-publishing, traditional publishing also involves creating a very polished novel. The project must be as perfect as the writer can make it (including taking feedback from readers. Sometimes writers even hire an editor to look at their novel before pitching it, though this isn’t required, it sometimes helps!). After that, the writer can now pitch their novel to agents.
To do this, they write a query letter to an agent. The query letter contains a short synopsis of the book (like what you see on the back of novels), a short biography of the novel, comp titles (which books it is similar to), the genre, word count, and the reason for pitching. Usually, writers will include the latter to add a personalization line to catch the agent’s attention.
When agents look at query letters, they usually have thousands to go over in a few months, so they need to look at them quickly. If one catches their interest, they can request a full or partial manuscript. If they like it, they will offer representation. They also can request an R&R, which is a revise and resubmit, which means they want the author to look at their specific requests and change their novel. If the agent doesn’t like the manuscript, they will either send back a rejection letter or nothing at all. This is why many writers query around 100 agents per novel, since oftentimes, they will rarely hear back.
If an author gets representation from an agent, they usually sign a contract where the agent gets 15% of any profit the author gets from a book deal. Oftentimes, publishers won’t even blink an eye at an author without an agent, which is why this system works the way it does. But if an author wants to submit without an agent, they usually need to look at smaller publishers, who likely don’t have the same resources to promote books as big publishers.
After working with the agent to revise the novel the best they can, the author and agent go on submission, which means the agent will pitch their novel to publishers. Usually, they gravitate towards the “Big Five.” These are publishers that control the majority of book publishing. They all have imprints (basically mini publishers inside a big publisher) that buy books.
Then, finally, if a book is bought by a publisher, the author receives a book deal. This is posted on Publishers Marketplace, and they are usually given a certain amount of money, then royalties if they exceed a certain amount of profit.
From there, the publisher will help edit the book, which makes the process for traditional publishing arguably more affordable. The publisher takes care of hiring a cover artist, formatting, and marketing, though some authors still choose to help market their books.
But being traditionally published is quite a feat. Agents receive tens of thousands of queries per year and often only represent around three authors per year. And even after getting representation, books on submission aren’t guaranteed to be published. And after being published, they aren’t guaranteed to sell.
The business of books can be quite cutthroat, but it is also deeply fascinating. So if you were ever curious, that is how a book goes from a draft to being published.