Publishing your book? Finding a traditional publisher… Marketing your book…Addressing the media…. Maintaining consistency… If you think publishing a book is easy, you are wrong. It is  Tough Job , Instead!!

So, you have finished your manuscript. Great! You are set to begin your journey of becoming a published author. But, what are the roadblocks you might face in the process. This blog will address few roadblocks I  faced during my journey of publishing a book.

Finding A Good Traditional Publisher

It is a huge challenge for an author to find an author-centric publisher. By author-centric, I mean a publishing house that believes in the author’s content and helps in the author’s journey even post-release.

There’s no sure shot formula that, who will be perfect publisher for you. Every author has different priorities; so, you should accept the challenge of experimentation.

Goal Setting

You must create a priority list mentioning the primary goals of your writing venture.

• Is it an alternative to your full-time job?
• Do you want to educate people through your books?

Now, if your goal is to become a full-time author, then you must be very careful while choosing a publisher.

Tips to choose a publisher

Once you finish a manuscript, an author is eager, and sometimes restless, to publish his/her work quickly. However, keep these tips in mind, because I have learned it from my experience.

• Market Research: There are several publishers in India today. Popular ones include Penguin Random House India, Macmillan, HarperCollins, OUP, Rupa Publications, etc. I haven’t got my books published from them, until date, as they have a waiting period of 3 to 6 months, after submitting your manuscript. Sometimes, they might even take a year long, and still reject your manuscript.

21 Top Publishers in India

I am not ready to wait for such a long time. So, I prefer to go with new age players; few of them include Pepperscript, Blue Rose, and Pothi. So far, it has been a mixed experience.

• Track record: Performance and reputation speaks for itself; it is not always the number game. Communicate with other published authors to get an honest opinion. Sometimes, the publisher might ask their author for public recommendation ? Don’t fall into the trap.
  Here, I would also like authors to be fair while sharing their  publishing experience.  Sugar-coated words about the publisher will not help the writing community.

• Services provided: What is an ideal publishing package for you? According to me, these are few services that are mandatory for me.
  • Editing & Proofreading
  • Provide a sample print copy
  • Book cover designing
  • Online and Offline Distribution services
  • Marketing & Promotion Support
  • Quarterly Sales Report
    Modern publishers have started a pre-order service for books i.e. attracting orders before the book is printed and released in the market. Now, I don’t know how this strategy works well for a first-time author, as you are experimenting with your content and haven’t tasted the water yet.
    Moreover, who will take the responsibility of printing errors, because the publisher will release a certain number of copies in the market in the first lot.

• Pricing: You are investing your hard-earned money so, why not spend some time in choosing a publisher who promises a decent ROI to begin with. Evaluate pricing packages and the royalty options and then take a call. Mind you, few publishers do not give royalty for publishing anthologies. It is a platform to launch first-time authors. Make a wise decision.

Book Marketing

As discussed in my previous blog, you have just travelled 10% once your book is published. The main question is, have you thought about how would you promote your book and make the public aware about yourself?

‘Do not expect the publisher to help you in marketing your book aggressively.’

I say this solely from my experience with traditional publishers. The book is YOUR product. So, once your product is released, what are the next steps?

1. Create an author website to give information about your books.
2. Develop a team – Website Developer, Graphic Designer, Social media manager, and PR Specialist.
3. Create a good social media profile. Include information about the purpose of joining the specific platform.
4. Personal branding is a key to success for authors.
5. You can start slow, but within a month you must increase the frequency of social media activity.
6. Engaging users on social media is a tough ask. Consistency is the driving force of social media messaging
7. Network with schools and colleges to display your book in the library.
8. Book reviews are useful but nowadays paid reviews are trending. So, again you need to shell out money.
9. Ask your publisher to nominate your book for literary awards.
10. Leverage the platform of literature festivals, networking events, and book fairs to launch your books.

Seeing is Believing. So, try to find ways of making your book visible to the public, at an affordable cost.

Defining Success

Every author has a different perspective as to why he/she is publishing the book. Your goal will define the meaning of your success. A book does not become a bestseller in a day, a month, or a year.

Consistent promotion strategies as well as the content is instrumental in determining whether your book is a success or failure.

Success, for me, is delivering meaningful content and value to my readers. I would not compromise on quality to earn huge sums of money.

You should remember that every business runs the risk of failure. Therefore, do not keep the monetary benefits as a primary goal when you have chosen a noble activity like writing a book.

A failed initiative of book publishing should not deter your goals of an author. You have the power to change the world through your writing. Your first book may not be a HIT, but don’t worry since you have the talent. Maybe the subject did not click with the audience; eventually, only if your content is good, will you stand a chance to write a bestseller.

If you would like to learn more about my experience with traditional publishing, just drop a mail to author.devika@gmail.com