What is traditional publishing?

Question

I recently got a contract from Tate publishing, and they want 4,000 dollars. I think its way too much, and I intend on leaving Tate and going somewhere else. What are the benefits of traditional publishing over self publishing? Would you advise me to self-publish or use a traditional publisher? If so, why?

Answer 1

NO I would not advise you to self publish. In fact I would advise you to take that Tate contract and walk to the nearest burning Yule Log and drop it in. I just saved you 4 thousand dollars. Lucky for you I don't charge a percentage for my service.

Step 1. BEFORE you contact any publisher or agent, ALWAYS go to Preditors and Editors and check them out. Dave K works dilligently to ensure that novice authors have the best possible information regarding scam authors. So do Victoria Strauss and James Macdonald at Absolute Write Water Cooler's Bewares and Background Checks.

It you HAD checked with Preditors and Editors, you would read the following information ...

Tate Publishing: Not recommended. A subsidy publisher.

That's good enough for me. My dear, you aren't "leaving" Tate because they are not a publisher. As long as your check clears the bank, they will publish anything you want. You are not an author in their stable, you are somebody whose check clears the bank. I could publish the Chinatown Phonebook if I could pay for it. They could care less what you publish.

The benefits of traditional publishing are vast. 1) Your books are sold in stores. With self publishing they are not. Self published books sell on the average under 100 copies or about 2/3 of the number of friends and family you have. Again, that is good enough for me.

This is the best advice you will ever get regarding choosing a publisher. If you have confidence in yourself and in your book, you owe it to yourself to spend at least twice the time you did writing it trying to obtain traditional publishing.

Get yourself a copy of Writers Market and read it cover to cover. Don't make it a giant paperweight on your desk. It will help you.

You may also go to my profile and read many great Q and A regarding writing and publishing that I have starred for the benefit of novice authors. Scan through them and print out some you think will help and study them. Many successful authors have come here and posted valuable information.

Hope that helps.
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They're, Their, There - Three Different Words.

Careful or you may wind up in my next novel.

Pax - C

Answer 2

In traditional publishing: Money Flows Toward the Author, not away, as with self and vanity publishing.

A publisher pays you for the right to publish your book, rather than you paying them.

Yeah, it's hard to get a legit publisher to take interest in your book, but it's a lot less hard than marketing, selling, distributing, and making money off a self-pubbed book.

The only time self-publishing is a valid option is if you have a very niche book, with a built in market. Say, a book of family memories that your entire extended family will buy; a local history that will have some sales in your locality; or a technical manual that everyone in the field will need.

Even then, I wouldn't go with Tate--$4,000 is a huge amount of money, and other companies would be a much better bet (iUniverse, Lulu, etc.).

Remember: A publisher or agent who charges you a lot up front has no motivation to sell your book. They've already got your money.

Answer 3

Yeah - do not go with Tate publishing. If a publisher ever asks for you money - drop them. The most you will have to pay for traditional publishing is for postage. You mail a query letter, they review, send back a "Yes" or "No" (in a manner of speaking). Simple as that.

The only problem: usually it's "No". But a true author is able to work by the rejections and keep trying.

So - traditional publisher all the way. Save yourself $4,000. Use part of that to pick up Writer's Market 2007 or 2008. It will help you get started.

Good luck.

Answer 4

I feel you will have to deliver conventional publishing a take a look at first. You pay little or no, or not anything in any respect, and also you get reliable suggestions at the viability of your paintings in mainstream, during which I imply commerical, publishing enviornment. Their opinion might do a global of well to you and your professionalism. Ego possibly harm, however you certain will be trained a heck lot from the truth determine. Go for self-publishing once you have been rejected a well quantity of instances. Honest feedback is way larger than a fake flattery.

Answer 5

I would strongly advise you not to self-publish. That is a dead-end road for books, unless you simply want to lavish them on family members for birthdays or something.

Why on earth pay someone an incredible 4,000 to publish what you've probably worked hard to write? The goal is to see it in distribution, not in boxes somewhere, and your money gone.

The traditional method involves reading first, and that first book to read, in my opinion, is "The Writer's Market 2008." There is a lot there to learn; you may even want to take notes.
Read that first, then consider your next step.
You can do it.
Good luck--