Self-Publishing vs. Traditional Publishing
Yippie! You have a book ready to be published, but you’re not sure what to do next. There are basically three paths to consider.
- Traditional Publishing Through a Small Press
- Traditional Publishing With a Major Press
- Self-Publishing
Each has their own benefits, and what you choose ultimately depends on a few factors: time, money, goals, and accessibility.
Differences between types of publishing options
Traditional publishing → This is when you submit work to publishers who run presses. They generally get a lot of manuscripts every year, and they choose a select few to add to their catalog and publish. There are many presses, both independent and major ones, that accept manuscripts to read, but only a fraction of those can get picked up.
Small presses verses major presses → Meep. I guess that’s kind of rude to say. It’s not really about small versus major or independent versus top presses, but if we want to look at the differences, we have to talk about what it means for you.
Small presses → These are generally independent presses, which means they are not attached to a school, governmental association, or major publishing house. Small presses generally have more flexibility when it comes to the books they accept, because they are not tied to the same needs as a big publishing house.
Major presses → These are generally larger presses with more reach than small presses, but they look at things like marketability, sellability, and social presence of their authors.
Major Presses
Here are some bigger presses that have solid reputations, a long line of successful books, and a robust catalog.
Copper Canyon publishes poetry giants like Ted Kooser, Ruth Stone, and Alberto Ríos, but for a press as established as they are (they started in 1972!) they are also open to checking out work from new authors.
Alice James is constantly coming out with beautifully designed books from poets like Kazim Ali, Kaveh Akbar, Franny Choi, and Rosebud Ben-Oni. They accept submissions through their open reading period.
Pros for working with publishing houses:
Major presses →
- They have a team of people to handle the design, edits, and uploading for you
- They likely have readers who already support their press
- Most of their team is likely paid, so they run more like a traditional business
Smaller presses →
- They generally keep a smaller catalog and can do a lot to support their authors
- They are generally run by paid or unpaid staff
Cons of working with publishing houses:
- They take a larger cut of your royalties
- They take a long time to get back to you
- They’re super selective
- You will likely have to take on the majority of the marketing
People generally choose a traditional press if…
- they already have a good number of poems published in journals (this means that they probably have an audience)
- they are in academia (this will help them get teaching jobs)
- their work has been edited, revised, and polished (this means the work can stand up against all the other works the publishing houses review)
Self-Publishing ->
Self-publishing is when you release your book yourself or with support on a self-publishing platform such as KDP, IngramSpark, Blurb, Lulu, etc. Self-publishing generally gives you more aesthetic control over your work, more design flexibility, and larger royalty payouts, but you generally have to foot the bill for design services, edits, and marketing.
Pros of self-publishing:
- You get more artistic control
- You get a larger royalty payout
- You decide where you release your collection
Cons of Self-Publishing
- You have to cover the design, editing, and self-publishing costs, if any
- You have to market yourself or hire a team
Most people choose to self-publish if
- They want to release their book within the next year and don’t have time to wait to hear from publishing houses
- Their day job involves something other than literature
- They want to share their work with friends and family
- They have no “need” to go to a traditional press
Insider Insight
We wanted to get you real info on how the whole thing actually works, so we sat down with the editors from TERRAPIN PRESS and QUAIL BELL to chat about what makes their press different. Each press will do things slightly differently, so make sure you ask the questions below before signing a contract.
Interview with Terrapin Press
Tell Tell: How do you determine who to publish?
Diane Lockwood: I run two open readings per year. From the submissions, I select 2–4 manuscripts for publication. I select the ones I like best. I like to get a range of styles and voices and a diversity of poets. But my main guide is the quality of the work. I also consider if the work fits the press. I don’t take experimental poetry or single form collections (i.e., it’s unlikely that I’d take a collection of all sonnets or all haiku or all ekphrastic poems). I ask that a good number of the poems have been previously published and I limit the number of poems previously published in chapbooks to six.
TT: How many manuscripts do you receive yearly?
DL: This is a question I like to avoid answering. If it’s a high number, some poets will feel discouraged from submitting. If it’s a low number, some poets will feel that the press is not sufficiently competitive. So I’ll just say that we get a good number of submissions and that number increases each reading period and the quality of the submissions gets better and better. I do not run any contests at Terrapin. I like to think that each of my poets is a winner.
TT: Can you share details of a normal agreement?
DL: Terrapin offers publication within a year of acceptance, an annual royalty, 6” x 9” books with printed spine. I provide each poet with 15 complimentary review copies. Authors also get a 50% discount off list price if they choose to order additional copies to sell on their own. I require that my authors have a dedicated website and be a member of Facebook. I expect them to actively seek readings and other opportunities to promote their book. I also stipulate that they not publish a new book with a different press within a year of publication of the Terrapin book. When I was starting Terrapin Books, I contacted several other publishers of small presses. Several of them were kind enough to share their contracts with me. I then created my own contract which I describe as “standard and fair.”
TT: What sort of royalties do authors normally get?
DL: I pay an annual royalty of 15% of net sales. To qualify for a royalty payment, a poet must sell a minimum of 15 books in a given year.
TT: Why might an author choose to work with a press like yours versus a similar press?
DL: I typically respond within a month of submission. If accepted, the book gets published within a year, usually closer to six months. My poets don’t grow old waiting for publication. I carefully edit each accepted manuscript and work closely with each poet. I try to accommodate requests and to keep the poets happy. I respond quickly to emails. Poets are invited to participate in the design of the cover, though final decisions are left to me. I like to think of the entire process as a collaborative one.
TT: Can you talk a bit about how you market the work for your authors?
I promote on Twitter and Facebook. I provide each poet with a list of suggested promotion tips. I also provide them with a list of after-publication contests they can submit to. If I know about readings in their part of the country, I pass on that information. I keep a list of reviewers and reach out to them to try to get some reviews for each book. I keep a Terrapin website where each poet gets a book page and an entry in the bookstore.
TT: What do they normally have to do in terms of marketing?
DL: I ask each poet to send out an email announcement when their book is available for pre-orders and again when the book is published. I ask the poets to include purchase links in that note. And I ask them to send the announcement to an extensive list of friends, relatives, and neighbors — in short, everyone they know. You never know who might buy a book.
I also ask my poets to post links on their website to reviews and to include excerpts from those reviews. I ask them to do the same on Facebook and Twitter. I ask them to send out review copies to journals they’ve published in. I ask them to line up readings. I suggest that they throw themselves a launch party. Every new book deserves a party.
TT: Are you open to working with new authors, or are you mostly looking for established authors?
I love working with new poets and am happy to have several debut collections. Of the four poets I selected from the last open reading period, three of them have debut collections with Terrapin. But I’m also happy to work with older poets who sometimes feel that they are overlooked by other presses. In fact, I’m happy to work with new and established poets. Again, the quality of the work is the primary consideration.
TT: How many copies do you usually expect to sell per book?
I aim for 500 but am satisfied with 300. Now that I can make the books available for pre-orders, I’m finding that the number of sales has gone up.
TT: Is there anything else we should know about how you support your authors?
I give personalized service throughout the process. And I do not forget about my poets once their book has been published. Also I’ve recently started a new series, the Redux series. This series is limited to poets with a previous title with Terrapin, one that has done well. My original intention was to do one book only per poet, but a number of my poets asked for this new opportunity. I hope that means that they enjoyed working with me and are happy to be part of the Terrapin family of poets.
If you’re a new poet, submit to Terrapin through one of their open reading periods here!
Interview With Quail Bell
CSS: Christine Sloan Stoddard, Founder of Quail Bell Press & Productions
GG: Gretchen Gales, Executive Director of Quail Bell Magazine
How do you determine who to publish?
CSS: Right now we are focusing on anthologies related to Quail Bell Magazine, which is our legacy publication. Quail Bell is a woman-run arts and culture magazine that celebrates the imaginary, the nostalgic, and the otherworldly. Our first book title was Her Plumage: An Anthology of Women’s Writings From Quail Bell Magazine, which we released at the beginning of the pandemic after launching a successful Facebook fundraiser. Currently, we’re working on Lunar Phoenix: An Anthology of Black Voices. Our guest editors are Taneasha White, Lashelle Johnson, and Lana C. Marilyn. We teamed up with a fiscal sponsor, AnkhLave Arts Alliance, a 501c3 that enabled us to collect tax-deductible donations to make the book possible.
How many manuscripts do you receive yearly?
CSS: At the moment, we are not accepting unsolicited manuscripts, except for self-published titles. (Find out more here.) As we expand the business and earn grants to pursue charitable projects, we look forward to producing as many manuscripts as we can lovingly make possible! We’re always on the lookout for donors and angel investors, so please contact us if that’s you: info@quailbell.com. Smaller donations can be made via Venmo @quailbellmag or PayPal: info@quailbell.com.
Can you share details of a normal agreement?
CSS: At this time, we don’t have a standard agreement. For our anthologies, we do what’s possible with the funds raised. For self-published titles, we can tailor the agreement to suit the author’s needs. No two books are exactly alike, so no two books should have the same agreement.
What sort of royalties do authors normally get?
CSS: Currently, we do not offer royalties to our anthology authors because the projects are zero-profit ventures reliant on fundraisers. For self-published titles, there is no standard agreement, as each project is individually negotiated.
Why might an author choose to work with a press like yours versus a similar press?
CSS: Authors who’ve worked with us on the anthologies have a prior relationship with Quail Bell Magazine. Some of those relationships have lasted for years and the love runs deep. They want to support the magazine and also find a new platform for their creative work. For self-published titles, we aim to reach affluent authors who appreciate quality, attention to detail, and beautiful books. They likely are already familiar with Quail Bell Magazine and admire what we do and perhaps hope to tap into some of our audience. Last but not least, they see the value in working with us as individuals and what Gretchen and I bring collectively. Between the two of us, we’ve had our own books and chapbooks traditionally published; we’ve produced content for magazines, museums, television, art galleries, film festivals, and educational institutions; and our creative work has been featured in Time Out New York, Ms. Magazine, The Washington Post, New York Latin Culture Magazine, the Portland Review, Bushwick Daily, and elsewhere. In February 2021, I’m even going to be featured on a digital screen in Times Square with my book Heaven is a Photograph and other titles. (And I’m paying nothing for the privilege!) Gretchen and I have a lot of experience, creativity, enthusiasm, and knowledge to share with our authors.
GG: If it wasn’t obvious from Christine’s answer, we love bringing creative projects to life. It’s in our blood to create and curate.
Can you talk a bit about how you market the work for your authors?
CSS: We offer a mix of social media, indie media, and traditional media. We have a history of creating viral posts and successfully pitching to other outlets, from magazines to newspapers to radio stations, and more. I’ve had my own work praised by editors at Art in America and The Poetry Foundation and highlighted on Radio Free Brooklyn and in Authority Magazine, among other places, not because of paid placements but because of my willingness to do the legwork. Gretchen and I can leverage our connections and use prior experiences to craft new strategies. There’s always luck involved, but we’ve definitely had some of that!
GG: We enjoy being cheerleaders for our writers! Even with our online submissions for QuailBellMagazine.com, it’s so special to see people become so excited over a chance to publish with us. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, wherever we can promote their work, we have it covered.
What do they normally have to do in terms of marketing?
CSS: Again, there’s no “normal” because each book is an individual, a child, a baby! But we do consider magazine, website, newspaper, radio, television, social media, and event possibilities. We can also offer more unusual opportunities if they suit the work. With our video production skills, for example, creating a trailer or poetry film like “Butterflies” (one of our 2020 releases) is perfectly doable.
Are you open to working with new authors, or are you mostly looking for established authors?
GG: Like the lit mag, we welcome newbies and Pulitzer Prize winners. What matters is their voice and content.
CSS: For the anthologies, we want to publish authors whose work has appeared in Quail Bell Magazine at least once. But like Gretchen said, for the self-published titles, we’re willing to consider anyone. As we expand and can offer more traditional contracts, we want to continue keeping an open mind. We want to champion unusual, compelling stories, even if (or especially if!) they don’t fit a lot of traditional conventions.
How many copies do you usually expect to sell per book?
CSS: That’s something we project per self-published title as we make the agreements with our authors. It’s a case by case situation.
Is there anything else we should know about how you support your authors?
CSS: Definitely check out Quail Bell Magazine and Google all of the incredible projects and events we’ve had over the years. Find out more about the work Gretchen and I have done and our different creative affiliations. Just because we haven’t thought of a promotional idea doesn’t mean we aren’t willing to try it!
What sort of work are you most excited about?
CSS: Works that are highly imaginative, unconventional, and come from marginalized voices.
GG: Defy tired-out tropes and surprise us. I’m a sucker for retold fairy tales and as Christine mentioned, marginalized voices.
Can you talk a bit about your reading process? What happens on the press side when I press submit?
CSS: We want to be enchanted or at least read something that makes us look at the world a little differently.
GG: We look at the inbox with joy and carefully read over each submission. If sparks fly, we want it!
What happens when I sign a contract? I’d love to hear more about how you support your authors.
CSS: For self-published titles, it depends upon the title. And for traditional titles, we shall cross that bridge one day!
So there you have it. There’s no right way or wrong way to do it. It mostly depends on your goals, what excites you, and what sort of support you’re looking for.
