How to Publish a Book

At some point in your writing journey, you might want to put your work out in the world. Certainly, the prospect of having your name in the annals of libraries, bookstores, and readers’ private shelves is exciting. But you’ve spent so much time writing, and now you’re faced with having to learn how to publish a book.

How do authors do it? The skills of writing and publishing intersect but are largely distinct.. You might have the next New York Times’ seller in your hands—but no way of getting it in front of the New York Times.

Fear not. This guide walks you through the five different types of publishers, with resources to help you take the next step in your journey as an author.

Let’s start with the basics on how to publish a book: poetry or prose?

How to Publish a Book: Poetry vs Prose

Publishing a poetry book is different from publishing a book of fiction or nonfiction. The poetry market is rather distinct and specialized from other publishing markets, with different readers, resources, and reasons for existence.

The bulk of this article deals with publishing prose. There is certainly overlap with poetry here: the same five avenues for publication that prose writers have, poets have, too.

Nonetheless, we go in depth on the process of assembling and publishing a poetry book here:

https://writers.com/how-to-write-a-poetry-book

How to Publish a Book: The Three Avenues (and Two Dead Ends) of Publication

Where are authors going to get their books published? In brief, there are five main avenues of publication.

First, let’s briefly define what each of these avenues are, and then we’ll look at how to publish a book through the legitimate avenues of publication.

Traditional Publishing

Traditional publishing is the route you are probably most familiar with. It involves finding a literary agent and having them represent your book to a major publisher. It also often involves publication with The Big Five, which are the big name publishers (Penguin, MacMillan, Hachette, Harper Collins, and Simon & Schuster).

Traditional publishing can come with the most prestige, but also the most difficulty. There are many people clamoring for publication in a finite market, so if your heart is set on Big 5 publication, be aware that this process often involves a lot of time and uncertainty.

Indie or University Presses

Another route for publication involves independent (indie) presses or university presses. These presses are what they sound like: publishers that are either independent from The Big Five or are affiliated with universities.

These presses sometimes require representation with a literary agent. Sometimes, they also have open submission periods where authors can submit their work themselves. Many independent and university presses have specialized interests. The range of independent publishing is quite broad, so know that there is also a lot of variation in terms of prestige and uncertainty.

Vanity Publishing

Vanity publishing happens with a vanity press. Don’t interpret the name as being books about vanity, but do understand that a vanity press is not worth your efforts.

Vanity presses make the author pay for publication of their book. The author takes on the fees of publication, including printing and shipping. Typically, the author does make all of the money on sales of the book itself, but all of the risks and costs are displaced onto the author, and the publisher does nothing to help the author actually promote their book.

In short, if a press asks you to pay them for the work of publishing, run. There are much better homes for your book.

Hybrid Publishing

If vanity publishing involves putting all of the risks onto the author, hybrid publishing is a situation in which the author and the publisher share financial risks. In this set up, hybrid publishers defray some of their costs by displacing them onto the author.

Hybrid presses are somewhat more selective about which books they publish than vanity presses, since they only carry some of the risks. Nonetheless, critics still point out that money should only ever flow from the publisher to the author, and hybrid publishing is just vanity publishing with lipstick. Moreover, most vanity presses call themselves hybrid presses to convince more people to use them.

Be very, very cautious with any press that describes itself as hybrid. Even though a properly hybrid press will do some work to help you design, publish, and promote your book, hybrid presses are often fast routes to throwing your work away.

Self-Publishing

The internet has made self-publishing a much more viable route. In self-publishing, the author agrees to take on all of the work of design and promotion—the publisher simply provides the printing and distribution.

This is different from a vanity or hybrid press because self-publishing companies don’t charge you for the printing and distribution fees. These get taken out of the per-unit sales of your book, as the vast majority of self-published books are POD (print on demand).

Alternatively, you can consider printing your own books out of your own home, but most people lack the specialized equipment for book stitching and cover design, and the process of registering an ISBN for your book (if you choose to do so) is a little more tedious.

How to Publish a Book: Traditional and Indie Publishing

Here’s a guide on how to publish a book with traditional and independent presses.

Once you have finished drafting your book, you can anticipate the following steps:

1. Querying literary agents
2. Revising your book alongside your agent
3. Sitting back while your agent pitches to publishers
4. Working with an editor

Querying Literary Agents

A literary agent is an agent hired for representing your book to a publisher. Many publishers require your book to be represented by an agent: these agents build relationships with editors and presses, and the process of publication is much more professional when authors do not self-represent.

Some independent presses put out open calls for submissions, wherein the author submits their work directly to the publisher. More on this later. But for anyone asking how to get a publisher for a book, the answer most often lies in literary agents.

Ideally, your literary agent will be a career-long relationship. Great writer-agent relationships see authors working with their agents book after book after book. So it is best to spend a lot of time at this stage of the journey: refining your query letter, researching your agent, and being methodical through this process will go a long way for you.

Bear in mind that literary agents are picky about whom they work with. This is by design: agents have a finite amount of time and resources (like the rest of us), and so only choose to work with writers whom they believe they can successfully represent to publishers. This doesn’t just mean representing books they like: many agents turn down authors whose work they admire, but who do not feel they can successfully represent for one reason or another.

We cover the ins and outs of finding a literary agent (including the process, the research, the cost, and the cautions) here:

https://writers.com/literary-agents

Revising Your Book Alongside Your Agent

Thought you were done with the writing process? Think again!

Literary agents have their thumbs on the pulse of the literary marketplace. As a result, they have a sense for what editors are trying to publish. When an agent takes on your manuscript, they do so because they believe publishers will want to buy it—but only after some tweaks and revisions.

It is very likely that your manuscript will go through a round or two of revisions with your agents. These revisions are rarely a massive overhaul; more often, they are changes to the book’s tone, structure, and smaller details.

Some authors hate this process, as it requires a certain amount of compromise. What do you mean the book isn’t done? You might ask. Why do I have to write to the market?

To answer the latter question, traditional publishers have all the power. If they don’t select your book for publication, they have a whole slush pile of other manuscripts. So the work here is to convince the publisher that your book is the best investment—which means collaborating with your agent to make sure the book is ready for the editor.

The Agent Pitching Process

Once your manuscript is publisher-ready, the next steps are largely your agent’s.

What should you do during this time? Twiddle your thumbs? Learn to bake sourdough?

The period in which your agent is pitching your manuscript can be an anxious one. It also comes at the tail end of a period in which the bulk of your creative energy went towards one particular project, with its own limited world, characters, ideas, etc.

So, our advice: take this time to re-cultivate your love of writing.

Write some short stories! Maybe even poetry! Write an essay about what you learned from writing your book. Write something stupid. Write something fun.

The business of writing can make you forget the joy of being a writer. In this down time between working on your book and working on your book, relax and cultivate the creative spark that keeps you writing in the first place.

Working With an Editor

This step assumes the following: that your agent has successfully pitched your book to a publishing house and is slated for publication. So, start this step with a huge celebration.

Then, once you’re done partying, you will discover there is more work to do.

Your book will be assigned to an editor with the publishing house that accepted it. This editor will then propose another round of revisions to shape the book for publication. This process typically comes with a cash advance on your book and a schedule for when the revisions are due.

It can be another 2 or 3 years between when a book is accepted by a publishing house and when it is actually printed and sold in bookstores. We did warn you that this process is the most arduous—but, if you are at this stage, you are very close to the finish line. After this, you’re a published author!

How to Publish a Book: Open Submission Calls

Here’s a brief explanation on how to publish a book through open submission calls.

The vast majority of books published through traditional presses do so through literary agent representation. Certainly, authors are not allowed to represent themselves to The Big 5. However, there does exist an occasional alternate route for writers, which are open submission calls and contests.

This is true more often of independent presses than Big 5 publishers, though I have seen the occasional submission call from the Big 5. The premise is pretty simple: publishers put out a call for submissions of finished manuscripts. Sometimes these are themed, sometimes not.

Here’s an example of an open submission call: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/ddc-open-call-submissions

As you can see, this was an open call specifically for romance writers in Canada. Moreover, this open call was in 2024—these kinds of opportunities are rare, after all.

Here’s a more common call for proposals you might see from an independent press—Nightboat Books puts out a call like this every year:

https://nightboat.org/announcing-the-2025-nightboat-prose-reading-period/

How to Publish a Book Through an Open Call

The process of submitting to an open submission call is very similar to the process of submitting to literary journals.

Namely, keep this advice in mind:

1. Respect All Submission Guidelines

Every open call receives hundreds, if not thousands, of quality submissions from writers trying to publish their books. This is to say, publishers have the upper hand—and they can refuse any work simply on the basis that the submission did not follow their guidelines.

So study them carefully and respect them entirely. Sometimes, publishers specify their preferred fonts, typefaces, and document types; if they don’t, 12pt Times New Roman is always reliable, and a .docx or a .pdf works best.

Also pay attention to any guidelines around anonymity. If a publisher wants to read the book blind, it means they do not want to find your name anywhere in the document itself.

2. Each Submission Has Its Own Process

Most publishers allow (and even encourage) simultaneous submissions. You can have your work pending with multiple publishers at the same time.

However, be aware that the guidelines for one press will not be the same for another. For example, some presses might ask for your name to be in the document, some might ask that your name be removed.

This is to say that every submission has its own rules, and you should be meticulous about each rule for each submission process. You might be submitting the same work in different documents to different publishers.

3. Read the Work Of the Publisher

Authors that publish through open calls are often successful when they have read the work of the publisher in advance.

This isn’t advice to schmooze or pay-for-play. It’s to say that reading a publisher’s output tells you a lot about the kind of work that publisher likes to promote.

You might find, for example, that a press is keen on experimental prose or innovative plot techniques. If this is the case, they probably won’t accept your witty romcom, even if it is both hilarious and a tearjerker.

And vice versa! A publisher that’s excited by genre fiction is probably less excited by a novel that is really an extended prose poem. Know your audience and familiarize yourself with the state of contemporary publishing before you put your work out into the void—you’ll have a much higher chance of success by reading where you submit.

4. Do Not Be Discouraged By the Process

Like I said above, there are thousands of writers clamoring for publication through every submission call. This is a difficult industry operating on a lot of scarcity: there simply is not enough attention or resources to publish every worthy book.

So accept that this process can be slow, but do not feel demeaned or discouraged by it. Your book is worthy of acceptance and will find its home.

Where to Find Independent and University Presses

Speaking of homes, here are a few places you can look for publishing opportunities via open calls for submission. The vast majority of these presses are independent and university affiliated, though occasionally you might find something from a Big Five publisher, too.

• Authors Publish—A great resource for any genre of writer looking to publish anywhere. The link here sends you to a directory of 600+ presses.
• Community of Literary Magazines and Presses (CLMP)—Actively promotes calls for submissions, organized by when those calls expire.
• Nadine Bell’s list of 70+ independent presses—with an emphasis on genre.
• New Pages—Another great list of publishers, also with calls for submissions from literary journals.
• Publishers Marketplace—A members-only website with in-depth reportage on the world of literary publishing.

Additionally, this resource at Aspiring Authors has a masterlist of additional venues to search for book publishers.

How to Publish a Book: Self-Publishing

Self-publishing has become a popular option in the 21st century, particularly because of the democratizing influence of the internet. However, self-publishing also has a long and storied history.

For example, prior to the internet, and especially in the latter half of the 20th century, zines were a popular form of self-publication. The University of Virginia has this great resource and digital archive for learning about the timeline of 20th century American zines.

Throughout the history of printing, there has existed a tension between the selective sponsorship of moneyed publishers and a public that wishes to express itself. So self-publishing is an option for writers who want to publish quickly and don’t want to deal with the hassle (and potential heartbreak) of working with agents and editors. Here are some insights on how to self-publish a book.

How to Self-Publish a Book

Self-publishing empowers the author to make every decision regarding the book as a finished product. A checklist of considerations include:

• Writing the book.
• Editing and revising the book.
• Designing:
  • The book’s cover, or finding an artist to do so.
  • The book’s pages, including its font size, typefaces, kerning, letter spacing, and the type of paper itself.
  • Promotional images for marketing.
• Securing promotional blurbs for the book.
• Reserving an ISBN.
• Finding a printer and distributor for the book.
• Developing a marketing plan:
  • A social media strategy.
  • An author’s website.
  • Securing book reviewers.
  • Writing an author’s newsletter.
  • Deciding on the price of the book.
• Developing a distribution plan:
  • Deciding whether or not to sell on Amazon.
  • Selling your book on consignment with independent bookstores.
  • Bringing your book to conventions, readings, and literary gatherings.

In other words, self-publishing authors have their work cut out for them.

The good news is, these authors also make more money per book sale. Authors that publish through traditional publishers only make per-unit royalties after a publisher has paid back their own advance—and these royalties are typically 5-15% of the full price, as reported here. (In other words, around $1-$4 per sale.)

Self-publishing authors take home all the revenue after paying for printing and distribution. What this amounts to depends, of course, on what price you sell your book for. And, of course, traditional presses have well-developed marketing and distribution engines, whereas you are developing everything from scratch.

Self-Publishing Resources

Rather than reinvent the wheel, here are some resources that can help guide you through the process of self-publishing a book step-by-step.

• PRESStinely—Our friends here have a fantastic set of resources for authors looking to publish and promote their own books. (They’re also great to work with as publishing consultants!)
• Reedsy has a fairly comprehensive guide through the basic steps of self-publication, as does Selfpublishing.com.
  • Reedsy also has this guide to finding book publishing and promotion services.
• Our article 5 Tips on Self-Publishing Your Book offers additional guidance and mindset advice.

How to Publish a Book: Commonly Asked Questions

In no particular order, here are questions that all authors, both self- and traditionally-published, find themselves asking.

What is an ISBN?

ISBN stands for International Standard Book Number. ISBNs organize all books within the international systems of publication and distribution. Every book with an ISBN has the same ISBN in any country, in any part of the world.

This number is important primarily as an identifier of a book. It is also how most libraries and bookstores around the world track and organize works in their collection.

Traditionally published books are registered for ISBNs by the publisher. Self-published authors can learn more and register for an ISBN at this website; U.S.-based authors use a site called Bowker, which is the only licensed business for assigning ISBNs.

Do I Own the Copyright To My Book?

Typically, yes.

First, know that you automatically have the copyright to your work, so long as you wrote and did not plagiarize it. You do not need to register anything you write with the Library of Congress Copyright Office—or its equivalent in most non-U.S. countries.

You retain this copyright if you self-publish a book. If you publish with a traditional publisher, typically what you are selling to them is publishing rights. This means the publisher has the exclusive rights to print and distribute your book.

Occasionally, publishers may want to buy the copyright for your book. But if you plan on writing future books, if you want to retain creative ownership, or if you want to consider selling your rights in the future to a filmmaker, then retaining copyright is usually your best course of action.

You can learn more at this illuminating guide, as well as at Copyright.gov.

How Much Money Do Authors Make?

Not enough!

Occasionally, you might hear stories of authors encountering wild success early in their careers. Zadie Smith, for example, sold the rights to her first novel White Teeth while it was a partial manuscript, earning a £250K advance while she was still an undergraduate student.

But the vast majority of authors, including authors whose books make the bestseller list of The New York Times, make less money than that.

Aspiring Author has a great, if sobering, guide on what to expect for first-time novelists. Their report indicates that the average advance for a debut author is between $5-10K.

Contradicting the above guide, Mary Adkins reports that the average advances for books published between 2016-2021 varied by genre from $35-$90K. However, Adkins’ report is on averages, which will inevitably skew upwards from authors who are already famous or well-established. The median, in reality, is closer to $25K.

Remember also that this advance is not paid right away. Publishers typically pay in 3 or 4 installments, with each payment corresponding to a step in the process: final revisions, the book launch, etc.

Self-publishing is a different story. Traditionally published authors continue to make more money than self-published authors, but the difference has shrunk dramatically in the past ten years.

Publishers Weekly reports here that, in 2021, the median annual income for a self-published writer was $12,749. Again, this is money that comes entirely from the work of writing and self-promoting books: the most successful self-published authors are able to be both writers and entrepreneurs.

None of these numbers are meant to discourage you: they are simply predictive metrics for what the average author earns. Like any creative industry, success in the writing world is a crapshoot: brilliant books go undiscovered, and less-than-incredible books earn out their million dollar advances.

What Kind of Books Do People Want To Read?

This is a difficult question to respond to, because, ideally, you will write the book you need to write. Nonetheless, the book you need to write is not always the book that a publisher needs to buy—an annoying distinction borne from the existence of “The Market.”

The best way to get your thumb on the pulse of the literary market is to read a lot of books that have been published in the past 5 years, especially in your genre(s) of interest.

Pay particular attention to publishers you might want to publish you—or that you already read a lot of books from. What do the titles they publish have in common? Do they react to any contemporary historical circumstances? What trends in aesthetics, topics, and approaches to writing do you notice?

These and similar questions can help you determine the books that people are buying—and publishing. Outside of this, we can’t offer much guidance: the publishing industry is fickle, changes constantly, and cannot be entirely predicted.

(And, be sure to write the book you need to write, too, even if you don’t end up publishing it.)

People Are Reading Less. Should I Stop Trying To Publish a Book?

It is true that, at least in the United States, adults are reading fewer books each year. But that doesn’t mean you should stop writing.

Short-term trends do not imply long-term outlooks for literature. Yes, there are plenty of concerning factors right now: adults are busy, inundated with addictive short-form content, and members of a culture that seems oriented away from the pleasures and benefits of literature. And, yes, our culture and our technologies do not incentivize slowness, critical engagement, and independent thinking. Such are the perils of the 21st century.

But these perils are also imperatives to keep writing and publishing. All cultures go through cycles: our present-day contraction in adult literacy may one day reverse course, but it can only do so if writers continue to publish great works of literature.

Moreover, publishing is simply the end product of writing, but writers are drawn to writing because of a love of the written word. Getting your book published certainly validates your career as a writer, but do not confuse this with your worthiness, your ability, and your calling. All writers have something valuable to say, regardless of readership.

Learn How to Publish a Book at Writers.com

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