Traditional Publisher vs Vanity Press vs Hybrid Publisher

TRADITIONAL PUBLISHERS

​

Traditional book publishing is when a publisher offers the author a contract - usually with an advance of expected royalties -  and, in turn, prints, publishes, and sells your book through booksellers and other retailers. The publisher essentially buys the right to publish your book and pays you royalties from the sales.

​

If you want to publish a book traditionally, most writers need to find an agent. In order to find one, you must identify the right category for your writing. If you are or want to be a non-fiction writer, you will need to search for agents in that genre and submit a book proposal with three sample chapters and a synopsis of each chapter. If you are writing fiction, you must have your manuscript complete.

Once these steps are accomplished, you're ready to write a query letter. This letter is what you will send to potential agents. Once an agent accepts your book, he or she attempts to sell its rights to a publisher. Typically the agent retains 15% of your advance and royalties.