For anyone who has started or wants to start on their journey of publishing a book, especially when they don’t have much knowledge of what the journey entails, it can be overwhelming. It can be even more daunting when deciding to go the self-publishing route, because that means you’ll be responsible for everything – EVERYTHING.
In this blog, I will share the stages of the publishing process you need to be aware of, so that you know exactly what you’re getting yourself into, what is expected of you, and what to expect, whether you choose traditional publishing or self-publishing. I’ll keep it as brief as possible so that you get a general overview and not be overwhelmed by all the information.
For the benefit of those who may not know, let’s define the two types of publishing in layman’s terms:
Traditional publishing is simply when you submit your manuscript to a publishing house and, upon their approval, they publish your book themselves. They bear all the costs and only pay you royalties (a percentage of the profits from the book sales) because they also have to recover the costs they incurred. Self-publishing, on the other hand, means that you complete all the publishing stages yourself, bearing all the costs and receiving 100% of the profits.
Now, let’s look into the different stages of publishing so that you can determine for yourself which is the best option for you, and most importantly which of the 2 options you’ll succeed in:
Evaluation
This stage is crucial. This is the stage that confirms whether you will successfully publish and actually sell your book.
The evaluation stage entails:
- Evaluation of the manuscript (Is it ready for publication? Is it complete? Are there further developments needed? Which editing levels does it need?)
- Identifying the target market (Does it exist? Who is the target market? Where can you find it? Will you be able to reach it? How can you reach it?)
- Budget (What is the budget for the complete publishing process? Is it enough?)
- Project management (Who will foresee the project and ensure that it’s executed to the highest level of professionalism that is in line with the publishing standard?)
With traditional publishing, this evaluation stage is not an issue as the publishing houses would already have experienced persons for this. With self-publishing, it may be a challenge, but it’s not impossible. All you need is the knowledge and being acquainted with service providers who have the experience and expertise. Here at Mpilo Publishing, we do provide consultation services in which we assist with the evaluation process. We also evaluate your manuscript and manage the publishing project.
Editorial
This stage entails determining the editing levels and providing the editing services required for your manuscript. Publishing houses would know what editing levels are required and would have the persons who would complete the necessary editing. With self-publishing, if you don’t have the qualifications, experience or expertise when it comes to editing, you will need the assistance of qualified language practitioners. Here at Mpilo Publishing, our freelance editors and proofreaders are affiliated with the Professional Editors’ Guild and have worked with publishing houses.
Production
This stage relates to the preparation of the physical (or even electronic or audio) version of the book – the final product. Some of the tasks within this stage include:
- Book cover design
- Layout and typesetting (the interior of the book)
- Illustrations (in the case of children’s books, books with charts, photographs, etc.)
- ISBN and barcodes
- Trim size (ensuring that the final manuscript after the layout and typesetting is in the correct trim size according to genre)
Again, with traditional publishing, this stage is not foreign because publishing houses have the expertise. With the self-publishing route, you must have the necessary software, expertise and knowledge to pull this one off – that’s if you want to maintain the same publishing standard as publishing houses. Alternatively, there are service providers that can assist you with this. We have a number of experienced freelance designers available.
Printing
There are many different types of printing and printing specifications that work for different types of books. For example: the type of printing (e.g. digital, litho), binding, and paper used for a cookbook is different from that of a memoir. A children’s activity book has different printing specifications compared to that of a journal. You also need to know how many books you need to print so that you choose the type of printing that would be most convenient in capacity and cost-wise. If you intend on overseeing the printing of your book yourself, you must be certain that the printers you choose can and have printed books such as yours. You need to be aware of the minimum number of books the printers can print and the printing cost. You also need to make sure that your final edited manuscript, with the layout and typesetting done, together with the bookcover are all printer-ready according to the trim size. Mpilo Publishing is already in partnership with trusted printers who have over 10 years of experience.
Marketing
In order for your target market to know your book exists, how they can benefit from it, and where they can find it, it has to be marketed. Publishing houses already have an existing market to whom they market every book they release; they already have platforms and planned events. As a first-time author, you may not have that advantage. It’s different if you are someone who is well-known, even if you’re known by a fairly large group of people who value your knowledge/ expertise that you would share in your book. You may be a coach, a speaker, and expert in a certain field. You can have a marketing strategy: using your book launch, speaking/ coaching engagements, your social media platforms, Google, LinkedIn. The key with a marketing strategy is knowing exactly where your target market is and thus using the correct platform and strategy to reach them. However, you also have to bear in mind that there will be costs involved for any skill you may need to outsource pertaining to marketing. Here at Mpilo Publishing, we offer a variety of marketing options to choose from.
Sales and distribution
Publishing houses already have distributors and bookstores they’ve partnered with. They have online platforms through which they sell books, e.g. online book stores; and platforms for digital products such as e-books and audio books. As an author opting for the self-publishing route, who will bear all the costs, you will need to determine which sale and distribution channel will work with your budget, unless you don’t have a budget and are happy to go all out. You will also need to gauge as to which sale and distribution channel your target market prefers: would they opt for a physical copy, an e-book or an audio book? Whatever the decision you make, you have to consider the costs involved, how many books you’d have to sell to recover those costs and make a profit. With that being said, you also need to determine the selling price. If you’re going to be using distributors and bookstores for your book, bear in mind that there will be costs involved, i.e. distributors and bookstores will take a percentage of your profits. There are also certain requirements your book has to meet before bookstores and distributors accept it.
As you can see from above, the self-publishing route may be challenging when doing it on your own, especially when you don’t have the skills, expertise and knowledge, but it’s not impossible. All you need is guidance from those who have the knowledge and services from experienced and skilled service providers.
There is a lot more to cover within each stage – details that may differ for each book project, but this is an overview of the publishing process. Hopefully through this blog, you now know the overview of the publishing process, what it entails, what would be expected of you should you opt for the self-publishing route, and what to expect when choosing the traditional route (provided that your manuscript is approved, of course).
P.S: Mpilo Publishing provides 1- hour online consultations. We are able to advise on the avenues that will accommodate your budget and goal for your book. We offer all services as per the self-publishing stages together with editors and proofreaders affiliated by the Professional Editors’ Guild and experienced designers. For consultation bookings and / or request for quotations, you can email us on admin@mpilopublishing.co.za.
Blogger:
Simthandile Mhlambiso – Founder and Managing Director of Mpilo Publishing (Pty) Ltd; Member of the South African Freelancers’ Association (safrea); Member of Professional Editors‘ Guild (PEG), Branch Secretary of PEG Committee – Western Cape.
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