A Comprehensive Guide to Myth Busting in the Publishing Industry
Publishing is a glorious world but can appear intimidating to not just newcomers but sometimes also to seasoned authors. This is largely due to the misinformation that has piled up over the years about the industry. No doubt, it has been a traditionally gatekept industry but of late we have seen publishing being more welcoming and inclusive. We are seeing a cross-section of genres and authors.
All of this growth aside there are myths about the publishing industry looming large. If you are a publishing enthusiast and not living in a cave you’ve definitely heard a bunch of them.
Come let’s bust these myths for you:
Only traditional publishing can help you make money
The publishing industry has expanded its options a lot and thanks to this there are ample chances of earning off your books. The constantly growing market ensures your sales no matter which route you take toward publishing.
A self-publishing or a hybrid publishing organisation often times gives a higher percentage to the authors than traditional publishing.
Authors can edit their books
Now, this belief stems from the idea that editing is barely a grammar check, which it is not. Editing a book is an utterly technical job. No manuscript is reader-friendly in the first draft. Editing is having your draft go through multiple eyes and get polished, often times editing is rewriting entire passages. To make it precise, the hands that write a book can never be the only hands that edit it.
No contract without an agent
There is a prevalent notion that if your manuscript doesn’t get you an agent it will never get you a publishing contract. This scares first-time authors the most. This may be true for traditional publishing, but there are still brilliant authors who have chosen self-publishing and have seen the same growth as authors. All of this without getting an agent. Trust your manuscript and work on it instead of running blindly behind agents.
Publishers don’t market
This one had us rolling on the floors. The new-age publishing spaces are as devoted to the marketing campaign of your book as they are to editing and publishing it. However, this must be noted that the marketing of a book is very much dependent on an author and this is where we strongly advocate personal branding.
Publishers spend hefty amounts on marketing a book that they genuinely believe will garner sales. Keep that in mind when you sign the contract and talk about advance to your publisher. Being actively involved in the marketing process is important for the authors.
We guarantee you a best seller
We would love to do that for you, but we can’t. There is no publishing or marketing trick that we can pull to make that happen for you. However, every publishing house assures you the utmost dedication, honesty, and rectification to make your book the best version of it.
A good book will sell itself with good marketing.
Publishing Industry is a complex structure, without a doubt but with the wrong notions being circulated it was turning into a gatekept industry.
Now, with major publishing myths busted we hope it gives you a foot in the door. At Nu Voice Press we aim to make publishing accessible for people so that your dream to be published becomes a reality.