Capitalism favors those who are able to adapt to a changing environment and adjust accordingly to accommodate shifts in market demand and consumer tastes.

The publishing industry is undergoing a seismic shift. Traditional publishing houses, once bastions of literary prestige, are struggling to adapt to the digital age. This upheaval has created a landscape ripe with opportunities for authors seeking alternative paths to publication.
 
Today there is a plethora of publishing options available to writers. So as a promising writer, what are your options?  Let us emphasize here, if your book is good and finds its audience, it will not matter a hill of beans who your publisher may be.  But therein lies the rub.  Is your publisher truly interested in being the right partner for you? Choosing the right path, selecting the best publishing option based on your goals and preferences, means understanding your options.
 
Understanding Your Options:  

• Traditional Publishing
• Independent Publishing
• Hybrid Publishing: A Middle Ground
• Self-Publishing (Amazon KDP, IngramSpark), DIY or Disaster
• Innovative Publishing (Wordeee)…The Future of Publishing

Traditional Publishing
Traditional publishing requires an agent to submit work as un-agented works are absolutely not considered. The author is paid an advance and 15% of that goes to the agent. If a writer is needed for your work, they also will need to be paid from your advance. Advances are paid in three installments. The publisher is responsible for printing, editing, designing, marketing (which is nearly a thing of the past), and distributing your book. There will be a stringent submission process and your manuscript must be in tip-top shape which means you will have already spent a nice chunk of money for pre-editorial services. If your book is nonfiction, a proposal and three sample chapters must be submitted. If it is fiction, the entire book has to be submitted. Be patient because it can take several months to get an agent and several more to hear about a publisher's interest...if successful at landing a deal, then it will be 18-24 months before your book hits the shelf. You’ll generally have a loss of book rights for 7-10 years and limited creative control. Once your book is published, you will not receive any royalty until your advance has been paid back in full. 

Independent Publishing
There are great independent publishers out there. They do exactly what the big houses do except for the crazy advance. The drawback, your book will still take 18-24 months to get to market and you have to pay back your advance from sales.
 
Hybrid Publishing
Hybrid publishers are a middle ground.  More like quality control packagers, they charge a fee for packaging your book…i.e., design, editorial, etc., and distribute your books.  They offer other services as well and offer a higher royalty, some even say 100% because they have already made their money off of the fees they have charged you. Fees can range from usually $15-$150 thousand.  Again, do the math. Can you break even and see a ROI on your investment? Many money grab publishers can fall into this category, so do your homework well.  And if you are convinced you are planning on having a career as writer for the long haul, it’s no different than investing in yourself as you would if you wanted have any other profession.
 
Amazon, KDP Publishing
This is seemingly simple. If you have a manuscript that’s ready for publication…most are not…you can self-publish on Amazon. It’s a do-it-yourself kind of thing and you pray and hope someone will buy your book. If you publish on Amazon, it’s likely that bookstores will not carry your book as they are seen as the competition.  So be ready to roll up your sleeves. Amazon makes money when your book is sold and when you use their marketing tools to help give your book a leg up from the millions of books on their platform. You pray you can make money but that's entirely up to you and your marketing savvy.  You are also limited to format sizes according to their specs. But if your book is any good, you will have paid some money for layout, editing, proofing and cover design.  So, it’s not really free to you.  It’s a depository. I’d opt for another option with a publisher who truly appreciates your work.
 
IngramSpark Publishing
It’s also self-publishing and all of the above applies. The advantage here is that IngramSpark distributes their catalog with your book to bookstores and libraries, etc. Should a bookstore want your book, you will have to give bookstores a 55% discount and the book will have to be returnable. On top of that, you have to add printing charges as a part of your cost. The end result is you end up with little or no return on your investment…but you can claim authorship.  Another drawback, though not entirely, is that the books are printed on demand (POD) so there is a delay. Many bookstores might not like that, and they will definitely not purchase your book if the discount is not 55% and returnable. So, this is what happens…bookstores have 180 days to return unsold books….if your book does not sell and are returned, Ingram returns them to you and they are yours! So, get your garage ready. Another thing about Ingram and Amazon is you have no idea what your customer is receiving…nor the quality of the printing. And then try to get them on the phone to correct it…it can be a nightmare, to say the least, and there is always a catch phrase in their T&C (Terms & Conditions) that exempt them from their errors.
 
Innovative Publishing
This is where Wordeee falls. A total ecosystem for authors who are serious about their craft. In our model, the author is the captain of the ship. They invest in their success right alongside us. We are more of a media company than a publishing company and our publishing arm falls in between a hybrid publisher and a traditional publisher with significant advantages.  But we are self-contained with our distribution channel in addition to popular channels such as Ingram and Amazon. Because of our highly developed, proprietary technology, there is no more waiting on reports about your demographics or sale figures to know what traction your book has…as long as your readers are buying from us, your dashboard updates in real time…so you know how much money you are making and you, yes, you, can release your royalty at any time. For third party sales, such as bookstores and Amazon, those sales are also recorded to your dashboard so there is one place to get information. Selective, we only sign books that lend themselves to cross-platforming to other mediums. Our authors have the option of having their own show on Wordeee TV for which they share revenue. At Wordeee University, we have a score of resources to help you become a better writer, including classes on writing different genres.  At Wordeee, we make life easy.  Send us your manuscript and we do the rest, from evaluation and editorial to design and delivery...then to the marketplace, bookstores, libraries, Amazon, Ingram… with the best possible book for your readers to enjoy. And we bet you, you’ll not find better value. One thing our authors have said is, I can speak directly to the CEO or COO. Imagine that! That’s because our authors are like family, and we truly care about each and every one of them. To complete our 360-degree vision, our affiliate bookstore, HueMan Books, operates ten locations within Manhattan to host events for our authors.
 
Choosing your publishing partner is very important if alternate publishing is for you. Really understanding your objectives as you set out on your publishing discovery journey should be your goal. But if being a writer is your aspiration, our return to the cottage industry approach to publishing coupled with our technology, is worth investigating. Go to our website (wordeee.com) and request a consultation today.