In my last blog post, we looked at some case studies for two methods of publishing a nonfiction book, both using the traditional method and self-publishing. There are advantages and disadvantages to both of these methods and it is not always obvious which is the best option in any given situation. In this week’s blog post, we will be looking at a third option – using an assisted publishing service. There are many cases where this may actually be the best option. However, we will start by quickly going over the three possible publishing methods.
Traditional Publishing
Traditional publishing is what most people imagine when they think of publishing a book. This is when you sell your book to a publisher and they will take care of all the required tasks for it to be ready, such as editing, cover design and marketing. Bear in mind that this will mean you don’t have the final say in these decisions. You will not receive all the profits, instead, you get a certain percentage of the profits. However, you may be given an upfront payment before your book is ready to be published. This will then need to be repaid out of your percentage of profits.
Self-Publishing
Self-publishing is what it sounds like – you organise all the elements of the publishing process. This does not literally mean that you personally have to edit your book or design the cover, just that you have to research, choose and pay for professionals to do all of these tasks for you. This is obviously expensive for you, as well as taking a lot of your time. However, the advantage of this is that you have complete control over the whole process and can choose exactly what you want from it. You can also work to your own deadlines and change these if necessary.
Assisted Publishing
Assisted publishing can best be described as a blend of the two above methods. You will work with a company to get your book published. As with traditional publishing, the assisted publishing company will take care of organising all of the individual services required before publication. However, you will be able to make all of the decisions about this yourself, rather than having to go with what the publisher decides.
Case Studies
Fahim
Fahim has finished writing his book, but has not yet considered a book proposal and is unsure he wants to do this. He works full time as a research assistant, which leaves him with some free time, but not a lot. However, he would like to spend at least some time working on the publication process, as he is keen to know how it works and has some fixed ideas about what he wants for the book. He doesn’t have much disposable income, although he does have savings that he would be happy to spend on his book. This will be his first writing project and he hasn’t yet been the author of any academic papers.
Based on this information, it seems like assisted publishing would be a good fit for Fahim, as this does not need a book proposal. He would be able to fund it from his savings, as assisted publishing can be quite expensive – not only would he be paying for all of the individual services, he would also be paying for the company to organise it all. However, using an assisted publishing company will give Fahim more control over the publishing process and allow him to see it in detail, getting guidance from the assisted publishing company about what works best. It is also less intensive, meaning Fahim can take a more hands-off approach when he is busy.
Clara
Clara has written the majority of her book and has also written a book proposal. She works part-time in a laboratory, so she does have some time she could devote to her book, but she would have to fund anything entirely out of savings. Although Clara has published several well-received scientific papers in the past, this would be her first book and she is unsure how she should go about it. However, one of her friends has successfully self-published a book in the past, so Clara could ask them for advice and information.
Assisted publishing could also work for Clara, but there are other options she could consider as well that might suit her better. As she has a book proposal written, she could try pitching to traditional publishers, which would then not require any of her savings.
Alternatively, Clara could try self-publishing. She has some time and money that she could use for this and a friend she could ask for advice. Ultimately, it will come down to personal preference and what works best for Clara.
Wrapping Up
I hope that these case studies help you to think about and decide how to publish your book. In my next blog post, we will be looking at what a nonfiction book proposal is, so come back in two weeks for that!
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