Please Do Not Feed the Pigs: A Critical View of the Traditional Publishing Industry

Hey. You. Starry-eyed writer.

You.

Listen to me. I know you just want to write your stories and, God willing, get paid for it, but there is a crowd of people who will offer to help you get published.

*takes your little face in my hands*

Don’t assume you can trust them, nor that you actually need what they’re offering.

Let’s face it: new authors are scared and impressionable, and that makes us easy targets. This industry is like a secret society; it feels like you can’t find an in anywhere, no matter how good your writing is. So whenever someone waves and calls, “Yoohoo! New writers! I know what it takes to get your book on the shelf, and I’ll help you get there,” you feel like your white knight has arrived to save you.

Maybe they will deliver on what they’re offering. Maybe they won’t. But how will you know before hopping on the back of their horse?

It’s not easy, but I’ve learned a few lessons I’m going to share with you. I’m a self-published author who’s been through this, and it really pisses me off how many people offer vague or even fake services to starry-eyed authors so that they can get our money.

So let me armor you up against the enemies you’re about to face.

Traditional publishers will not do as much as you think.

I wanted to be traditionally published (before I learned more about the industry) because I thought that if I had a traditional publisher, they would:

1. Bestow confidence in my work by choosing me.
2. Edit my book.
3. Help me design a cover.
4. Market the book for me.

If any of these are the reason why you want a traditional publisher, it’s time for a reality check.

1. In order to even be considered by an agent, your book must already be professionally edited.
2. No publisher will hear you out unless you go through an agent. Agents are in absurdly high demand, and it may take years for you to get more than a polite form letter informing you they’ve passed over you. It’s like the current job market: usually, you won’t hear anything back.
3. The publisher will choose your book’s cover and title. If you’re lucky, you might get to decide between two options.
4. You’ll have to do your own marketing. Traditional publishers can offer some connection to bookstores, but you can get accepted by booksellers even as a self-published author.
5. Traditional publishers will take a large percentage of your sales, which they contributed little to achieve.

It’s not often that I take a hard stance on something like this, but I implore you: Self-publish your book. You can do a way better job and they don’t deserve such a massive cut of the profits and years of your life in exchange for a little condescending attention.

Everyone wants some of your money, and they don’t need your book to succeed to get it.

Most blog articles about publishing are too vague to actually help, but have really clicky titles so you can help them build their platform. The same is true of publishing services. People will offer you all kinds of services, from formatting, editing, marketing, placement of your book in stores, to personal coaching in any of the above, and you need to make sure they’re really motivated to deliver on their promises before offering your credit card.

One major scam to be aware of is reading fees. Only fake agents charge a “reading fee” for the privilege of considering representing your novel; these scammers pocket the cash and then ghost you. They’ve got their money, so what’s their motivation to help you succeed? A real agent only gets paid when you do. If you choose to go that route, expect them to take a 10% cut.

Some people will offer an “insider scoop” or access to others in the market by charging a monthly fee for you to visit the most elementary website you’ve ever seen. Others will offer to sell you ISBNs, when all ISBNs come from Bowker and these middle men are just charging you extra for the privilege of doing the clicking.

Just because you would never screw over an aspiring artist or hawk a crap product does not mean that other people won’t do it to you. Not to be the capitalist in the room, but anytime someone offers you something, really take time to figure out what they’re getting in return and whether it’s worth the investment.

Know what you actually need and what it’s worth.

If you want to publish your book, this is your official shopping list. These are the things you cannot avoid spending money on if you want a good product, a.k.a. a book you can be proud of.

1. Professional editing – Expect to pay at least $1,000. The exact cost will increase with the size of the work, the prestige of the editor, and how soon you need it done. Just make sure you have an editor who’s perfect for your project, because then it’s worth every penny. I found my editor through Reedsy, which allows you to connect with editors based on their genre and availability. You start by sending a brief of your project and what you’d like them to do, and they’ll respond with a quote. For more information on what types of editing are out there and what type you might need, I recommend this Reedsy article.
2. Formatting services or software – I went with the latter and recommend Vellum (Apple) or Scrivener (PC). There are also people who will format your book for you. Just dig into reviews and vet them carefully.
3. Cover art – This can cost from a few hundred to $1,000. If you’d like to try your own hand at design, try creating it with Canva, which offers a free tier or pro versions for a subscription fee. Just like finding an editor, it’s crucial that you find someone who is a good fit and shares your vision. It’s good to know as much as you can about what you want in a cover, so have examples ready and tell them what you like about each. But here’s a little word of advice: Give your artist a little room to do what they do. They’re artists (that’s why you’re hiring them), and chances are they’ll be able to build on your ideas and come up with something even cooler. My cover for Angels Strange and Beautiful followed my vision beautifully, but Abbey came up with ways to incorporate the elements and add a few more that completely blew my mind. Just be kind, be honest, and work toward a vision you both love. One more note: A beautiful, professional-looking cover is what often separates indie authors who get positive attention and ones who come across as sloppy and homemade. Put the love into the cover that you put into the story. After all, it’s the reader’s first impression of your book, so make sure it gives them a firm handshake!
4. ISBNs – Each format (paperback, hardback, ebook) needs its own. It’s a better deal if you buy a block of them. You can assign them as you go along. Many places will offer to sell you ISBNs, but in the end, they all come from the same place, and that’s Bowker. Everyone else who offers them is ultimately getting them from there, but you’re paying a little extra in order for them to be the middle man. Translation: Go straight to Bowker.
5. Copyright registration – You register through the U.S. Copyright Office. I paid about $65. Not much, but it goes a long way to protect your work. It’s very difficult to protect your work in court if you haven’t registered the copyright, even though copyright technically attaches automatically.
6. Upload fees – $50-100 for IngramSpark or Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) with Amazon.
7. Domain and hosting for your website. This varies and is usually a monthly or yearly fee.

Note: The only services you can expect from a traditional publisher are numbers 2 and 3. And they will siphon 75% or more of your profits to do so.

These are the basics. You might want other services or merch as you go along, but these are the ones you can’t avoid. If someone offers you a deal where you pay significantly less than this, be suspicious.

Keep in mind, this is just for publishing. Marketing is a whole other animal.

As far as what things are worth, one of the best things you can do is shop around. Except for ISBNs, almost every service is offered by multiple sources, so make sure you’re getting the best deal.

Compare specifics: What are you giving them, and what are you getting in return?

Some of the best-sounding promises sound that way because they are vague. No matter what service you pay for, get the details. Be nosy. Don’t be afraid to come across as a bit of a cynic. If they can take your money, they can explain what it’s for before the money changes hands. In fact, they owe it to you to make sure you understand what they’re getting, and if they get upset about you wanting to look behind the curtain, you’ve got your answer about whether or not to trust them.

Scammers and legit services alike will try to make you feel as if you can’t achieve your dreams without their help specifically. Don’t let their false sense of urgency get you down (it’s a marketing tactic). Sleep on decisions, especially ones that involve a lot of money. Read reviews. If there isn’t much information, assume it’s a scam.

The best way to save yourself money and headaches is to do your own research before you pay for anything. Learn about the industry, even the parts you don’t plan to do yourself. You should never pay for a service without understanding what it is or why you need it. Start with the bare bones of what you need and then build up from there.

The Bottom Line

Not everyone is out to get you, but a remarkable number of people are. (Seriously, I had people calling me and offering to “help publish my book” simply because I’d recently registered a copyright. Can we say “stalkery”?)

You’re a creator. Don’t let people take advantage of your artistic focus and scare you into paying them to do things you can do yourself or get a better deal from someone else. The more research you do, the better position you’ll be in to see through the scams and recognize real and helpful services. Because let’s be honest, that’s what your book deserves.

And above all…

PLEASE DO NOT FEED THE PIGS!