Confessions of a Novice Author - Part Two

A local publisher once shared an analogy with me: writing a book is like conception — it’s the fun part. Finding a publisher and marketing your book is pregnancy. Everything after that is parenting. Figuratively speaking, I’m now in the pregnancy stage.

My first major decision was to skip the traditional publishing route. For starters, my book deals with timely themes, and most major publishers only work through literary agents. That process takes time. On top of that, agents typically take a 15% commission on sales. That costs money. And finally, traditional publishers often retain strict ownership rights — editing, distribution, royalties. No thanks.

At the other end of the spectrum is self‑publishing. I started down that path. I secured a copyright and even tried my hand at cover design — it wasn’t very good. I found some independent editors and marketers whose terms seemed reasonable, but I had no real sense of their credibility or the quality of their work. Back to the drawing board.

That led me to hybrid publishers. Their model requires upfront costs for publishing, marketing, and other services, but in return, the author keeps all rights and earns a larger share of sales. The challenge is that some firms in this space will accept almost anything. I spent a lot of time researching reputable, respected companies.

Preferring local talent, my first stop was a nearby publisher — and it was a total rush knowing someone was actually interested in my book. I literally jumped for joy. I had a list of questions ready, but what stressed me out most (and I wish I were kidding) was figuring out what to wear to the meeting.

I ended up buying a pair of “dressy jeans,” and because I’ve known the salesman for years, he rushed them to a tailor. When I came back for the pickup, he suggested I bring in a few sport coats and helped me choose a complementary shirt. Being somewhat of a nerd, this actually boosted my confidence for the big meeting.

The meeting itself went well. The owner proudly showed me the books they’d produced and walked me through their process. I was impressed, but there was one deal‑breaker: they didn’t offer marketing — only a “how‑to” guide. Not for me. Darn it.

On the national level, my research pointed to three highly respected hybrid publishers: Greenleaf, Amplify, and a third I won’t name because they never responded. Still, having two out of three nationally recognized firms interested in my book was beyond my wildest dreams. I spent weeks negotiating terms. Greenleaf was terrific — I genuinely liked them — but their business model wasn’t the right fit for me. In the end, I chose Amplify.

As things stand now, the book has been edited, and we’re about to begin developing the marketing plan. I’ll share that experience in a future post.

Hope to see you soon.