Publishing 101: What Are My Options?

August 17, 2023 | 4 min read

Publishing Options 101

As writers, we all dream of sharing our stories with the world. But publishing is a tricky business. And it's no secret that the publishing industry has changed greatly over the last decade — and continues to change. New avenues for sharing your work are popping up all the time.

We've put together a quick primer for those new to the publishing world to see what options you have when it comes time to publish your work.

 

Traditional Publishing

This is what most people think of when they think of publishing. You know, meeting with an old-school, high-profile editor in a skyscraper in New York, going on tour, and attending splashy release parties. Traditionally, this is what most writers aspire to achieve, to have their book accepted by a reputable publishing company.

How does it work? Traditional publishing involves sending your manuscript to an agent or publishing company for assessment. If your manuscript is accepted, the publishing company develops your manuscript with an editorial team, designs and publishes the book, and distributes it to book stores, libraries, and online retailers.

The Pros: The best part of traditional publishing is that you should receive some level of marketing support in order to reach a larger audience than if you were self-publishing. If you're one of the luckiest, you may even get major media placement or the opportunity to go on a book tour. (Note: Not all traditionally published authors get much of a marketing budget these days. You'll still need to work at promoting your books.) Another pro of traditional publishing is that the company covers major book-production costs, like editing, book cover design, book layout and interior design, and more.

The Cons: The biggest con is that your royalty as the writer will be small, and you will split it with your agent. The average royalty rate for traditionally published authors is 10%, according to Publish Drive. (Yes, it's that small!) Additionally, these days, most big publishers don't accept work from un-agented authors. That means that, first, you have to submit your manuscript to an agent. Finding an agent is a whole different story!

While most authors dream of signing with "The Big 5" (this refers to the biggest and most prestigious publishers: Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Penguin Random House, and Simon & Schuster) there are plenty of smaller publishers who publish great books, too. Some may even accept manuscript submissions from authors without an agent.

 

Self-Publishing

Self-publishing has become increasingly popular in recent years. While self-publishing is still a relatively young industry, it has exploded in the last decade, and there are now authors who are making just as much money or selling just as many books as their traditionally published counterparts.

How does it work? Self-publishing involves publishing your book independently, without the support of a publishing company. You're the project manager for everything from writing and editing to cover design and marketing.

The Pros: You have full creative control! You get to decide on the book cover and make all final decisions. An even bigger advantage is that self-publishing provides a much higher percentage of royalties compared to traditional publishing. Many self-published authors make their money just by selling ebooks on online platforms like Amazon and Barnes & Noble, both of which provide a 70% royalty rate. One of our brand partners, Campfire, is even launching a new monetization initiative on their platform, where authors can earn 80% royalties!

The Cons: You have full creative control, from book cover design to editing — and you have to pay for those things. Overall, self-publishing requires a lot of effort (and considerable financial investment) beyond the simple act of writing. You'll need to hire a designer for the book cover and an editor to polish your story, both of which can be expensive. From editing and formatting, to all marketing, you'll be doing this yourself — or hiring someone to help. Additionally, many bookstores and libraries do not stock self-published books.

In the end, though self-published authors often sell fewer copies of their books, the much higher royalty rate still makes many writers choose self-publishing.

A Note on E-Books & Print-On-Demand

With the rise of Amazon and tablet technology, e-books have become increasingly popular. E-books provide a lower cost of entry and a faster turnaround time. Additionally, e-books are not limited by storage or distribution issues.

The same platforms where you can self-publish an ebook have now adjusted for print. Authors can now easily self-publish print copies of their books with print-on-demand services. You simply upload a manuscript that has been formatted to the platform's specifications (you may need to hire a book formatter) and upload it to the platform. While the overall quality of these books may not be as high as a traditionally published book, it's incredibly easy to publish a print version of your book these days. (Just make sure to order an author copy to ship to yourself before you hit publish so you can see what it looks like in-person.)

 

Hybrid Publishing

The good news for modern authors is that you don't have to choose traditional publishing or self-publishing for your entire career. "Hybrid publishing" is a combination of both methods. Many authors start out with a traditional publisher and eventually decide to try self-publishing. Others start self-publishing and later get picked up by a publisher.

One thing to note is that once you self-publish a book, it is very unlikely that a publisher will consider that specific manuscript for publishing. So it is essential to consider all your options before making a decision for each book.


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Traditional publishing can be a challenging route to take, and as such, more and more authors are opting for self-publishing. However, with the rise of technology, more people are self-publishing, which leads to a crowded market and difficulty marketing. For some, traditional publishings represents the experience they want to strive for.

It’s essential to weigh the benefits and consider the costs before deciding on a publishing route. One thing is for certain: It has never been a more exciting time to be a writer!

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In September of 2014, co-founders Adam Leeb and Patrick Paul entered Hemingwrite into the “Insert Coin” hardware competition sponsored by Engadget. Described as a new digital consumer product for distraction-free writing composition, Hemingwrite aimed to deliver a singular focus on a productive writing experience. A decade later, that core mission remains unchanged.
Hemingwrite was one of 20 inventions competing that week, highlighting early-stage hardware startups from around the world that had not yet received funding or shipped to consumers.
"What the Kindle did for reading, we want to do for writing," said co-founder Patrick Paul at the time."We set out to deliver the same distraction-free writing experience of a typewriter with all of the added benefits of modern technology."
Co-founder Adam Leeb added,  "We combined all of the best aspects of the typewriter, theMoleskine, and the computer to create a modern classic."
Althoughthe Hemingwrite concept  didn’t win the competition,  the initial coverage by Engadget led to another press hit and then another and quickly it became a viral sensation around the world. The project was covered in everything from The Wall Street Journal to The Atlantic. Over 125,000 people came to the simple wordpress website at hemingwrite.com and over 8,000 anxiously input their email asking for updates on the project.
Adam and Patrick knew they had something special on their hands but weren’t sure if anyone was willing to pay for this idea or if it was simply interesting. On December 10, 2014 the Kickstarter campaign was launched and immediately the pledge dollars started rolling in. Within 20 hours of launch, the campaign had raised over $200,000! And just like that, the Hemingwrite distraction-free writing tool concept became destined for reality.
How It’s Going
Since that initial launch, we have developed Freewrite into a family of distraction-free writing tools with three distinct models, Smart Typewriter, Traveler, and Alpha. Each has their distinct personality, but the core value of maximizing writer productivity runs throughout. 
In 2020, The original Freewrite Smart Typewriter became part of the Science Museum, London’s permanent Printing & Writing Collection.
The name Hemingwrite was dropped in 2015 and then revived in 2021 with the Ernest Hemingway Special Edition Smart Typewriter in partnership with the Ernest Hemingway Estate. 
We’ve created Sprinter for distraction-free writing in any browser and WTF where thousands of people every week receive a writing prompt and participate in Writing Time Friday. 
The community's achievements over the past decade have been  astounding:
  • Freewrite users have created over 600,000 documents
  • Collectively,users have written more than 605 million words (equivalent to over 6,000 novels!)
It’s hard to believe that it’s already been 10 years but it also feels like we are just getting started.
To kick things off:
One Year Warranty: Now Standard
We are extending our warranty that covers manufacturer’s defects to a full year on all Freewrite devices. This means you can enjoy your Freewrite with even greater peace of mind, knowing that we've got you covered for an entire year. 

For more information, please visit our dedicated article on our new warranty policy here: Introducing Freewrite's New 1-Year Warranty: Our Commitment to You
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As of October 1, 2024, we are extending our standard warranty that covers manufacturer’s defects to a full year on all Freewrite devices. This means you can enjoy your Freewrite with even greater peace of mind, knowing that we've got you covered for a full 12 months from the date of shipment. We’re even retroactively applying the warranty extension to purchases made this year.

Here is how our new 1-year warranty will work:
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    • For example, if your device shipped on March 1, 2024, your warranty would have expired on May 30, 2024, but will now expire on March 1, 2025.
  • If you purchased an Extended Warranty in addition to your device in 2024, you will receive both the new 12-month standard warranty coverage from the date of shipment, as well as the additional coverage period from your paid extended warranty.
    • For example, if your device shipped on March 1, 2024, with a 2-year Extended Warranty:
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      • Your 2-year Extended Warranty coverage will begin on March 1, 2025, and continue until March 1, 2027.



Your trust in our products is paramount to us, and this warranty extension reflects our dedication to your satisfaction and our confidence in the quality and reliability of our devices.

Thank you for choosing Freewrite; we look forward to serving you for many years to come. Write on!

 

- The Freewrite Team



Important Notes:

  • For devices purchased in 2023 or earlier, the original 90-day warranty applies, in addition to any paid Extended Warranty coverage.
  • If you purchased your device in 2023 or earlier, without an Extended Warranty, unfortunately, your warranty has now expired.
  • We are unable to offer refunds for prior out-of-warranty repairs.

 

Useful Links:

Official Freewrite Warranty Policy

Warranty Support Doc