You're an amazing writer and have just penned the next great American novel, but what's next? You have visions of your work shooting to the top of the Amazon sales list (both Kindle and print!) and in line to be a NY Times bestseller. While it may seem easy, these "overnight successes" from your favorite authors don't happen overnight -- and they certainly don't happen without the support of a team of professionals working diligently to make the author successful at each step of the way. While self-publishing may seem like the path of least resistance for getting your book out into the world, here are three of the reasons professionals authors still stick with the more traditional model of working with a publishing partner.
Publishing is both an extremely simple and infinitely complex process: you write a book and someone purchases it and gains knowledge or enjoyment from what you have shared. In between those two steps you still have to edit your book, define and design a cover, make decisions about distribution platforms, find an audience, sell the book and record the income. When you break down publishing into the steps involved, it's no wonder that professionals authors prefer to write and leave the other activities to those with more experience!
Some books catch your eye in a cringe-worthy way, but that's not going to be your book! Creating a style that is all your own that still fits within the parameters of successful authors is one way that design professionals who are familiar with the publishing industry are able to help. While authors need to be sure the look fits their brand and introduces the story, it's best to leave the actual layout and fonts to someone with greater design experience.
Writing and editing are dramatically different activities, and what makes you a great writer may not be the same skill set needed to become a stellar editor. Editors not only look for small grammatical issues that can be tough to spot, they also help provide a consistent flow to your work that can differentiate you from your competitors with similar content to share. Development editors are even able to help you refine your story, bringing together different plot points and nuances to improve your overall direction.
I'm a writer, so I should be able to pop on to social media and immediately grow my followers into the thousands, right?!? Not so fast! Social media is a notoriously difficult way to gain attention, especially if you are not laser-focused on your brand and how to engage with others. Publishing partners can provide tools and training that define best-practices for growing your platform and how to engage appropriately online. Creating this "voice" may be slightly different than your writing style, depending on the demographic that you're targeting -- and publishing professionals have the knowledge and experience to help you figure it out.
Ready to get started on your next great work? See the options that Infinity Publishing offers for professional writers like you. Over 7,000 authors have worked with Infinity Publishing since 1997, making us one of the longest-lasting independent publishing companies in the country. See how our exceptional staff can help polish your manuscript and get it distributed with major selling channels.