Best Publishing Companies – What are your options when it comes to publishing your book, and what is the best option? This article by a former literary agent and publishing house marketing executive explains.
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Finding the Best Publishing Companies
The Challenge
The main challenge with trying to find the best publishing companies is that there’s a lot of misinformation on the Internet. And that’s because there are a lot of bad publishing companies. Most of them aren’t doing anything illegal, but their marketing practices are deceptive.
These publishers don’t lie outright (they’re smarter than that), but they do mislead people. I’ve talked to countless authors who’ve gotten sucked into the bad publisher trap, including two more this week that I “saved” (their words). So I’m writing this article in case my insider knowledge might help you, too.
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The Best Publishing Companies
Forget the Old Terms
To help you understand what the best publishing companies are, I’m going to explain the four different types of book publishers and share the pros and cons of each. However, I’m not going to use some of the common terms you might already be familiar with such as: traditional book publishing companies, self-publishing companies, and vanity publishers.
That’s because the old terms for publishing companies are part of the problem. Some publishers have recently started calling themselves “traditional publishers” when they’re not. Other publishers have introduced a new and confusing term called “co-operative publishing.” And, next week, publishers will come up with yet another term designed to confuse you, and extract as much money as possible from your wallet.
So…
Instead of talking “terms” I’m going to focus on dollars and sense. In other words, I’m going to show you the only thing that matters: how each book publisher’s business model is set up. By that I mean how the four different types of publishing companies make money—because that’s the best indicator of what your publisher is going to do (or not do) for you.
By the time you’re done reading this article you’ll be able to discern what the best publishing companies are, no matter what clever terms they use. You’ll be able to see who’s going to work the hardest to make your book successful.
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The Best Publishing Companies
4 Types of Book Publishers
Every author is different, so the best publishing companies for someone else might not be the best publishing companies for you. However, I’ve included the pros and cons for each type of publishing company below to help you figure out which option is the best for you.
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The Best Publishing Companies – #1
Publishers that Pay You Up Front and Pay You Later
These are the best publishing companies. This type of book publisher (like Random House) writes you a check for your book before it’s even published. That’s how sure they are that your book will be successful. This type of up front payment is called an author advance.
If a publisher is willing to pay you money up front (and not ask you for money), it’s much more likely they’re legitimate (not trying to rip you off). It’s also much more likely they’re going to put time, energy, and marketing money into making your book successful. They’re one of the best publishing companies.
Why?
Because they have
a lot at stake.
If they don’t make your book successful, the author advance they paid you will be a loss for them. So will all of the time, energy, and money they invest in the editing, layout, cover design, physical and/or eBook production (most publishers in this category do both), distribution, sales, publicity, marketing, and advertising of your book.
This type of publisher also pays you a percentage of the money they make each time they sell a copy of your book (commonly referred to in the industry as author royalties). The percentage of money you make off each book sold will vary depending on your contract, but no matter how you slice and dice it, there’s very little risk for you working with this type of publisher—and a lot of potential upside (since the publisher is paying for everything and doing all the work).
Important: Some slimy publishers (pretending to be one of the best publishing companies) have recently started calling themselves traditional publishers, even though they’re not. They pay their authors (or some of their authors) a very small advance, sometimes $100 or (in some cases just $1), so they can say they’re a traditional publisher. But then they require you to pay them thousands of dollars for various services. I’ll explain more about this type of publisher in a moment. For now, just know that any publisher that requires you to pay them (even if they’ve paid you something as well) is NOT a traditional publisher (or one of the best publishing companies).
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The Best Publishing Companies – #2
Publishers that Only Pay You Later
Publishers in this category are sometimes some of the best publishing companies–but sometimes they aren’t. These book publishers don’t require you to pay them anything; but they don’t pay you an advance, either. Instead, they only pay author royalties. The problem with this category of publisher is that it includes reputable publishers, incompetent publishers, and nonreputable publishers.
And it can be difficult
to tell the difference.
The reputable publishers in this category are some of the best publishing companies. They’d like to pay you an author advance, but they’re not making enough money to justify it; however, they do invest their time, energy, and marketing dollars into making your book successful. These publishers don’t have as much to lose since they don’t pay advances, so there’s no getting around the fact that this type of publisher isn’t going to be as motivated to make your book successful. This type of publisher is also going to print less books (again, less of a financial risk for them). And, some publishers in this category aren’t going to create a print version of your book at all. Instead, they’ll just create an eBook (which you could do on your own and potentially make more money because you wouldn’t have to share the profit). Then they’ll produce a print book if/when they know it’s going to sell.
The incompetent publishers in this category do everything that the reputable publishers above do, but they don’t have the background and experience to sustain a successful business. Not the best publishing companies. New book publishers in this category pop up every year, then fade away into oblivion. They might say all the right things to you, and have good intentions, but they’re trying to figure everything out as they go, using your book as a guinea pig. If they want to gamble on someone’s future, I say they should gamble on their own—and go to Vegas.
Then there are the nonreputable publishers in this category, that also can’t be called the best publishing companies. They don’t care about you or your book. Again, they might say the right things… but they’re simply “playing the numbers.” They hand out book contracts like candy on Halloween to anyone with a hand out. And they invest as little time and money as possible to get your book out there. Not the best publishing companies, by a long shot. Nonreputable publishers almost always produce eBooks only (less expensive) and they create them with poor quality cover art, layout, and editing (again, pinching pennies at your expense). What are these publishers thinking? They know that some of the authors they take on are going to “get lucky” or do a lot of marketing on their own and sell a lot of books. These nonreputable publishers hope and pray that some of their authors make it big (without their help) so they can then ride their coattails… all the way to the bank.
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The Best Publishing Companies – #3
Publishers that Make You Pay Them
This type of publisher is all the way at the bottom of my list of the best publishing companies. They won’t publish your book in any format (print or eBook) unless you pay them. And, your required investment will be significant—thousands of dollars or tens of thousands of dollars. In addition, this type of publisher will take a significant percentage of the money that comes in each time one of your books is sold.
Now, before I rip these publishers to shreds let me say…
This type of publisher is a good fit for authors who:
* Have money to burn
* Don’t need to sell books or make money on book sales
* Want to get their book published as quickly as possible
* Are okay with their publisher not selling any or many books
I don’t care if a publisher tells you that they pay some of their authors an advance (just not you) so that makes them a traditional publisher; if they ask you for money, they’re not a traditional publisher. If they were successful, they wouldn’t need any of their authors to pay them. If they believed your book could sell—and that they could sell it—they wouldn’t ask you to pay them.
Think about it.
I also don’t care if a publisher tells you that they’re “exclusive” and they only publish a select number of titles each year. It’s bull. If they’re taking money from authors, that means they’re taking money from pretty much anyone willing to pay them. For the most part, they’re just a glorified “book printer.”
So…
If a publisher asks you for money, there’s a 99% chance they’re not the best publishing company for you. If they ask you for money, it means they make virtually all of their income off the payments they collect from authors up front (and payments for additional marketing opportunities they’ll be pitching you on later).
It doesn’t matter how they word it, or what they say the money is for. They’re asking you to pay them. That means they don’t have anything to lose by simply taking your money and then doing nothing. Since they’re not investing financially in your book, they’re simply not motivated to make your book successful… the way that the best publishing companies are.
This type of book publisher is just another example of a publishing company playing the numbers. They know that some of their authors are going to “get lucky” or do a lot of marketing on their own and sell a lot of books. So these publishing companies spend most of their time marketing themselves, not you and your book.
The most offensive part of this scenario (to me, anyway) is that you can pay a publisher like this $10,000 or more and they might not even print any books. Instead, they often just create an eBook edition and physical books are printed “on demand” (that means they only print a book when someone orders one).
Again, no risk for them.
Think about it.
When a publisher like Random House pays to print 50,000 copies of a book, how motivated do you think they are to sell it? Exactly. I can’t make it any clearer than that.
Still don’t believe me?
Show me one author who’s published more than one
book with a publisher like this because they were
so happy with the results they got.
No???
That’s what
I thought.
* * *
The Best Publishing Companies – #4
You As the Publisher
Although publishing your own book doesn’t really fit on a list of best publishing companies, I thought I should include it as an option so you could see where it fits in. This option means you doing (or at least overseeing) absolutely everything involved with your book: editing, layout, cover design, printing, distribution, sales, publicity, marketing, and advertising.
The downside to this option is obvious…
You doing everything.
Unless you want to be a publisher and not an author (spending all your time producing and selling books), this isn’t your best option. There is an upside to this option though. You get to maintain complete control, go as fast as you want, and keep all the profit. But there’s also a tremendous learning curve involved. And you’ll probably find yourself finding you no longer have time to write.
Still thinking about self-publishing?
Click here to read my two other
articles about self-publishing:
* Should I Self-Publish My Book?
And share your thoughts
and questions below…
– Mark
* * *
* * *
MARK MALATESTA is a former literary agent turned author coach. Mark now helps authors of all genres (fiction, nonfiction, and children's books) get top literary agents, publishers, and book deals through his company 
MARK MALATESTA is a former literary agent turned author coach. Mark now helps authors of all genres (fiction, nonfiction, and children's books) get top literary agents, publishers, and book deals through his company 
PROPHECY OF “EQUALITY”
The world’s civil and moral balance needs strong equal rights for racism and ending discrimination of the female half. Unfair profit hoarding by the elite, of the profits created by the workers, including managers and consumers, better meant for all people’s needs, not just for the greed of a few who incite power wars. As current bullies of inequality edge us closer to nuclear destruction.
No interest in helping, after years of trying to find someone?
Hi Betty,
I’m not sure what you mean.
You can use the many resources on our websites…
First, if you haven’t already done so, click here to access all the valuable resources I have about getting an agent in my private, members-only area (no charge): https://thebestsellingauthor.com/membership/. Once you’ve entered your name and email address there, click on the link that says, “Audio Training Library”. Then you’ll see my main audio training (and text transcript), which reveals the 7 Insider Secrets You Need to Know to Get a Top Literary Agent, Publisher, and Book Deal.
Second, look at the 50 questions authors ask me most (with my answers) on my FAQ page here: https://thebestsellingauthor.com/ask/.
Third, you can post your question(s) for me on that same webpage (just make sure you look at all the Frequently Asked Questions first to make sure I haven’t already answered your question in the FAQ).
All my best,
– Mark
Mark Malatesta
http://markmalatesta.com
The Bestselling Author
https://thebestsellingauthor.com
Literary Agent Undercover
https://literary-agents.com
Mark how can I get a traditional agent to check out my self published book? I can break my contract with Xlibris, who by the way took $25,000 dollars from my husband and has only sent me $190 dollars in royalties, when I actually sold at least $1000!!!! I am a first time author, so I was easily duped. Please help me if you can, People who have read my book, two traditional published authors among them, say it is great. HELP!!!!
Hi Elisa, I hate reading stories like that… hopefully things will get better soon. As a next step, take a look at my FAQ here which talks about some things that you’ll find helpful in your situation: https://thebestsellingauthor.com/ask/. And, if you haven’t already done so, click here to access all the other valuable resources I have about getting an agent in my private, members-only area (no charge): https://thebestsellingauthor.com/membership/. Once you’ve entered your name and email address there, click on the link that says, “Audio Training Library”. Then you’ll see my main audio training (and text transcript), which reveals the 7 Insider Secrets You Need to Know to Get a Top Literary Agent, Publisher, and Book Deal. You can also post another question(s) for me on my FAQ webpage (just make sure you look at all the Frequently Asked Questions first to make sure I haven’t already answered your question in the FAQ). I’m looking forward to learning more about you and your work, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend.
All my best,
– Mark
Mark Malatesta
http://markmalatesta.com
The Bestselling Author
https://thebestsellingauthor.com
Literary Agent Undercover
https://literary-agents.com
Hi Mark
Thank you for your information. Being as it is a 2+ year old article, how has the publishing world changed? More specifically, what if a publisher is going to pay all the production costs, however they contract in for the author to purchase 1000 copies over the course of the contract. Even more specifically: Morgan James Publishing? Thank you for any insight.
Hi Lisa,
You’re welcome and nothing has changed in that regard.. no matter how a publisher spins it… if they’re asking you to spend money… it’s not as good as a publisher that isn’t. If you want help with anything else, you can post questions for me online here: https://thebestsellingauthor.com/ask/. You can also (if you haven’t done so already) get access (no cost) to all the valuable resources in our private, members-only area here: https://thebestsellingauthor.com/membership/. And you can register for an introductory coaching call with me here: https://thebestsellingauthor.com/coaching/intro-call/. Either way, I’m looking forward to learning more about you and your work.
Have a great day,
– Mark
Mark Malatesta
http://markmalatesta.com
The Bestselling Author
https://thebestsellingauthor.com
Literary Agent Undercover
https://literary-agents.com
Thank you, Mark, You just described 95% of the Publishers out there.Thank you for clarifying. It makes the search for the right publisher much easier! Don’t Settle! Stick to your belief in your book, and don’t settle for anything less!
🙂
– Mark
Mark Malatesta
The Bestselling Author
http://thebestsellingauthor.com
Literary Agent Undercover
https://literary-agents.com
Thanks Mark! I’ve been following your posts/blog for a while. Glad I “found you.” I’ll be a coaching client soon–I want to get my book published.
Aimed at crossover audience–seniors looking to successfully plan their later years, & family members who will/are helping aging loved ones do it. I’ve had a publisher nibble,there is a recent addition to a very shallow pool of guide/narrative style exploration of topic from a Boston surgeon. Promise!I’ll be in touch this summer. Jan Grupp
Hi Jan, sounds good, happy to help if I can and, in the meantime, happy 4th of July and have a great week!
Mark Malatesta
The Bestselling Author
http://thebestsellingauthor.com
Literary Agent Undercover
https://literary-agents.com
Hi Mark ,
I did self publishing with Vantage Press and paid $6,000 and more for sixty page book of simply poetry stuff which was a disappointing experience .
I had to buy the books and find my own market while they collect and do absolutely nothing which was violation of contract,only that i was glad to see my own words and ideas in printed book form
Hi Glen, sorry to hear that…
The good news, if I haven’t already told you this and/or you don’t already know, is that it’s never too late for a previously published author to get a literary agent, traditional publisher, and book deal… but it can be tricky. Read this article which talks about that, and a few other things you might find interesting and helpful: https://literary-agents.com/its-not-what-you-say/.
Also…
If you haven’t already done so, you should click here to access to all the valuable resources I have about getting an agent in my private, members-only area (no charge): http://thebestsellingauthor.com/membership/. Once you’ve entered your name and email address there, click on the link that says, “Audio Training Library”. Then you’ll see my main audio training (and text transcript), which reveals the 7 Insider Secrets You Need to Know to Get a Top Literary Agent, Publisher, and Book Deal.
If you want help with anything else, you can post questions for me online here: http://thebestsellingauthor.com/ask/. You can also register for an introductory coaching call with me here: http://thebestsellingauthor.com/coaching/intro-call/. Either way, I’m looking forward to learning more about you and your work.
Have a great day, and week,
– Mark
Mark Malatesta
The Bestselling Author
http://thebestsellingauthor.com
Literary Agent Undercover
https://literary-agents.com
Normally how much can a first-time author expect in advance royalty from a reputable publisher such as Random House or Penguin, etc.?
Hi Saw-Lian,
The size of your advance is going to depend on three things. First, the genre of your book. In general, the bigger or more popular the category is, the bigger the advance. Second, if you have an agent, and you have a good agent, you’re more likely to get a bigger advance… since that’s part of what separates good agents from mediocre agents. And third, the size of your advance will depend on whether you have just one publisher who wants your book, or more than one. If you have more than one publisher, they might bid against each other. When that happens, the size of your advance could double, triple, or more.
If you’re getting a deal for a memoir with a major publishing house, you could easily get an advance for tens of thousands of dollars, six figures, or more… again, depends on the variables above.
Have a great week!
– Mark
Mark Malatesta
The Bestselling Author
http://thebestsellingauthor.com
Literary Agent Undercover
https://literary-agents.com
Thanks Mark. The info here is very useful and I am glad that you laid it on the line. I too have been trying to find a good publisher, but I seem to always run into the ones that want money up front
Thanks again. This was very informative.
Nikolai
Thank you Nikolai, I’m glad you found it helpful… I know there is a lot of conflicting information out there so this article was one that I was glad to finally write.
If you want help with anything else going forward, remember that you can post questions for me online here: http://thebestsellingauthor.com/ask/. If you haven’t already done so, you can also get access (no cost) to all the valuable resources in our private, members-only area here: http://thebestsellingauthor.com/membership/. And you can register for an introductory coaching call with me here: http://thebestsellingauthor.com/coaching/intro-call/.
Have a good weekend,
– Mark
Mark Malatesta
The Bestselling Author
http://thebestsellingauthor.com
Literary Agent Undercover
https://literary-agents.com
Thanks for the clarity………….
🙂
Have a great weekend!
– Mark
Mark Malatesta
The Bestselling Author
http://thebestsellingauthor.com
Literary Agent Undercover
https://literary-agents.com
Thank you Mark! This article is very useful for me. I am Bulgarian writer and my two books are already bestsellers in my country. Now I am finishing the translation of the first my book (“It all begins from childhood”)and I want to find the best publisher for it. When I am ready, I will connect with you! Best regards,
Stela
Thank you Stela!
And I’m looking forward to it, especially since you’ve already proven yourself in your country. When you’re ready, you can register for an introductory coaching call with me here: http://thebestsellingauthor.com/coaching/intro-call/. Or, if you have a private question you’d like to ask me about my coaching first, you can email it to me here: http://thebestsellingauthor.com/about/contact/.
If you want help with anything else between now and then, you can post questions for me online here: http://thebestsellingauthor.com/ask/. And, if you haven’t already done so, you can also get access (no cost) to all the valuable resources in our private, members-only area here: http://thebestsellingauthor.com/membership/.
Have a wonderful weekend,
– Mark
Mark Malatesta
The Bestselling Author
http://thebestsellingauthor.com
Literary Agent Undercover
https://literary-agents.com
I am an icon in my profession (at age 88, I give me permission to say this.) I am the author of 18 professional books re speech and voice disorders, all published by major houses, (Prentice Hall, Pearson, etc.) Number 19 was self-published, never was publicized, and never went anywhere.
I need your help with # 19, DAMN SHOES & OTHER TALKING TALES. Patterned after Oliver Sacks’ THE MAN WHO MISTOOK HIS WIFE FOR A HAT, I look back affectionately at a few select patients in their struggle to speak.
Hi Daniel,
I love it… but are you talking about promoting the self-published book… or trying to secure a literary agent… with the goal of getting a traditional publisher and book deal?
If you want to get an agent, you might like hearing that I helped one of my coaching clients (86) get a publisher last year, another one (81) signed with an agent this week, and another one (91, my oldest) just started sending out queries last week. With your resume, it shouldn’t be too difficult to get agents reading… if the pitch is good.
As a next step…
You can register for an introductory coaching call with me here: http://thebestsellingauthor.com/coaching/intro-call/. If you want help with anything else, you can post more questions for me online here: http://thebestsellingauthor.com/ask/.
And…
If you haven’t already done so, make sure you click here to access to all the valuable resources I have about getting an agent in my private, members-only area (no charge): http://thebestsellingauthor.com/membership/. Once you’ve entered your name and email address there, click on the link that says, “Audio Training Library”. Then you’ll see my main audio training (and text transcript), which reveals the 7 Insider Secrets You Need to Know to Get a Top Literary Agent, Publisher, and Book Deal.
I’m looking forward to learning more about you and your work.
Have a great weekend,
– Mark
Mark Malatesta
The Bestselling Author
http://thebestsellingauthor.com
Literary Agent Undercover
https://literary-agents.com
I have worked very hard writing a book that appeals to teenagers and adults. The few teens with whom I’ve shared parts of my work seem anxious to have a finished copy and I am anxious to put a copy in their hands. I’m now in the process of preparing myself for an introductory coaching call and willing to miss the limited opportunity waiting until I know I’ve written something worth your time. I trust you enough to believe you are willing to help me with something of value.
Hi Owen,
I’m looking forward to it and I’ll give you everything I’ve got.
Have a good night and see you soon!
– Mark
Mark Malatesta
The Bestselling Author
http://thebestsellingauthor.com
Literary Agent Undercover
https://literary-agents.com
I’m a self-published author and wrote a book titled, The Stovepipe, about my life and my sisters growing up in the Canadian foster care system in 1940’s. The book was awarded a Kirkus “starred” review and they nominated it as among the top 100 nonfiction books of 2012. It has become required reading for social service agencies across Michigan and Ontario, Canada. Many readers write telling me that it should be made into a movie. Where do I go from here? Your expert advice is needed. Thank you.
Hi Bonnie,
Are you talking about promoting the self-published version… or trying to secure a literary agent… with the goal of getting a traditional publisher and book deal?
Let me know…
I’m happy to help if I can… but I want to make sure you know that I’m a former literary agent turned author coach. Now I help authors get top literary agents, publishers, and book deals.
If you haven’t already done so, make sure you click here to access to all the valuable resources I have about getting an agent in my private, members-only area (no charge): http://thebestsellingauthor.com/membership/. Once you’ve entered your name and email address there, click on the link that says, “Audio Training Library”. Then you’ll see my main audio training (and text transcript), which reveals the 7 Insider Secrets You Need to Know to Get a Top Literary Agent, Publisher, and Book Deal.
If you want help with anything else, you can post questions for me online here: http://thebestsellingauthor.com/ask/. And you can register for an introductory coaching call with me here: http://thebestsellingauthor.com/coaching/intro-call/.
Either way, I’m looking forward to learning more about you and your work.
Obviously, you have something good there.
Time to take it to the next level.
Have a great week!
– Mark
Mark Malatesta
The Bestselling Author
http://thebestsellingauthor.com
Literary Agent Undercover
https://literary-agents.com
I am very interested in what I have read here. I have a story to tell but have not been able to figure out how to accomplish this. Countless people have told me I should write a book, but I have no understanding on how to make it happen and frankly, I need deadlines etc to do my best work. I write a blog in my industry which is well liked for the style. I wonder if there is a way to explain the story and get feedback on its viability before taking the dive.
Hi Ellen,
You should absolutely do that.
If you want to speak with me about it… you can register for an introductory coaching call with me here: http://thebestsellingauthor.com/coaching/intro-call/.
I’ll do my best to help.
Have a good evening,
– Mark
Mark Malatesta
The Bestselling Author
http://thebestsellingauthor.com
Literary Agent Undercover
https://literary-agents.com
Mark:
Once again you are so right. I have a novel that I want to get published by one of the Major Houses. My problem is that to get in the gate. I need to find a GOOD Literary Agent as they are the publisher’s gatekeeper. And getting one of those to agree to represent my novel is like pushing a dead elephant up a mountain.
Josh
Hi Josh, hang in there… and let me know if I can help.
You might be closer than you think!
– Mark
Mark Malatesta
The Bestselling Author
http://thebestsellingauthor.com
Literary Agent Undercover
https://literary-agents.com
When shopping for a self-publish firm, I found quotes for cost to the author from $400 to over $6000 to do the same work with no guaranties of sales. Settled on Bookbaby and Createspace. You only pay for cover design. So the investment is minimal. I resorted to this route because I figure at my advanced age, an agent wouldn’t look at my work.
Hi Linda,
Don’t let age stop you… I’m working with an author who right now who is 91!
It’s never too late.
If you want help with anything else, you can post questions for me online here: http://thebestsellingauthor.com/ask/. You can also (if you haven’t done so already) get access (no cost) to all the valuable resources in our private, members-only area here: http://thebestsellingauthor.com/membership/. And you can register for an introductory coaching call with me here: http://thebestsellingauthor.com/coaching/intro-call/.
Either way, I’m looking forward to learning more about you and your work.
Have a great week!
– Mark
Mark Malatesta
The Bestselling Author
http://thebestsellingauthor.com
Literary Agent Undercover
https://literary-agents.com
Thanks, Mark. Obviously it would be great if a Random House type of publisher would be interested in someone’s work! I have though about “self-publishing” but only as an e-book. Frankly, it looks very intimidating. My first difficulty is in classification. My book pretty much trashes religion in general and Christianity specifically by using quotes from the Bible to support my claim. Is it a “Religion” type of book? Doubtful. “Narrative non-fiction”? Maybe. Can’t find anything else to call it!
Hi Craig, I’m working with a couple authors in a similar situation right now… books about religion that are going to rub many or most religious people the wrong way can be very tricky… but they’re still books about religion!
– Mark
Mark Malatesta
The Bestselling Author
http://thebestsellingauthor.com
Literary Agent Undercover
https://literary-agents.com
Strictly for laughs.
writing has never been a problem.
Give me a subject, I’ll write you a story.
Weaving through the money grabbing opportunist waiting
at the pass is a different matter. This guy Malatesta has
the closest approach to helping you succeed. But like all
others wait til you see results B4 U obligate your funds.
Not being offensive, just opening an unsolicited view.
So far, I’m happy (somewhat) with my publishers but it took
a long time to find them. Who has time to waste?
Hi Andy… glad you’re having success… and there’s a lot of information on my sites that authors can use… no cost. For those who want to see better results… they can take a look at this… http://thebestsellingauthor.com/testimonials/coaching/… a lot of people talk… but nothing speaks louder than results.
All my best,
– Mark
Mark Malatesta
The Bestselling Author
http://thebestsellingauthor.com
Literary Agent Undercover
https://literary-agents.com
This is quite interesting. I thought “publishers who give an advance” was a fairy tail. So they really do exist. I am, however satisfied with my publisher. Although he does not give advance, he did not charge me a cent either. He printed my first book, (the second is in production), in hard cover and is available on Amazon. Problem is marketing. I am struggling to get my book noticed and don’t know how to get that done. Any suggestions?
Hi Magdel,
Glad to hear it, sounds like you’re in a decent situation with your publisher.
Regarding marketing…
Advising authors about how to get more exposure or improve their platform is one of the most difficult topics to handle online here (in few words) because the best marketing strategies are going to be different for every person… based on their unique goals, skill sets, personality, lifestyle, and time/money resources. There are literally hundreds of ways to improve your platform and get more exposure, but to be successful (and happy) you need to find the few strategies that are right for you. These two articles might help: https://literary-agents.com/author-platform/ and https://literary-agents.com/social-media-for-authors/.
If you want help with anything else, you can post questions for me online here: http://thebestsellingauthor.com/ask/. You can also (if you haven’t done so already) get access (no cost) to all the valuable resources in our private, members-only area here: http://thebestsellingauthor.com/membership/. And you can register for an introductory coaching call with me here: http://thebestsellingauthor.com/coaching/intro-call/.
Either way, I’m looking forward to learning more about you and your work.
Have a great week,
– Mark
Mark Malatesta
The Bestselling Author
http://thebestsellingauthor.com
Literary Agent Undercover
https://literary-agents.com
Thank you Mark. i found the things said here to be helpful even if before working with you, you could be one of the four categories in your genre of services. whichever you are , *** you are my first inline to work with soon as i finish with my book preliminary editting. Soon this year. Thank you again
Thank you Agalo, happy to help…
Have a great week!
– Mark
Mark Malatesta
The Bestselling Author
http://thebestsellingauthor.com
Literary Agent Undercover
https://literary-agents.com