How do I get my book published?

Take a leaf out of my book – how to get published If you are new to the publishing industry, you could probably benefit from joining your local writers' centre. Your local librarian is also a great source of information about what's involved in becoming an author.

To become a published author you first need to decide whether to pursue traditional or self-publishing. Traditional publishing is when the publisher bears all the expenses that come with publishing a book and the author is paid an advance then, after publication and once the book has earned back the advance, royalties are paid. Or in some cases, especially with small presses, no advance is paid, only royalties.

In self-publishing the author finances or arranges finance for the publication of the book and usually also remains the owner of the copyright. The author then earns most, if not all, of the sales revenue if the book sells. The author might self-publish directly to Amazon and other vendors, or they might use a self-publishing service like PublishMyBook.Online.

There are also some publishing services around that offer joint publishing contracts, but these are usually part of the dreaded vanity publishing industry and to be avoided.

You might be interested in reading about book publishing on Wikipedia.

How will I know if my book is good enough to be published?

You need an editor. If you'd like a manuscript assessment, we can read your book from start to finish and provide a report to you with advice about where to from here. These reports are also part of the submission guidelines for many publishers, so may help you to attract a publisher.

Does a publisher have to like my book to have it published?

Yes. More to the point they also have to:

consider it likely to make a profit for them (a traditional publisher is a business chasing a profit like any other business)
consider you likely to follow through with building an author platform and your other professional obligations as an author
have published other similar books
have a space in their schedule and budget for publishing a book like yours (this is likely to not be for 1-3 years)

If a publisher doesn’t like my book can I have copies published for myself?

Yes. In fact, self-publishing can be a commercial venture, where you reap all the rewards, but it requires up-front investment and risk, as well as a team to help you to do it right. You can go ahead and publish your book with worldwide distribution via print-on-demand and/or ebook. PublishMyBook.Online exists to provide such services. Or you can have only 20 copies printed for yourself and your family and friends. Please contact us to find out how we can help with your decision.

Does my first appointment with a publisher cost anything?

Any publisher that charges authors is a service business, like PublishMyBook.Online. We are up-front and honest about this. A traditional publisher does not charge authors. It is also unlikely to want to meet with you. Most traditional publishers do not even accept unsolicited manuscripts, let alone meet with would-be authors. So an offer to meet would be suspicious in some circumstances, and highly suspicious if they’re asking to be paid.

Do I need to register a business name?

No, you do not need a business name to do business with PublishMyBook.Online, however you would need one to sell ebooks to Apple. As for traditional publishers, you'd have to ask them, but I imagine that would not be necessary unless you became a very popular (best-selling) author. Please seek financial advice from a financial advisor or tax accountant. Most authors' income is only considered hobby income and is not declarable, therefore you won't need a business name (or ABN in Australia).

If you want to write under a pen-name, however, it might be worth considering registering your pen name with a business name so there is a legal written record and way to identify you as the real copyright owner. A contract with a self-publishing service like PublishMyBook.Online may also suffice as such a written record, meaning you would not also need a business name. Registering your book with the copyright office of your country, if applicable, and library deposits are also important.

For more specific advice that applies to you, please consider our publishing consultation service.