Publishing Behind the Scenes

In today’s world of print-on-demand (POD), nearly automatic e-book creation, and a plethora of companies selling services for the self-publisher, it may be hard to understand why an author can’t just skip the publisher and go it alone. Well, you can. But do you really know what you are skipping if you do? There is a lot happening behind the scenes that you as an author probably will never see. In reality, it is a rare individual who can assume all the tasks a publisher does on his or her own.

A publisher brings a team to bear on the author’s project. At one of the “big five” publishers, the team may consist of a dozen or more people, from the acquisitions editor, to the content editor, copyeditor, proofreader, page compositor, art director, marketing manager, publisher, contract sales manager, and on down the line. Even at a small publisher the team may be composed of four or five people. These are all professionals who have a certain expertise. If an author chooses to go it alone, this expertise has to come from somewhere, and if he or she does not possess it, then it has to be purchased.

In some ways, a publisher is like an insurance company. When you purchase insurance, what you are really doing is transferring risk from you to the insurance company. A publisher assumes the risk of taking the author’s work, creating a printed or digital product, and marketing and selling it. This may represent a few thousand dollars or tens of thousands of dollars, depending on the project. The risk is, the book may not sell, and the publisher may lose money. Again, if an author chooses to go it alone, he or she is choosing not to transfer that risk to a publisher, rather assume the risk himself or herself.

Publishers in turn also transfer some of the risk when they sell through retailers. The retailers assume the cost of marketing and selling the book, at least part of the cost, as well as warehousing and shipping print books, managing digital downloads, and collecting payments and taxes. In return, retailers demand a discount on the price of the book, usually around 50 percent. So, of the $25 you just laid out for a hardcover edition at a retailer, the publisher is probably only getting paid about $12.50. Incidentally, the author is only earning royalty on $12.50, not $25. From that $12.50, the publisher deducts the royalty, printing and paper costs, cost of shipping the book to the retailer, marketing costs, labor costs, and other miscellaneous costs. As you can see, very quickly the profit margin shrinks. An author going it alone must also pay these costs, and must also give retailers the same discount.

Tin Whiskers Publisher is a member of the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA). IBPA’s mission is “to lead and serve the independent publishing community by providing advocacy, education, and tools for success.” IBPA is a not-for-profit membership organization serving and leading the independent publishing community. Founded in 1983, it is the largest publishing trade organization in the United States. IBPA members pledge to uphold the organization’s code of ethics.