So You Want to Publish a Book? 3 Options to Consider
Educational Publishing 101
Are you thinking about or in the process of writing a book? While authoring a book can be a daunting commitment, it’s a worthwhile endeavor. A published book is an unmatched promotional tool that sets you apart, gives you added credibility in your field, and can lead to more promotional opportunities. Not to mention, a book can help you land new clients, further engage existing ones, and earn passive income. Not bad, right? Whether you're a first-time author, a blogger, or you’ve been around the block, we’ve got the lowdown on three major publishing avenues to help you decide which strategy is right for your book.
Traditional Educational Publishers
Traditional publishing refers to the established system of submitting book proposals until a publisher agrees to support your work and a contract is signed. Well-known and reputable educational publishers who accept titles from new authors include Corwin Press, Solution Tree, Routledge, ASCD, and Jossey-Bass.
When you work with a traditional publisher, your book will be supported by a professional team throughout the entire process, including editorial services, design, production, marketing, and sales. Traditional publishers also have established systems to distribute your books across a number of online and brick-and-mortar storefronts and will likely have brand recognition among your target readers. This may be the publishing avenue for you if you want to focus on writing your book and leave the rest to a capable team.
The downsides of working with traditional publishing houses include a loss of creative control over your content, a potentially lengthy process to get your book to market, and less money in your pocket due to low royalty rates. If you think traditional educational publishing is for you, be sure to ask questions about what your royalty rate will be and how it will be calculated.
Boutique K-12 Publishers
Smaller K-12 publishers are often the result of an author (or author team) who began self-publishing their own books before extending publishing services to other like-minded authors. Boutique K-12 publishing companies that are disrupting the industry include Times 10 Publications, Mimi & Todd Press, EduMatch, and Dave Burgess Consulting.
Created by educational authors and thought-leaders, these publishers may offer a valuable support system of educators who understand the very process that you're going through. Boutique publishers typically produce fewer titles and do so in a specific niche. For example, Mimi & Todd Press specializes in “convenient and succinct publications” that can be read in one sitting and immediately applied to practice. This may be a great place to start if you’re a new author or haven’t had time to commit to a lengthy title.
A potential disadvantage of working with a boutique publisher is that they tend to have a smaller footprint and may not have as many distribution partners, resulting in less exposure for your book. If you have a strong platform and network, this may not be a problem for you.
Self-Publishing
Discouraged by rejections and confused by lengthy publishing contracts, some authors opt to become their own publishers. Self-publishing cuts out the middleman, offers you maximum creative control over your content and the design of your book, and can bring your book to market much more quickly than the aforementioned publishing options. You’ll also benefit from a higher profit margin if you appropriately manage your resources for editing, design, printing, and marketing.
The drawbacks of self-publishing include the fact that you’re responsible for hiring and managing your support team, your distribution will be limited, and your book will potentially be less visible.
If self-publishing is for you, you’ll need to find a reputable editor and a cover designer, as well as services to help you with production and distribution. Helpful platforms to support authors who choose the route of self-publishing include Lulu and Smashwords.
Promoting Your Book
Let’s fast forward to when you’re holding your new book in your hands. Congratulations! Now, it’s time to get your book into the hands of as many educators as possible. The success of your book depends on your ability to promote and market it. Even if you have a traditional publishing company behind you, most of the promotional burden still falls on the author. Publishers rely on authors to blog about their books, notify their networks, and promote their books on social media channels. Check out some free Ed2Market resources to get you started, or get in touch with us at Ed2Market to further explore how we can help. Best of luck to you in your publishing journey!