Whether you’ve published a book or not, you probably have some ideas about what the publishing industry is like. But not all of these ideas are accurate. In fact, many publishing misconceptions can hurt your career as a writer, leading you to make decisions that aren’t in your best interest. Let’s debunk the most common myths and set the record straight.
1. The best books are traditionally published.
Because it’s so easy to self-publish, without any professional editing or gatekeepers of any kind, the truth is that there are many available titles that could have benefitted from editing and proofreading.
It’s also true that to get published by a traditional publisher, your manuscript will likely have been professionally edited prior to submission, that it will go through a strict vetting process, and then that there is likely an in-house editorial team to help improve it.
But this does not mean that all the best books are traditionally published. Some of literature’s greatest classics, including Sense and Sensibility, Paradise Lost, and A Christmas Carol, were self-published.
And you just need to look at some of the celebrity-penned titles out there to realize that not all traditionally published books are good. Traditional publishers don’t necessarily publish what’s good; they publish what will sell.
2. Traditional publishing will earn you more money.
Because most of the world’s bestselling authors have deals with traditional publishing houses, it’s easy to think that that’s where the biggest money is. The truth is that most traditionally published authors aren’t swimming in royalties.
Self-publishing and hybrid publishing have higher upfront costs for you as the author but in these models, you get a much bigger cut of the earnings from book sales than you’d get in a traditional publishing model. If your book resonates with readers and you put in the work to spread the word, you can do very well indeed with these publishing models when it comes to earnings.
Of course, the big traditional publishing houses can — and sometimes but not always do — put more money into marketing and distributing a book, which in turn can lead to more sales. But it's still true that authors, regardless of who their publisher is, will always want to be engaging in marketing activities. That's because readers don't care a whit about the publisher, only the author and their book.
Bottom line here is that is isn't how you're published that dictates your author earnings: it's a) a quality product and b) your own commitment and skill with marketing your book.
3. You’re not a good writer unless you can afford to write full-time.
Prolific bestselling authors like Stephen King can make a living just from their writing. However, if you need another job to stay afloat, this doesn’t mean you’re a failure as a writer. Even Margaret Atwood, whose first book—handset and self-published—won a literary award in 1961, continued to teach at different universities for the next nearly three decades as she published some of her best-known books and raked in the awards.
The reality is that for most writers, that one bestseller can earn you a nice nest egg but probably won’t make you enough money to never need to work again. (Check out this Authors' Guild survey of tradition, indie, and self-published authors from 2023.)
4. An advance is a payment you get in addition to royalties.
Many aspiring writers hear about authors landing a book deal and getting a generous advance, and then think that that’s a nice bonus. However, an advance isn’t a payment an author gets in addition to royalties; it’s closer to a payment they get in lieu of royalties.
An advance is technically a loan on future earnings. So, as you start earning royalties from your book sales, those earnings first go towards paying off that advance you got. It’s only once you’ve earned enough in book sales to pay off the advance that you will start seeing the income from royalties in your bank account.
5. You don’t need to worry about grammar or spelling if you have an editor.
While it’s the editor’s job to ensure that you’re using correct grammar and spelling throughout your book, this doesn’t mean you’re off the hook in this regard. If you submit a manuscript to a publisher that is riddled with errors, it shows a lack of attention to detail and creates a bad impression. It also reduces the chances of getting your manuscript accepted, since publishers may decide to rather go for the equally promising manuscript that won’t cost them extra time and money to clean up.
6. You don’t need to put any effort into marketing or promoting your book.
It would be great if you could release your book and sit back to watch the royalties roll in, without having to do any more work on it. Unfortunately, very few books become runaway successes from word of mouth alone. If you want your book to sell, you need to market and promote it.
And your publisher isn’t going to do all the marketing and promotion work for you. Even a traditional publisher with an entire marketing and publicity department will expect you to do interviews, make appearances at book events, and be active on social media. Having a large and dedicated social media following can even convince them to publish your book in the first place.
The more effort you put into spreading the word about your book, the higher the likelihood of sales—and the higher the chances of the publisher wanting to work with you again on your next book.
7. Authors should never pay anyone for anything
Like any other skill, talent, or profession, it is impossible to hone your writing craft and to become a published author with a book that returns some sales revenue to you without parting with at least a little money. Taking a writing course; hiring an author coach; membership in a group or groups that relate to writing, genres (e.g. International Association of Crime Writers), or advocacy groups (e.g. Authors Guild); hiring an editor or proofreader.
Ensuring your writing, your manuscript, and your pitch/submission are worthy of an agent or publisher's time, whether you're submitting to a traditional or hybrid publisher, requires that you will have invested at least a little bit in your craft.
We have more to say about the flow of money where authors are concerned, and you can check out that post from our archives: Ten Publishing Lies Told to Indie Authors.
