Small press vs Big 5?

starrystorm

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What exactly is a small press? How is it different from a big company? Does it take a shorter time to get a book published through them than the big five? Can I still get my books in bookstores? What about royalties--How do they compare?

Basically, tell me everything you know, because the Internet is no help with these questions.
 
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lizmonster

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The answers to these questions are going to vary widely by the press. You're probably better off looking for imprints that interest you, and researching them individually.

I've only published with a Big 5, but I will say the "long time" that it takes (and it was 16 months after I sold before my first book was published) was productive time: along with edits (and I didn't have many for that first book), there's cover and interior design, as well as marketing that was pretty invisible to me. There's publicity as well that kicks in (IIRC) 3-6 months before release. In general, a Big 5 is going to have a larger reach - more sales channels, more contacts, more resources to flog each individual book - than a small press, but the wrong Big 5 imprint is so VERY much worse than the right small press.

If you have comps, look at who published them, and check out those publishers. If you have books that aren't comps but that you love, look at who published them. Start with books you think have been published well, and research who's behind them. Outside of out-and-out fraudsters (and there are plenty of those), it's really going to depend on your market and what you want for your work.
 

Woollybear

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I found it worthwhile querying small presses directly; had several nice interactions with acquisition editors and so on, and got a fuller picture of trade publishing than I would have otherwise, but you will want to look through the presses one by one to make sure they are legitimate.

Many start out with a specific goal (I targeted presses with an ecological or social justice mission.) Others feel more like an attempt by a group of authors to boost their work by forming a 'publisher' label. (Our writers club, for instance, has joked about doing this--I hope they don't and doubt we truly would. But it's easy to see how some similar clubs elsewhere might choose to try it.)

Piece of advice--Start lurking through the Bewares, Recommendations and Background Checks forum. Search on the press you have in mind. You'll see tons of small presses and get a good sense of them quickly. Many threads are dedicated to a single press. Makes it easy to check on people's experiences.

In the end, getting onto the bookshelves of bricks and mortars might be one of several goals that you develop. Finding the right press, and a good acquisitions editor with whom to work, might be another.

(FWIW, the CNR rate with small presses was similar to the CNR rate on agent queries, in my experience, including for presses that promise a response within three months--see e.g. Parvus Press in BRB forum).

(ETA: Oh and a couple independent bookstores said they'd put my self-published book on their shelves. A place in Denver, and a place in Lansing. Sometimes, local independent bookstores will stock your book too, if you ask. For this to work, if you want your book on the shelves, it needs to be available for them to order outside of Amazon, like from Ingram Spark, for example.)
 
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Marissa D

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Echoing that all small presses are not created equal, and that while some may offer an amazing experience with superior editing and good distribution that enables them to get their books into brick-and-mortar stores, others are more or less throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what will stick.
 

cool pop

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I Googled and these popped up first thing:

https://literative.com/the-writing-process/small-presses-vs-big-publishers/

https://www.janefriedman.com/small-press/

https://norlightspressblog.wordpress.com/2014/05/09/small-publishers-versus-the-big-five/

https://www.standoutbooks.com/small-press-publishing/

Some are old posts but still relevant today.


The big five most likely will get your books in stores, have a wider reach and have tons of capital so you don't have to worry about them running out of business and leaving you floundering with books suddenly out of print.

Some consider big press imprints small presses, I don't. To me a small press is an independent company usually run by a small staff or often one person. Most small presses can't do anything you can't do yourself. Some are better than others but with smaller presses you always have that risk of them going out of business at any moment, which happens a lot these days.

Both had advantages but at the end of the day a big press will do more for you (even though you will be doing most of the marketing and promo still) than a smaller press just because small presses don't have the money, contacts or pull that the big five do. Most small presses only do ebooks and those who do print only do it if you sell a certain amount. Don't expect much if any promo from a small press beyond a tweet or FB post on their FB page. The big five isn't much better unless they believe your book will be a hit and then they will push the heck out of you and give you a good advance. Small presses usually don't offer advances and you don't need an agent to work with them. In fact, many of them do not like working with agents. Yes, they get out books much, much faster than the big five but if the small press has shoddy editing, horrible covers, high prices and don't promote then that's not a good thing. They do pay monthly but small press books will be competing with indie books and since many small pressed books are priced very high, despite length, it's hard for them to compete with indies in genres such as romance especially when many indies are in Kindle Unlimited where readers can borrow books free opposed to buying a 6.99 small press book. Many small press books have horrible sales, again due to no promotion because they either don't care to promote or they don't have the money to and books priced so high they can't compete. Some small presses are author mills that sign as many authors they can but couldn't care less how an individual book sales. An author mill focuses on having a bunch of books selling few to no copies opposed to actually nourishing a book.

As for the close contact with small press publishers, that's not always a good thing. Some small presses are very unprofessional and care more about being your friend than your publisher.

With a big house, there is more insurance. Sure they can drop you if your book doesn't sell (and will) but again, you won't turn around and all of a sudden they've closed up shop. That's a huge issue with small presses. Because they don't have much money and many of the owners lack experience (because anyone can open a small press if they can upload books to Amazon, etc.) there's a big risk. They are very professional to the point where you might feel like just a number opposed to a person but at least they know how to run a business.

As someone says look through Background and Bewares. You might be shocked to see most of those places are closed now or have either gone downhill significantly. That's another issue with small presses. Some start off with well intentions then end up being nightmares.

I've worked with both types but now I am on my own.
 
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starrystorm

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Thank you, all. You have really opened my eyes to small presses and what they really are with your personal experiences. I've been doing more research and found this great article on the different ways of publishing. The way I had seen it, taking on the big five was impossible and that small presses were my only hope to ever get in book stores. Looking at statistics now, I realize Amazon is the true bookstore. Just because I grew up in a different time that revolved around only reading what was in the school library, I assumed that online publishing was something nobody does. But apparently it's very popular.

I also found that just because you traditionally publish doesn't mean you automatically get hundreds of readers and your books permanently in BAM and B&N. To have any chance of publishing traditionally you need to have an audience. Which I don't. I don't even have traditional social media like Facebook or Twitter.

I think self-publishing would be the best option for me now. Maybe I'll traditionally publish one day, but for now I'm just starting out.

I"ll probably change my mind another four or five times, but I still have time with my professional edits and meeting up with a published author a family member knows to learn more about the publishing process.
 

Marissa D

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To have any chance of publishing traditionally you need to have an audience.

No, this really isn't true. What you need to have is really good book that the publisher thinks they can make money with. That's pretty much it. I had no audience when I first sold to a Big Five publisher, and I'll bet lizmonster and cool pop didn't either. In a lot of ways it's easier for a debut author to be picked up by a trade publisher than it is as an already-published author, unless sales of previous books were very good.
 

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The Writing Excuses podcast recently did an episode that I highly recommend if you’re trying to sort out how/where to get published: Choose Your Own Adventurous Publishing Path

It’s a great overview of the benefits of regular publishing (whether with the Big Five or a small press) vs self publishing, with a lot of good advice about planning to meet your personal goals.
 

lizmonster

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Marissa's right, but I want to clear up a few other things.

The way I had seen it, taking on the big five was impossible and that small presses were my only hope to ever get in book stores.

I don't know what you're writing, so I don't know why you're thinking a big five is impossible. A big publisher isn't the best solution for every book, no; but even the Big 5 have niche imprints. It's also worth noting that a lot of small presses can't get you into bookstores - and that having a Big 5 print contract doesn't guarantee you'll be stocked.

Looking at statistics now, I realize Amazon is the true bookstore.

Good heavens, I hope you're wrong about that!

I assumed that online publishing was something nobody does. But apparently it's very popular.

Self-publishing is a great path for a lot of projects, and a lot of writers. It's worth noting, though, that it's not easier than trade - in general, I'd say it's more difficult, because you have to do the book design, the marketing, and the publicity yourself, on top of writing. Some people love it, but it's not the right choice for everyone.

To have any chance of publishing traditionally you need to have an audience.

I'm going to repeat Melissa here: this is completely false. Your best chance at trade publishing is an agent. No reputable agent cares if you have a pre-existing audience (as long as you're writing fiction). No reputable publisher cares, either.

I think self-publishing would be the best option for me now. Maybe I'll traditionally publish one day, but for now I'm just starting out.

I would encourage you not to think of self-publishing as a stepping stone. It's a different avenue, with different strengths and weaknesses, and its benefits vary widely by genre. And as someone who buys and reads self-published books - yes, I expect anything I am buying to be just as polished as any trade published book. Self-publishing isn't a short cut to anything.

I"ll probably change my mind another four or five times, but I still have time with my professional edits and meeting up with a published author a family member knows to learn more about the publishing process.

I would also encourage you to find other information sources beyond the family friend. AW, for instance. Writing is kind of a siloed career; one person's experience (including mine) can't be extrapolated to the industry in general. Crowdsourced data is going to be more accurate.
 
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Putputt

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This link has everything you need to know about Big 5 vs Big (non Big 5) Houses vs Small Presses vs Hybrid vs Indie. There are lots of different paths to publication. It doesn't necessarily have to boil down to Big 5 or SP. And you definitely do not need an audience to be trade published, unless you're writing non fiction.
 

Sonya Heaney

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To have any chance of publishing traditionally you need to have an audience. Which I don't. I don't even have traditional social media like Facebook or Twitter.

I think self-publishing would be the best option for me now. Maybe I'll traditionally publish one day, but for now I'm just starting out.

100% completely and utterly incorrect. I see so many people say that. (And tell other aspiring authors that. Don't believe them.)

The only time you need a platform before you even get started is if you're writing nonfiction, or if you're a Kardashian who wants someone to ghostwrite an "autobiography" on your behalf.

Nobody had a clue who I was when I signed with my publisher. I sold my first book based solely on what I wrote, not who I was.

Self-publishing works great for some authors (I think I'd be terrible at it). However, there's no "natural progression" in a writing career from self-publishing to small press to Big Five.
 

lizmonster

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This link has everything you need to know about Big 5 vs Big (non Big 5) Houses vs Small Presses vs Hybrid vs Indie. There are lots of different paths to publication. It doesn't necessarily have to boil down to Big 5 or SP. And you definitely do not need an audience to be trade published, unless you're writing non fiction.

Yes. I'd say about half of the self-published authors I know (with more than a passing Twitter acquaintance) are also trade-published, and were often trade-published first.