There are a number of ways in which you can get your work published. Here we provide some information to help you decide what to do.
Traditional publishing
Traditional publishers need to be convinced that they can sell several thousand copies of your book before they will give you a contract. This is perfectly reasonable: traditional publishers spend a great deal of money on having your book edited, proofed, typeset, and printed. They use offset printing, which has a high setup cost, and so they need to print and warehouse thousands of copies of the book on each print run. They need to recoup this investment and absorb the risk for books that don't sell. The royalties that you earn per copy reflect these factors.
Short-run publishing
Short-run publishing is our term for publishing in which the publisher accepts "camera-ready" files or hardcopy. In this model, the publisher accepts your book in the final form in which it will be printed, and does not edit or typeset the book. Short-run publishers typically offer a higher royalty per copy than traditional publishers. Short-run publishing is common for textbooks, as the publisher has to some extent a "captive market." In Australia, Pascal Press is active in the primary and secondary school markets, while the Pearson Education SprintPrint program is active in the tertiary market.
Self-publishing
If you self-publish, you arrange your own ISBN, printing, marketing, and distribution. You are of course also responsible for editing and proofing your own book, and for the design of your cover. If you are determined and reasonably competent, this is not all that difficult, and can in fact be very satisfying. Everything you earn from book sales is, of course, yours to keep.
There are companies who will help you to self-publish. In Australia, for example, FastBooks offers services for self-publishers. Typically these companies charge an up-front fee for their services. A more modern alternative is Lulu, who will make your book available globally at a very low up-front cost.
Angophora Press
Angophora Press offers a niche publishing product that is suitable for books that are likely to sell between a few hundred and a few thousand copies. It combines (in our opinion, of course!) the best aspects of self-publishing and short-run publishing. Specifically:
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Up-front costs are not all that much higher than self-publishing
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We take the uncertainty out of self-publishing
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Per-copy earnings are significantly higher than short-run publishing
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We will edit and proof your book as needed to maintain high standards
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You retain copyright of and control over your work
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Your book can be made available locally and internationally through normal wholesale channels
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Your book can be made available internationally through online retailers such as amazon.com
Just let us know if you have any queries about our offering.
