In this article, I will examine the traditional book publishing process in detail. The goal is to explain all the important elements of getting your book published by a traditional publisher.

Though I have been a professional full-time developmental editor for most of my career, I have had more than twenty books traditionally published. I have also had two different literary agents, though I spent most of my career with Andrew Lownie. I have worked with countless writers who have been traditionally published, but, most importantly, I have worked directly with several publishing houses as a writer, researcher and editor.

How does traditional publishing work?

I am going to delve into the publishing process in painful detail, but let’s start with a brief overview of the key steps.

The first step for most authors is to secure a literary agent. Most large publishers and imprints do not accept unsolicited manuscript submissions directly from authors, so an agent is usually essential.

Once an author has an agent, the agent will approach suitable publishers and, hopefully, secure a deal. The author will be offered a contract and the publishing process will begin.

The author will submit the manuscript, and it will go through several rounds of editing. This may include developmental editing, line editing, copyediting and proofreading. During this period, the book cover will also be designed.

Marketing usually begins before publication and intensifies around the book’s launch. In the weeks after launch, there may be a further push to gain traction. Once this initial period is over, publishers tend to devote much less attention to books that are not bestsellers.

This is just an overview, but it will give you a feel for the process. The process may differ slightly depending on the size of the publisher, so let’s look at that next.

Types of publishers

Not all publishers are equal, and it is important to understand whom you are submitting your book to and what they can offer.

Micro-publishers

The smallest type of publisher is a micro-publisher.

These are often one-person operations, with one person doing all the work. They operate on a tiny budget and publish a handful of books each year. They may use freelancers for editorial work, though it is common for the owner to provide the feedback. The marketing budget is small. If you are published by this type of publisher, you will be expected to carry out much of your own marketing.

If you are published by a micro-publisher, you need to temper your expectations for potential book sales. You are probably talking about hundreds rather than thousands of books a year. You are also less likely to be submitted for major awards, and you should not expect to sell foreign translation or screen rights.

You will often be able to submit to these types of publishers directly without an agent.

There is a good chance you will not receive an advance before publication.

Here are five U.S.-based micro book publishers run by one person or a very small team:

  1. Belle Point Press — Fort Smith, Arkansas
    Literary fiction, nonfiction and poetry. Operated by husband-and-wife team Casie and Michael Dodd. Publishes roughly 12–15 books annually.
  2. Bonedust Press — California
    A one-person press founded and operated by Jasmine Walls. Specializes in illustrated novels and novellas, particularly inclusive fantasy and speculative stories.
  3. akinoga press — Baltimore/Parkville, Maryland
    A one-person poetry micropress run by Mychael Zulauf. Produces hand-bound chapbooks and favors quiet, experimental and easily overlooked work. It is not presently accepting submissions.
  4. Curious Publishing — Inland Empire, California
    An artist-owned nonprofit press concentrating on art books, marginalized voices, social justice and mental health. Its permanent team consists of founder/editor Rebecca Ustrell and a production assistant, supported by a few freelancers.
  5. Indie Pen Press — Gig Harbor, Washington
    A deliberately one-person press run by Richard French, publishing biblical commentary, speculative fiction and practical nonfiction. It publishes the work of one author and does not accept submissions.

Independent publishers

The next level of publisher is often called an independent publisher.

These publishers vary greatly in size, but substantial independents may have large teams and significant publishing budgets. They are often specialists in a particular genre or subgenre and have deep genre knowledge within their ranks. They may publish a large number of books each year and carry out editorial work in-house with dedicated experts. When published by an independent press, you can expect some dedicated marketing, though its extent may be limited. Like all publishers, they are looking for bestsellers and will focus resources on the books they feel have the best chance of becoming breakout successes.

If you are published by an independent press, you may be submitted for major prizes. You can also expect some effort to be made to sell translation and perhaps even screen rights for your book.

You may need an agent to approach these types of book publishers, but that is not always the case.

There is a good chance you will receive an advance before publication, though this will probably be modest.

Here are five substantial U.S.-based independent publishers.

  1. Kensington Publishing — New York City
    Family-owned for three generations, it describes itself as America’s largest wholly independent commercial publisher. It releases more than 300 books annually across romance, mystery, thrillers, fantasy, historical fiction, westerns, true crime and general nonfiction. Kensington has direct submission guidelines.
  2. W. W. Norton & Company — New York City
    A major employee-owned independent with approximately 500 staff and hundreds of new trade, academic and professional titles each year. Particularly strong in serious nonfiction, history, science, psychology, literature, poetry and college textbooks. For most trade authors, Norton is effectively an agent-first publisher.
  3. Skyhorse Publishing — New York City
    A large independent group with 26 imprints and more than 12,000 titles in print. Its list covers fiction, nonfiction, politics, history, current affairs, science fiction, fantasy, children’s books, sports and practical subjects. It is distributed by Simon & Schuster but remains independently owned. Skyhorse accepts direct submissions.
  4. Chronicle Books — San Francisco, California
    A globally distributed independent known for highly designed books, cookbooks, art, photography, lifestyle, children’s publishing, journals, games and gift products. Its open-submissions policy currently covers unagented adult nonfiction and gift projects; it does not acquire adult fiction, and its children’s inbox is presently closed.
  5. Andrews McMeel Publishing — Kansas City, Missouri
    A global independent publishing as many as 150 books and 200 calendars annually. Its strongest areas include comics, humor, poetry, inspiration, puzzles, children’s books and gift publishing. Sales and distribution are handled through Simon & Schuster, but Andrews McMeel remains independent. It accepts unagented submissions.

For an author without an agent, Kensington, Skyhorse, Chronicle and Andrews McMeel are the most immediately approachable choices on this list.

Big Five

The largest type of publisher is often grouped as the Big Five.

These are the largest publishers, with significant domestic and global reach. These are the household names. You will generally need an agent to approach them. If you secure a deal, your manuscript will receive extensive professional treatment. It will go through several rounds of editorial support, an experienced cover designer will work on the cover, and the marketing team will develop a strategy for your book.

You can expect your publisher to look to sell the translation rights for your book to several countries. The screen rights might also be sold.

For many authors, this represents the gold standard in traditional publishing.

There is a good chance you will receive an advance before publication.

The “Big Five” U.S. trade publishers are:

  1. Penguin Random House
    Owner: Bertelsmann
    Major imprints include Random House, Penguin, Viking, Knopf, Crown, Doubleday, Ballantine, Berkley and Del Rey.
  2. HarperCollins
    Owner: News Corp
    Major imprints include Harper, William Morrow, Avon, Ecco, Mariner, Harlequin, Zondervan and Thomas Nelson.
  3. Simon & Schuster
    Owner: KKR, with an employee equity program
    Major imprints include Scribner, Atria, Gallery Books, Saga Press, Adams Media and Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.
  4. Hachette Book Group
    Owner: Hachette Livre/Lagardère
    Major divisions and imprints include Little, Brown, Grand Central, Orbit, Perseus, Workman, Running Press and Hachette Nashville.
  5. Macmillan Publishers
    Owner: Holtzbrinck Publishing Group
    Major imprints include Farrar, Straus and Giroux, St. Martin’s Press, Henry Holt, Tor, Forge, Flatiron Books and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group.

Imprints

Before we move on, it is important that you understand the role of the imprint within the publishing ecosystem.

At both the independent and Big Five levels, you will see publishing houses that consist of a parent company and several imprints.

For example, you can see from the list above that Penguin Random House is the parent company, but it has several imprints, one of which is Doubleday.

The best way to think of an imprint is as a subunit of the parent publisher that specializes in one or more genres or types of book.

So, Doubleday describes its program simply as “an array of commercial fiction, literary fiction and serious nonfiction.” Its editors particularly seek strong voices, narrative momentum, cultural or intellectual engagement and ideas presented through compelling storytelling.

Being published by an imprint is NOT a downgrade. The publisher is simply placing your book where it has the best chance of success. In other words, if you have written a literary novel, Doubleday is one of the most prestigious places to be published. It has a long track record of finding and publishing acclaimed literary fiction. Three examples of breakout hits include The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead, The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead and A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara.

The role of a literary agent

If you plan to follow the traditional publishing route, your first step will usually be to secure an agent.

All agents have their own submission rules, but they commonly ask for the first three chapters of your book (or fifty pages), a synopsis and a query or cover letter.

On submission, your query will fall into the ‘slush pile’ and eventually be read. It may be an assistant or junior member of the agency team who reads the submission, though this is not always the case, and agents at smaller agencies may read submissions themselves. It is worth noting that agents are flooded with submissions, and it might take months before yours is seen.

There are three common responses:

  • Hard rejection: This is a form letter saying thank you, but no thank you.
  • Soft rejection: This is a personal rejection in which the agent explains why it is a no and perhaps even offers some direction for improvement.
  • Request for the full manuscript: This is where the agent asks to see the complete manuscript.

A little personal note here: in twenty years, I have never seen an agent offer to represent an author on the initial submission alone. The best possible response at this stage is a request for the full manuscript.

Once an agent has read your full manuscript, if they like your book and think they can find a publisher, you may be offered a representation agreement. Commission is commonly 15% on domestic income and may be higher on deals involving co-agents, such as foreign-rights sales.

Your agent will then submit your book to publishers, negotiate the contract and try to secure the best deal possible. They are paid when you are paid, so their interests are generally aligned with yours, although the size of the advance is only one part of a good publishing deal.

When everything is agreed, you are handed over to the publisher.

I have written a detailed article about [how to find a literary agent] that goes into these steps in far more detail.

Before we get to what happens at the publisher, let’s dwell for a moment on the business of publishing and consider advances, contracts and rights. These are important, and you need to understand them.

Advances

Most, but not all, publishing deals include an advance. This is money paid to an author in advance of future royalties. The publisher recoups it from the royalties the book earns, but the author does not normally have to repay an unearned balance, provided they fulfil the contract.

For example, if you are given a $5,000 advance, your book needs to generate $5,000 in credited royalties before you receive additional royalty payments. If it does not, you keep the advance but receive no further royalties. In the industry, a book that generates enough royalties to recoup its advance is said to have ‘earned out’. It is very common for a book not to earn out.

It is also important to understand that the advance earns out against your contractual royalties, not the publisher’s profit. Royalty rates vary by format and contract. A hardcover royalty, for example, might begin at around 10% of the list price, while paperback and ebook royalties are often calculated differently.

If your royalty were exactly $1 per copy and you had a $5,000 advance, you would need to sell 5,000 royalty-bearing copies before receiving additional royalty payments.

Oh, and don’t forget: your agent’s commission is deducted from the money paid to you, not from the publisher’s sales revenue.

Contracts

Not all publishers have the same business model, which means that you will see different contracts depending on the publisher.

There are several types of contract, depending on the book and readership, but authors are likely to encounter three broad models.

The first is the traditional contract, under which you receive an advance against royalties. The royalty rate and basis vary by format: it may be calculated as a percentage of the book’s list price or of the publisher’s net receipts. This is by far the most common type of deal.

The second is a royalty-only contract. This is similar to a traditional contract, but there is no advance. In some cases, you will receive a higher percentage of each book sale. This model is common among small presses, specialist publishers and some academic presses.

The third is a profit-sharing agreement. These are becoming increasingly common. In this type of contract, the author and publisher share the risk. No advance is offered; instead, the publisher first recovers agreed publishing costs, after which the remaining profit is divided between the publisher and author according to the contract. This model is particularly suited to publishers offering a ‘digital-only’ option, which removes the need for a large print run. A prominent example is Authors Equity, founded by former senior Penguin Random House executives.

Rights

When you make a deal with a publisher, you grant it specified rights to publish your book in particular formats, languages and territories. The precise grant will depend on the contract.

A U.S. publisher can publish wherever the contract permits. The usual English-language territory arrangements are:

  • U.S.-only rights: United States and normally its territories and possessions.
  • North American English rights: United States and Canada. Mexico is normally not included.
  • World English-language rights: English editions may be sold worldwide, including the U.S., Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, English-language Caribbean markets and export markets in non-English-speaking countries.
  • U.S./Canada plus open-market rights: Exclusive rights in the U.S. and Canada, with nonexclusive permission to export elsewhere where another publisher does not hold exclusive English rights.
  • World rights in all languages: The publisher receives both worldwide English rights and the ability to publish or sublicense translations. This is substantially broader than world English rights.

Typically, your agent will guide you towards the best deal.

If your book is a success, there is a chance that rights will be sold in other countries. In other words, a different publisher may acquire the right to translate the book and sell it in another language.

This can be very lucrative for you as an author. Typically, the acquiring publisher pays an advance for the right to publish the translation and may pay further royalties if that edition earns out. If your home publisher controls the translation rights, your share of this income will usually be divided with that publisher according to the contract and credited against your advance. In some cases, subsidiary-rights sales can help a book earn out before it is published.

Beyond territorial English-language rights, a book can carry many separate rights:

  • Print rights: Hardcover, trade paperback, mass-market paperback, print-on-demand, large-print, limited and special editions.
  • Digital rights: Standard ebook, enhanced or interactive ebook, app and database editions.
  • Audio rights: Unabridged, abridged and dramatized audiobooks, audio serials and podcast adaptations.
  • Translation rights: Publication in each foreign language; these can be sold separately by language or country.
  • Serial rights: Publishing excerpts before the book appears (“first serial”) or afterward (“second serial”) in newspapers, magazines or websites.
  • Reprint rights: Anthologies, excerpts, quotations, digest or condensed editions and educational course materials.
  • Book-club and special-sales rights: Editions produced for book clubs, corporations, schools or particular retail channels.
  • Dramatic rights: Film, television, streaming, stage and radio adaptations.
  • Graphic and interactive adaptation rights: Graphic novels, comics, games, apps and other interactive versions.
  • Merchandising rights: Products using the title, characters, artwork, phrases or fictional world.
  • Derivative-work rights: Sequels, prequels, spin-offs and stories based on characters or settings.
  • Accessibility rights: Braille, accessible ebooks and specialized audio editions, subject to statutory accessibility exceptions.
  • AI rights: Using the text for generative-AI training, AI-produced translations, synthetic narration or generated derivative material. These should be addressed expressly rather than hidden inside “digital” or “all media” wording.

The author initially controls these rights, and your agent will be fundamental in ensuring that you grant the appropriate rights to the right people. A publisher may seek many of them, but it is sometimes possible for an author to retain certain rights when the agent believes they can be exploited more effectively elsewhere.

You now have a clear understanding of the nitty-gritty of a publishing contract. Once this is out of the way, you can turn your attention to editing your book.

Editorial process

So, you’ve got the deal in the bag, and your manuscript is with the publisher. The next step will be editing.

The first phase will be developmental editing. This will vary from publisher to publisher, and the size of the team will have some impact. You might also find that your agent has already given you some editorial notes, so it is quite possible that your book will be several drafts along before it reaches the publisher.

Your book will probably go through several rounds of developmental editing. Your editorial contact at the publisher will lead this process. The book might also undergo line editing at this point.

As an author, you will receive detailed notes and perhaps a manuscript with tracked changes. You will be expected to address the notes and revise the manuscript. This is a collaborative process, so you retain creative input, but you will be expected to take the publisher’s concerns seriously.

The editorial process will go through as many rounds as required, subject to the publisher’s schedule and budget. For a smaller publisher, this might be a single round, but for a Big Five publisher, it may involve multiple rounds.

Here’s a detailed article that examines the developmental editing process.

When everyone is happy, the manuscript will move on to copyediting. The approved draft will undergo at least one round of copyediting. This is where errors are removed and consistency is applied. You will normally have an opportunity to review copyedits and answer queries, even though nothing substantial should be changed from a story viewpoint.

Here’s a detailed article that examines the copyediting process.

By this point, you will have a finalized manuscript. Everyone is happy, and the words are largely set. The book will then be laid out in a print-ready format and prepared for digital publication. You will not usually be involved in the production work, though you will normally receive page proofs to review.

This stage can introduce new errors, so the typeset pages will undergo proofreading. The aim is to catch typographical, formatting and other production errors before publication. The precise process varies by publisher, and authors may or may not see every set of proofreading files.

I have published over twenty books with traditional publishers and I have never seen the proofreading files.

Here’s a detailed article that examines the proofreading process.

Just a quick note on book-cover design. It is worth understanding that you may or may not have a say in the cover. Publishers are experts in positioning books in their genres and know what tends to work in the market. Therefore, you will probably not be involved in the initial creative design process. That said, you MAY be consulted on the final cover or invited to comment on several options.

This process can vary, and I know authors who have been involved in the cover design, but be prepared to be a passive observer. This is not a time to throw your dummy out of the pram because you don’t like what the publisher has created.

After all that, the book is ready to rock, and a publication date will be set.

Book marketing

So, your book is published, and it’s time to find readers.

What can you expect in terms of book marketing?

The answer depends greatly on the type of publisher.

If you have secured a deal with a micro-publisher, you should temper your expectations. The reality is that these publishers have limited expertise and budgets for marketing. You might get a newsletter feature at launch, together with some kind of social-media push, but this will be limited.

You need to brace yourself for the fact that, if your book is going to be a success, you may have to be the driving force. It is worth discussing with the publisher what they can offer in terms of collaboration, but this will almost certainly be limited. Micro-publishers are often in the business for the love of books, and their profits are small.

If you are working with an independent publisher, the outlook may be more encouraging. Independent publishers vary greatly in size, as will their marketing budgets. You can reasonably expect some kind of marketing push around the time of launch, perhaps even a launch party, but beyond that it may be limited. These publishers tend to have good networks of readers, book clubs and media contacts, so you might get some early traction. Once again, long-term success may depend heavily on your own marketing efforts.

If you are lucky enough to be published by a Big Five publisher, you can realistically expect some kind of marketing activity. This will vary from publisher to publisher, but there will be a marketing department and some form of plan. A good agent may try to secure specific marketing commitments in the deal, although publishers are often reluctant to guarantee them. What actually happens is hard to predict. The publisher will have strong media contacts and established social-media channels, but much will come down to budget and internal priorities. Your own marketing can still affect sales, but it may be less critical than it is with a smaller publisher.

And that, my friends, is it. This is pretty much what you can expect from the traditional publishing process. The rest of this article focuses on the questions I am commonly asked and some of my own thoughts about the crazy world of book publishing.

How long does traditional publishing take?

The time it takes for your book to be published will vary. However, it will not be quick. The publishing world works in months, not weeks.

I would say that, from book deal to bookshelf, you are looking at about a year, perhaps longer.

If you include the time from when you first secure an agent, it can easily take two years or more to get the book onto the shelf.

This is the reality of the book-publishing world and, honestly, there is little you can do about it.

My advice is to ensure that you are never the bottleneck in the process. If an agent or publisher asks you to do something, such as manuscript revisions, do it promptly and push the ball back into the publisher’s court.

What happens after a book is published?

Launch day finally comes, and the excitement of publishing a book hits. It is finally out in the world after what may have been years of hard work. However, amid this excitement, it is especially important to temper your expectations.

In the first few months of publication, you will hopefully be part of a marketing push. There may be buzz about your book, people will be interested and sales will start to trickle in. However, after this initial excitement, be prepared for an anticlimax.

You are going to find that your publisher has moved on to the next book and you are no longer the new and shiny thing. It may hurt, but that’s the world of publishing.

You will start to see reviews of your book. Some will be bad. Some people simply will not get your book, and a one-star review will appear. This will almost certainly hurt, but, again, it’s part of publishing.

Six months down the line, you may feel like old news: the publisher’s attention has shifted, and you are largely on your own. This is when you need to keep the ball rolling. You need to put your marketing into action and keep your book in front of readers. Especially if you are with a smaller publisher, this is the moment, when sales have slowed, that you can help make your book a long-term success. Remember, a book is new to a reader when they find it, not only when it is published.

Don’t give up.

The bestseller problem

If you are considering a traditional publishing route for your book, it is essential that you understand how publishers think about books and what that means for you as a writer.

The fact I want you to hold in your mind is that most books published fail to make a profit.

We have actual evidence to back this up.

The strongest published evidence came from the 2022 U.S. antitrust case concerning Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster.

The nitty-gritty of the case is not important here; what matters is what we learned about the workings of a publishing house.

Penguin Random House’s internal figures and executive testimony indicated that:

  • Only 35 out of every 100 books became profitable, meaning approximately 65% did not.
  • The top 4% of profitable titles generated 60% of the company’s book-level profitability.
  • Executives consequently described publishing as a “portfolio business”: numerous books are acquired because nobody can reliably predict which few will become breakout successes.

These figures are documented in the antitrust case materials and were subsequently reported by Time.

This means that publishers know most books will not make a profit, while a small number of highly profitable titles cover many of the losses.

They also admit that they cannot reliably predict what a ‘bestseller’ will look like.

This is why this matters to you as an author.

Publishers build broad lists because they know most books will not become breakout successes and that nobody can predict the winners with certainty. Therefore, if your book is not deemed an early success, the publisher may quickly shift attention and resources elsewhere.

It’s a numbers game—a gamble. The problem for you is that the numbers are stacked in favour of the publishing house.

Here’s the good news: if your book becomes one of the small percentage of highly profitable titles, it may generate a disproportionate share of the publisher’s profits.

I have examined this business model in more detail in the [bestseller problem for books].

The pros and cons of traditional publishing

So… you are thinking about following the traditional publishing route. What are the advantages and disadvantages?

Advantages

  • No upfront publishing costs: The publisher pays for editing, design, printing, distribution and its planned marketing. A legitimate traditional publisher does not charge the author.
  • An advance: Many publishers pay an advance against future royalties. It is normally non-refundable if the book underperforms, provided the author fulfills the contract.
  • Professional editorial support: Developmental editing, copyediting, proofreading and production are handled by experienced specialists.
  • Bookstore and library distribution: Established publishers can place books with major retailers, wholesalers, libraries and international distributors.
  • Industry credibility: Traditional publication can make it easier to obtain trade reviews, festival appearances, awards consideration and media coverage.
  • Professional packaging: The publisher handles the cover, interior design, metadata, pricing, printing and retailer relationships.
  • Rights expertise: A capable publisher or agent may sell audiobook, translation, book-club and other subsidiary rights.
  • Publisher assumes the financial risk: The author does not finance a print run or absorb retailer returns.
  • Potential career support: A successful relationship can produce multi-book contracts and continuing editorial guidance.

Disadvantages

  • Extremely competitive: A strong manuscript may still fail to secure an agent or publisher for commercial reasons.
  • Slow process: A polished manuscript commonly takes two to four years to reach publication.
  • Lower earnings per copy: The publisher retains most sales revenue to cover production, distribution, overhead and risk.
  • Agent commission: A literary agent normally receives a percentage of the author’s publishing income.
  • Reduced creative control: The publisher generally controls cover design, title, price, format, publication date and much of the marketing strategy.
  • Broad or lengthy rights grants: Contracts may seek print, ebook, audio, territorial and other rights for a long period. Effective reversion provisions are essential.
  • Uneven marketing support: Most books receive a limited campaign; authors are still expected to participate actively in promotion.
  • Long payment cycles: Advances are often divided into installments, while royalties may be reported only twice annually.
  • The advance must earn out: The author receives no additional royalties until earned royalties equal the advance, although the author keeps an unearned advance.
  • Contract restrictions: Option, non-compete and next-book clauses can restrict what the author publishes elsewhere.
  • A publisher can cancel a project: Reorganization, editorial departures or financial problems can affect an acquired book.
  • Success does not guarantee control: Even bestselling authors may disagree with positioning, covers or publication strategy.

Traditional publishing is generally strongest for authors who prioritize national bookstore distribution, professional backing, institutional recognition and minimal financial exposure.

It is less attractive to authors who prioritize speed, creative control, ownership flexibility and higher revenue per copy.