Listen up, class. We've covered traditional and independent publishing, but don't zip up your backpack yet. There's more to talk about before you're dismissed.

Yeah. School started.

But since I've had experience with small presses also, I figured I'd throw them into the mix.

The Pros of Small Press Publishing

The competition is less fierce.
The biggest advantage of signing with a small press is, well, that you get to sign a contract. Smaller publishers are more willing to take chances and risks by signing no-name or lesser recognized authors. It gets your foot in the publishing door.

They cover the up front costs.
All the expenses of producing a novel are covered by the publisher, not taken from your piggy bank.

The bragging rights to say you've been published.
While it's true that indie publishing doesn't have the stigma it once did, it's still somewhat of a badge of honor to say you've been published by a traditional press.

Royalties could be higher.
Not every small press offers this bonus, but a lot do. Smaller publishers are more apt to share the profits with you.

The Cons of Small Press Publishing

Little to no advance.
The flip side to perhaps getting a larger royalty is that there is usually no advance whatsoever.

Low budget often means a cover you might not be proud of.
Because a small press has smaller operating funds to draw from, top designers are beyond their budget. That means you might not get the quality cover you were hoping for.

Little or nonexistent marketing.
You're more than likely going to have to toot your own horn in the marketplace.

Sometimes small presses go out of business.
The risk in going with a small press is that who knows how long they'll stay in business. And once your book has been published and dropped, a bigger press will not pick it up again. You'll be forced to self-publish if you want that title back out in the public arena.

There you have it, folks. The most information I can give you based on my experiences. I've done all three, and honestly, traditional publishing is my favorite. Not to say that the other two choices are bad. I'm just saying what works for me. Your needs and desires could very well be different.

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