Traditional publishing

Traditional publisher– Traditional publishers are large companies that design, print, and market books. The most recognizable traditional publishers are known as the Big Five: Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Penguin Random House, and Simon & Schuster. The benefits of traditional publishing include an extensive budget to print and advertise books, connections to experts in the publishing field, and the capability to distribute copies throughout large geographical ranges. Some cons to going the traditional publishing route include less control over the cover design process, lower royalties for copies sold, and a slower overall process for getting books from the manuscript to the shelf. These downsides look unattractive for many current authors, thus they favor indie or self-publishing. However, traditional publishing offers a team effort approach to publishing books. Every step of the process is carried out by vetted experts instead of by authors themselves. This prevents authors from making poor beginner decisions in marketing or design. Ultimately, whether traditional publishing is right for any given author depends on that author’s goals and level of publishing experience.