Why do some publishers want the author to pay to publish their books?
Self-publishing is different from having a book published by a trade book publisher. It’s gotten easier to self-publish and many companies do it. The author pays the company to make their book and the author must sell it himself/herself to get back the money. Trade publishers pay YOU and advance and you receive royalties as it sells. Often the author finds and pays the illustrator and pays for editing. Trade publishers find and pay the illustrator and do all the editorial work themselves. They want the book to sell well! They take all the risk and responsibility for producing the book and for getting it in the stores, too. • I’ve published a book with a traditional trade publisher. Do I need to promote it myself? Yes! Books publishers have many authors and the more do to get your book in front of the public, the more copies will sell. Book fairs, book festivals, conferences where books are sold, speaking engagements, and bookstore appearances all help keep your book in print. Large pub
