by Randy Peyser

Many people choose to self-publish before they understand why they should find a publisher for their book. Here are some of the best reasons to find a publisher for your book:

1) You want to grow your career by reaching a larger national or global audience with your message. Traditional publishers offer national distribution and often go after foreign rights for your book.

2) You want well-known media placements. Example: Getting into Oprah magazine, Time magazine, or on the New York Times Bestseller List or The Wall Street Journal Bestseller List are achieved through traditional publishers.

3) You want your book sold in bulk. Publishers have staff dedicated to bulk sales. For example, FedEx Office bought 3000 copies of two of my clients’ books – Hired! by Elinor Stutz, and 30 Days Results Guide to Social Media Success by Gail Z. Martin – for all their stores.

4) You want major credibility as an expert. Since self-published books do not go through a vetting process, they are not taken as seriously by readers as books through traditional publishers.

5) You want event organizers to hire you. Authors whose books are published through traditional publishers are often chosen for speaking engagements and other events over people who self-publish.

6) You want to get your book into Barnes and Noble and other bookstores. Traditional publishers have a sales force who will work to get your book into bookstores.

7) You want to sell your book overseas. If your book is appropriate for a global audience, your publisher will work to sell foreign rights for you.

BONUS REASON

Many times, I’ve witnessed magical moments when a book comes out through a traditional publisher. For example, my first book, Crappy to Happy, was featured in the movie, “Eat Pray Love”. Imagine, 20 million women across America got to see Crappy to Happy flash across their screen as Julia Roberts held it up and bought it in a bookstore scene. That was definitely a magical moment that I couldn’t have predicted!

Similarly, my client, Elinor Stutz, found her first book, Nice Girls DO Get the Sale, featured in Time Magazine thanks to her publisher’s publicity department; my client, MJ Marggraff, got featured in the August 2016 issue of O Magazine right after her book, Finding the Wow, came out in May 2016; and client Adam Markel made the Wall Street Journal Bestseller List for his book, Pivot, in July 2016. These are just a few examples of the magic that can happen when a book is published through a traditional publisher.

If your goal is greater credibility, to get on bigger stages, to reach more people with your message, and to get into bookstores, go for a traditional publisher.

Randy Peyser is a Literary Advocate and the CEO of Author One Stop, Inc., a national publishing consulting firm. Author One Stop, Inc. provides editing, ghostwriting, book proposal polishing, and services to pitch books to literary agents and publishers. Randy@AuthorOneStop.com, www.AuthorOneStop.com, (831)726-3153.