Introduction

The advances in publishing technology have opened up the industry to many new and exciting authors. Writers who wish to bring their books to the market now have a range of options they can consider and opportunities to secure global sales without the need for significant financial investment.

Mainstream Publishing

The publishing model that most people are familiar with is where a mainstream publisher takes on a book, possibly paying the author an advance, with the author receiving royalties for each book sold. Under this arrangement the publisher normally has a form of exclusive rights to the work.

However, the high levels of promotional investment that the traditional routes now require, increasingly limit the opportunities that new authors are given. In many cases, the publishers will try to minimise their financial risks by focusing on authors that have either a proven track record or sales potential because of celebrity status.

The limited opportunities that the traditional route offers mean that many manuscripts are not published. If you have been rejected, you may find yourself in good company: a Mann-Booker Prize, short-listed author in 2003 did not find a publisher for her previous four novels.

Self-publishing

A second option for the author is to pay to have a manuscript turned into a book and for copies to be printed through the traditional printing process. This option does require a reasonable investment from the author.

Because this route does not offer the author any distribution network, it is primarily suited to authors that are confident that they can make sales of several hundred units through their own contacts. The title would not normally be available through bookshops or websites such as Amazon.

Author Services Publishing

arimas author services route offers you the opportunity to publish your book and make it available through the global distribution network. The initial financial outlay is small and there is no risk of being left with unsold stock. There is also no requirement to commit to buying large quantities of the title.

Books can be produced professionally in both hardback and paperback formats and royalties are paid on all sales. The author retains the rights to the work and is free to pursue a traditional publishing or other rights deal.

Whilst it is unusual for high street bookshops to regularly stock titles that have not gone through the traditional publishing and promotional route, bookshops will normally sell them on a customer order basis.

The Internet book sites now account for a very significant proportion of worldwide sales and this area continues to grow. All titles published through arima are placed on Amazon, both in the UK and the US.