Preparing for and Orienting Yourself to the Real World of Publishing 
by Don Schaeffer
(this was a blog post not accepted by a client)

Publishing books, especially artistic books, poetry, and novels, is a deeply romantic dreamy idea for most writers. There are probably hundreds of millions of writers in the world, all dreaming of publication. Many fantasize about fame, fortune and a life of art. They dream that publication will lead to immortality. At the same time, the publishing industry exists amid  the maelstrom of economics which does not treat the arts kindly, especially the written arts. Poetry, as the anonymous poet says, is 

the least/ valuable of arts/ the most futile/ form of prayer.

In 2013, Polls on the subject reported that more than 80 percent of Americans would like to be writers. In 2011 329,259 books were published in the United States and 2.2 million books were published in the world. If you look at writers as a profession, an estimated 180,000 people (Forbes estimates 145,000) are said to be employed as writers in the United States, with an average estimated salary of $65,000 per year. To track writers in this way seems to make writing a much more established profession than it really is. But, there are many with writing as a profession. The government counts 58,000 reporters in the United States, 127,200 editors, 62,000 broadcast announcers, 320,000 public relations writers, and 49,500 technical writers. Half of these people have a half-finished novel in their desk drawer as well.

The Hard Road of Book Publication.

Much has been written about the death of poetry. There are arguments about the extent to which poetry is actually read. Some say that the audience for poetry is gradually extinguishing. A survey of public participation in the arts between 1992 and 2012 found that readership of poetry declined from 17 percent of readers in 199 to 6.7 percent of readers in 2012. Some actually argue that more people are reading poetry than ever, but the audiences are invisible and not measurable by the marketplace.

Even popular-style fiction has a long row to hoe before success.  Of  the 18 most popular and best earning fiction books, the average number of rejections by publishers was 83 (according to figures gathered by Forbes). Even when published only a small percentage of books sell more than 500 copies. Only 2 percent of books sold more than 5,000 copies.

Levels and Kinds of Publication.

One of the most important general principles of publication is that one way or another the artist will have to pay to get an audience. I may not be a direct payment, but in some ways, it may be.

Of course, there are more efficient ways to get published. There are ways for writers to compromise with their dreams, much shorter routes to getting things in print.  At the most basic level, there is self-publication and there is the real possibility of getting a short publication in the newspaper "letter to the editor" section.

There are many online forums and poetry or writing groups who "workshop" your writing. Members of the group can number in the hundreds. Members read and critique submissions. As far as poetry goes, many of the workshops are organized a monthly juried contest called the Inter Board Poetry Contest or IBPC. Many writers circulate their work through their own blogs, email lists, YouTube videos, or podcasts. The internet provides many ways that writers can reach for fame with little investment.

Self-publication is a definite disappointment to the ego of the ambitious writer. But it is a way of creating a book which can then be sold. If you properly register your book with the ISBN system, many bookstores will agree to stock your book and pay the author for any profit on sales. You can print your book through self-help systems online or through the Amazon Create Space system. There are still many local printers who will create books for a nominal price. Some will offer help in composition and graphics. You may also opt to do everything yourself.

Value-added printers are a recent addition to the hierarchy of publication. These companies will create books in any number you wish. They handle the technicalities of registering your book and seeing to the positioning of the book with online sellers. They often also advertise and publicize your book and list it with their own inventory. Generally, if you want to sell the books, you have to buy the books yourself or make some similar agreement to procure your book. You, therefore, own the complete rights to the book and market it any way you like. These finished books are attractive and, except for the name of the publisher, can't be distinguished from any other published book. Many companies who call themselves "publishers" are really value-added printers.

Publishing in Annuals, Magazines, e-zines, or periodicals is the way many authors publish what the write. Often, publishing in periodicals resembles a form of value-added printing since the periodicals almost always want authors to purchase a subscription or even pay a fee for inclusion. The publishers of periodicals will often also publish short books, sometimes called chapbooks.

Many writers get their start in conventional publishing through small independent publishers. Small presses are abundant in the U.S. and they take more risks on unknown authors than large publishers. You will need some kind of writing track record before a small press will consider your work, but they do accept unsolicited writing (which major publishers usually do not). They can be very good, very helpful, but print runs are very small and promotions may not help much to sell what you have written. Publishing your book with a small press can be a stepping stone to recognition by larger publishers.

Major Publishers receive thousands of manuscripts to fit very few marketing spots. They tend to want established writers  with recognizable names. Authors are often obligated to find advocates on a personal basis to receive any attention from them. Some hire literary agents to use personal influence to gain entry to the editorial offices. Major publishers are part of an elite society that does not accept many who do not have a pedigree.

Major publishers handle their authors by making a contract that gives the publisher the right to distribute the book while the author retains the copyright. If the author has submitted an outline for the book, he or she may receive an "advance payment" to cover the costs of completing the boo. The publisher generally has a lot of control of how the book looks and the process of selling and marketing the product.