The Paths to Publication

Not all writers start their writing journey wanting to publish their stories. Sure, many of us smile at the thought, but many of us also believe that it's just a pipe dream.

But what if it's not a pipe dream?

At that point, it becomes a question of how to turn that whisper of an idea into something tangible. And it all starts with knowing your options.

In today's post, I want to explore the options for publication that exist in today's market.

Before I get too carried away, I need to highlight that this post is written based on the options available in 2026 for those who are publishing fiction. Anyone publishing nonfiction will have other options at their disposal, including university presses and educational publishers.

If you would like to see a full list of publication options (independent of genre), Jane Friedman maintains a pros and cons list for the key publication paths on her website.

Traditional Publication

Traditional publication is defined as any publication option where the publisher is taking on the risk (paying the bills, doing the distribution, and some core marketing). The author receives royalties, often in the form of an advance against their royalties. And if the book doesn't sell enough copies to earn out the advance… Well, that's the risk that the publisher takes. The advance is still paid in full to the author, and they don't need to pay it back.

Under the umbrella of traditional publication, there are three main paths:

• Agent
• Unagented submissions (direct to publisher)
• Direct to publisher via contests and open submission days

Let's discuss the last one first.

Contest and Open Submission Days

Occasionally, publishing houses (both big and small) will host contests where the winner is given a publication contract with that publishing house. And sometimes, they might have open submission days.

And it's not the small houses only trying to get authors to sign with them. Sometimes, it's a big name within the industry.

For example, Allen & Unwin often run a publishing competition for both their Australian and New Zealand branches. It's incredibly strict criteria to qualify, but they are worth considering if you are eligible.

And Angry Robot occasionally runs an Open Doors Submission period, with the dates of the window changing from year to year.

If you are interested in heading down this particular road, it is best to watch the social media feeds and the websites of the publishers you are interested in submitting to.

Agents

There are some publishers that require that you submit to them via an agent. The purpose is to provide a certain level of vetting before the acquisition editor at the publishing house sees the submission.

There are countless number of sites and courses all connected with how to find an agent. The ones that I can vouch for personally include Get a Book Deal 101 (run by Kathy ver Eecke) and the resources found on Jane Friedman's site, particularly her detailed post on query letters. Also check out the vlog from Bookends Literary on YouTube.

Just a note on motivation for querying: Many writers will send out hundreds of query letters before signing with an agent. And the search can take years. So, if you have only sent out say 10 or 20 queries, you're only just getting started.

Unagented Submissions

There is also the option of submitting direct to publishers, without an agent. But not all publishers.

Follow the submission guidelines to the letter. Do not deviate and think that you're special, because you're not. You still need to have a top-notch query letter and a shiny manuscript.

All of the information available for sending queries to agents applies to unagented submissions too.

Hybrid Publication

Hybrid publishing is where both the writer and the publisher pay for the publication to happen and are both taking on the risk. Depending on the publisher, this could be skewed towards the author's risk.

While the author is paying for this, the biggest difference between hybrid publication and publishing-assist companies (discussed below) is who gets the royalties. Whose name is on the account that royalties are being paid to? Who is listed as the publisher?

If you paid for someone to publish your book but you aren't listed as the publisher AND you don't see any of the royalties directly into your account (i.e., they are being filtered through the publishing house), then you did not self-publish. You used hybrid publishing.

Back in the day, this model of publishing was called vanity press, and many scams were of this nature. There are still some dubious vanity presses out there, so if you are heading down this road, you need to really do your homework to ensure that you are signing with a legitimate publisher.

I highly recommend searching Writer Beware regarding any scam history that might exist for a publishing house you are looking into.

Self-Publication

Within self-publication, the author is paying all the bills associated with publishing a book, taking on all the risk themselves. They also get all the rewards. But the important thing to remember with self-publishing is that you are not doing it by yourself.

I believe a better term for self-publishing is indie-publishing. It's more reflective of what self-publishing really is. You are hiring contractors for particular portions of a book publication process. But when all is said and done—and the book is published—your own publishing imprint is listed as the publisher, you are the owner on the accounts connected to the distribution channels, and the royalties get paid directly to you, no middleman (unless you deliberately hired a middleman).

The level of external assistance you hire is entirely up to you. You can do everything yourself (which I don't recommend) through to hiring a publishing-assistance company to help take some of the burden for you. (Personally, I'm in the middle of the two extremes, hiring professionals I've found myself to fill in the gaps within my own knowledge and skill sets.)

If you elect to work with a publishing-assistance company, make sure that you do your homework (just like you would for a hybrid publisher). And make sure that it's your imprint name that is listed as the publisher. Make sure that you are the one with the admin on the publishing accounts.

All Paths Require that YOU Do Marketing

One aspect that scares a lot of writers is the marketing once the book is published. It's one of the reasons why many writers turn to traditional publishing initially. But regardless of the publication path you choose, all authors need to do a certain level of publicity and marketing for their own books.

A traditional publishing house will manage the distribution. And sometimes, they will pay for the store placement of your books. But things like blog tours, media interviews, and book signings are now the author's responsibility. A publishing house might help to get the ball rolling (and they should support the events by helping to get copies of the book where it needs to go), but authors are expected to do the heavy lifting when it comes to marketing.

It's the reality of our current world. Just accept it and be prepared to learn how to market your own books.

It's a Personal Choice

Exactly which path you choose to follow needs to be a personal one. There are advantages and disadvantages to each (which are outlined on Jane Friedman's Key Publishing Paths post).

I will happily support any author on any path. And I will fight for your right to choose your own path.

Regardless of the path you choose, publishing is hard. Writing is hard. Only those who have the passion for what they do will have the stamina to keep going when the entire industry (and the world) goes topsy-turvy.

Do you have a question about publishing? Just drop me a line, and I'll do what I can to point you in the right direction.