How to get published - Part III

Self publishing or traditional publishing? Are those the only choices? Not quite...

I chose to eschew both. On the one hand, I feel that self publishing comes with a certain stigma, while traditional publishing comes with heartache, years of denials and possibly eventual failure. Certainly, it is not for the weak of heart.

I chose a third option: create my own publishing house.

What? Is that not self publishing under another name?

No, not really. As part owner of a publishing company, I do have a great deal of say in what gets published, but that doesn't mean stringent controls are not put in place. Everything we publish goes through the same development procedure, irrespective of whether if it is mine or someone else's work.

This is expensive, and again I must say that if you are not willing to invest in your writing, then you are not really serious about the art. Either you pay in blood, or you pay in cash. But pay you will.

Editing, proofing, interior design, cover design, book production, etc, are all done professionally and this costs a lot of money, not to mention time.

Since I have an 'in' with the publisher, I am assured that my work will see the light of day. Very handy, I hear you say, and you are right! But like everyone else, I have to suffer the outrageous slings and arrows of my editor. I have to spend painstaking hours proofing, finding beta readers and working with the cover artist.

Since there are partners in the company, it is not possible to just 'put something out there' sans consent. Quality control, company vision and market goals play a part in the decision making process. All important factors from the publishing perspective.

Our company is called Nordland Publishing, and we are determined to make a name for ourselves in our domain area. Being part of Nordland is great. We have a small, but growing portfolio of books, a supportive and caring group of writers and, just as importantly, a talented and dedicated group of support staff.

So, if trad and self publishing do not appeal, then maybe you should consider option three; create your own company. This will take a lot of work, and require a lot of talented support. But you can do two things that really make it an amazing experience. You can publish your books knowing they are as good as a traditional publishing company could produce, and you can help other people achieve their dream of publishing too.