The Reality of Traditional Publishing, a Cautionary Tale

Rosemi Mederos: 00:01

If you have plot bunnies coming out of your plot holes, it’s time for a writing break.

Today, I’m sharing a behind-the-scenes look at the publishing industry. We all dream of making it big with our writing, but what happens when that dream doesn’t unfold the way you expect? We’ll talk about how that dream didn’t quite come true for one author. But first, I have the latest publishing news for you. The Writing Break cafe is open, so let’s grab a table and settle in.

In January: 2025

A new trend termed "cosy kink" has emerged in the publishing world, blending wholesome, small-town settings with explicit sexual content. An example is The Pumpkin Spice Café by Laurie Gilmore, which combines picturesque autumnal scenes with adult themes.

Staying on the topic of trends, the 'new romance' genre continues to experience significant growth. New romance is characterized by romantic and erotic narratives where a young, innocent protagonist falls for a troubled individual. This is also sometimes referred to as new generation Harlequin, although not all of these books are published by Harlequin.

Adjacent to that and also experiencing a continuous rise in sales is dark romance, which glamorizes violence and sex wherein the heroine is relegated to a submissive role. I pass no judgment if being abused and insulted is your kink, but I do pass judgment on how poorly written many of these books are. You’re better off writing your own.

There’s even a trend in the children's book market, which has seen a surge in titles authored by celebrities. This trend has caused frustration among traditional children's authors who find it challenging to compete with the marketing power and instant bestseller status that celebrities bring.

Simon & Schuster announced that it will no longer require authors to obtain blurbs for their books. Blurbs are short endorsements from fellow writers and subject matter experts and have been a thorn in the side of writers and reviewers alike. Simon & Schuster’s decision has sparked widespread discussion about the relevance and effectiveness of blurbs, with some arguing that the practice fosters cronyism and offers little impact on sales.

Anecdotally, I’ve had a few authors admit to me that they did not, in fact, read the book for which they penned a blurb. One author said that it was impossible given the number of requests he receives and his busy schedule. So, not wanting to snub anyone by not providing a blurb, he does his best to write something generic and kind. If you’re a blurb reader, you know these quotes can be repetitive and vague. How many books have you seen referred to as “game-changing” lately? Insert eye roll here.

Links to all of these news stories can be found in the show notes of this episode. Now, let’s make our way over to the Overthinking Couch for some insider information on the wonderful world of publishing.

I recently spoke with an author who landed a deal with a Big 5 publisher, something many of us aspire to accomplish. But what happened next was not the fairy tale any of us imagine. I will not disclose the name of the author or the publisher, for obvious reasons. I’ll try not to even disclose the gender.

Imagine this: You spend years writing and refining your book, only for the publisher to print the wrong version. That’s exactly what happened to this author. The first print run used an outdated manuscript, one that still had errors, missing revisions, and passages that had been cut.

As if that weren’t enough, the same mistake happened with the audiobook. The narrator was given the wrong version of the manuscript, and no one caught it until they were deep into recording. By the time the mistake was noticed, thousands of dollars had already been spent on the recording process. Who do you think is going to foot the bill for these mistakes?

Fixing these mistakes was a logistical and financial headache. Mistakes like this impact the production timeline, the narrator’s performance, and the author’s trust in the publishing team.

They’re not the only publisher to ever have this kind of quality control error, but one reason people gravitate toward traditional publishing is to have less to worry about since things are getting done by experienced professionals. You know I’m a strong advocate for self-publishing, and if you chose to work with a publishing house, keep in mind that you’re still going to need to keep a sharp eye out for this kind of mix-up.

And then there’s the book tour. When you think about launching a book with a major publisher, you might picture glamorous book tours, media coverage, and a full marketing team working to promote your work. But here’s the reality: This author was given minimal support for book events. In fact, the author was expected to organize and fund most of it. Travel expenses quickly added up, turning what should have been a career milestone into a financial burden.

If the publishing house would have offered more book tour support, the author would have been able to attend more than a handful of events and therefore sell more books. It’s a fair assumption that the publishing house didn’t think the profits would justify the cost. But note that the book event I attended for this author this year was packed, and more than a hundred people stood in line, books in hand to get the author’s autograph at the end. I am not sure why more was not done for this author, but it makes me wonder how much they’re doing for any author anymore.

There is a misconception that traditional publishing means automatic success. This story isn’t meant to discourage you, but to prepare you. The traditional publishing path is full of unexpected challenges. Always advocate for yourself during the publishing process. Don’t assume that big publishers won’t make big mistakes. If a book tour is important to you or recommended by your publisher, ask about financial support before committing. Stay involved in the production process: check galleys, ask about audiobook recordings, and push for quality control. At the end of the day, publishing is a business. No one will care about your book as much as you do.

And always, always consider self-publishing a serious option. Given this author’s fan base, I believe much more would have been in the author’s pocket at the end of the day if they had self-published.

So, how about you? Would you take a book deal knowing these risks? Have you had similar experiences in publishing? I’d love to hear from you, and I know listeners would too.

If you haven’t already done so, subscribe to Writing Break, leave a review, and stay tuned for more publishing news, insider publishing information, and writing tips. Thank you so much for listening, and remember, you deserved this break.

Thank you for making space in your mind for The Muse today.

Writing Break is hosted by America’s Editor and produced by Allon Media with technical direction by Gus Aviles. Visit us at writingbreak.com or contact us at podcast@writingbreak.com.