You have a book that you’ve decided, for whatever reason, isn’t right for mainstream publishing. Maybe enough agents have passed so that you’ve decided to take a different path, maybe your work is too short, maybe it's a better fit for niche markets, or maybe you just want to get it into the hands of your readers more quickly.

At this point, you have two choices: self-publish or try your hand submitting to independent or small publishers. Don’t confuse vanity presses with either of these. Vanity presses are a thing still, and the difference here is that they will charge you upfront for publishing packages. You want to avoid that. If you decide to self-publish, it will cost you money in editing, proofreading, and cover art, but in the end, you spend less than vanity publishing. You will also own all aspects of the work.

But what is the benefit of an independent or small press over self-publishing?

First, in going with an independent or small press, you will have no upfront costs. A real publisher will pay you one of two ways: one-time payment or royalties. In a royalty model, the press will take a portion of each book to pay for the expenses they’ve had to publish your book: editing, design, printing or file creation, and marketing, and then a part of the price goes to you. This is the same as the big-time publishers. Often, however, small presses won’t give an advance. This is because their margins are slimmer than a big publisher. But it also means you don’t have to worry about paying it back if something happens.

Next, you’ll get professional editing. The feedback of a professional editor is vital to the success of a book. If you self-publish, you may spend thousands of dollars on editing and proofreading. When you publish with a small press, that is paid for by the publisher. Generally, it won’t just be one pass either. When I worked for an independent publisher, each book received a minimum of four reads by three different people.

Third, a design team comes with a contract from a publisher. Cover art, layout, font selection, and even converting to different ebook files take a lot of work. Small and independent presses will most likely have a team with the experience to put all this together for you. Again, self-publishing will mean you pay for all of this upfront before you’ve even sold a copy of the story.

Additionally, using an independent or small press will offer a pool of authors to solicit quotes about your work, and they will also share your news on social media. This networking can be invaluable in helping you grow your audience, particularly if you are writing for a niche audience.

Finally, having professionals at an independent or small press will give you a more thorough understanding of the market than you might have on your own. The publisher is part of your team, and they are a business: they want to make money. This is in your best interest because if you want to be a professional writer and you will need to make money doing it too.