Traditional publishing was the most dominant form of book publishing model before the internet. In order for books to be published in the past, authors must submit a completed manuscript along with a query letter or proposal straight to the publishing house or with the help of a literary agent.

While traditionally published books have their perks for accomplished writers, it’s not the easiest option available. However, you have to admit that the rewards are very enticing.

First of all, the benefits for writers who successfully publish books traditionally can include a generous advance payment for future royalties. There is nothing more rewarding than to reap the returns of your hard work. Also, authors will establish a sense of authority or prestige in the writing market. Future books written by the same author will be much easier to market.

Traditional publishing also holds a few advantages over self-publishing, such as:

Quality Control – Before a completed work can be accepted in a publishing company, it will have to go through a number of rigorous screening processes. The good thing about this is that books published traditionally are usually guaranteed to be a good read.

High Returns – Traditional publishing can easily be profitable for the author while further risks will be shouldered by the publishing company. This is why publishing houses are so meticulous when accepting books to be published. Most of the time, authors are paid a hefty sum in advance for future royalties, regardless of the sales performance of the book.

Higher Exposure –Traditional publishing companies are also experts when it comes to marketing a good book. For an author, there is nothing more rewarding than earning recognition for hard work.

So if traditional publishing is incredibly rewarding, why isn’t everybody doing it? The answer is because not all writers can.

In fact, the majority of writers can’t. And even for some of those lucky enough to get a contract, it’s not always the same beautiful picture.

The Disadvantages of Traditional Publishing

Every author knows how difficult it is to get accepted by traditional publishers. No one can blame them, since it involves a lot of money to produce and market books. Most authors take years to find someone to publish their book, which is not what a lot of them are willing to wait for.

Also, new writers and mid-list authors stand almost no chance at all against already established names as publishing houses opt for more ‘profitable’ books rather than introducing something new to the market. This makes it even more difficult for new writers to get started. In fact, the difficulty is so great that new writers give up on traditional publishing and try to self-publish their works, which is a good alternative.

A lot of authors also feel like someone else is making money from their hard work since 80-90% of the revenue will go straight into the company’s pockets. Complicating matters,  it takes an author a very long time just to find a publisher. Although comparison of the profitability of traditional publishing and self-publishing is quite debatable at the moment, more and more writers are discovering the advantages of self-publishing.