Publishing - Main Line Memoir

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Publishing

Navigate the Publishing Journey with Expert Ghostwriting Support

Every manuscript has a publishing path. We help find yours.

Books have three stages:

Writing

Publishing

Marketing

Once you have a polished manuscript, you’re done with Stage 1. Congratulations! This is a huge step.

Now…on to publishing!

Publishing consists of:

Editing: Refining the manuscript’s language, structure, and flow to meet professional standards.
Cover Design: Creating a visually appealing cover that captures the essence of your memoir and attracts readers.
Formatting: Ensuring the text is laid out in a readable and aesthetically pleasing manner for various book formats. Photographs or other images are introduced at this stage.
ISBN Assignment: Acquiring an International Standard Book Number, a unique identifier for your book in the marketplace.
Distribution: getting the book into the world, both online and in real life.

The Main Paths to Publishing a Memoir

When it comes to publishing your memoir, there are many paths you can take: traditional, academic, trade, independent, hybrid, and so on. To keep it simple, we’ll break it into three main routes:

Traditional Publishing

Traditional publishing includes major New York publishers, textbook publishers, trade publishers (e.g., Wiley), university presses, and some small independent presses. In traditional publishing, the money ALWAYS flows toward the author. The publisher handles the publishing process, from editing to distribution, often providing advances. Royalties are shared after the advance pays out. (Don’t worry, we’ll explain what that means if you don’t know.)

There are some downsides to traditional publishing. First, it's highly competitive, so you need tough skin. Also, it involves surrendering some creative control and a significant portion of royalties. It also usually requires the preliminary step of getting an agent who will pitch your book to traditional houses, which can be an arduous process.

The biggest drawback to traditional publishing, however, is the timeframe. From manuscript to shelf typically takes one-and-a-half to two years.

Self or Hybrid Publishing

This can look a lot of different ways, which are too complex to go into here. In general, the difference between traditional and self or hybrid publishing is that the latter two require the author to pay upfront costs. In other words, the money flows AWAY from the author.

In hybrid publishing, the publishing house also takes a share of the royalties. In self-publishing, the author keeps complete control of the copyright and the editorial decisions and collects all the royalties.

Speed and control are the major plusses of this type of publishing. A manuscript can be on the shelf in weeks and the book can remain pure to the author’s vision. Also, not sharing royalties can be worth the upfront investment, especially if you’re going to support your book with marketing.

Private Publishing

The author creates a book only for friends and family. It’s not available to the public at all. This is often done with personal memoirs. Because print runs are limited, these books can be quite beautifully produced. We work with several bespoke private publishers that create legacy books of extremely high quality.

Our Role

Consultation

We begin with a comprehensive consultation to understand your publishing goals and preferences.

Manuscript Assessment

Our team evaluates your memoir's readiness for publishing and suggests necessary refinements.

Publishing Plan

Based on your unique needs, we craft a tailored publishing plan, advising on the most suitable path.

Industry Connections

We begin with a comprehensive consultation to understand your publishing goals and preferences.

Guidance and Support

Our team evaluates your memoir's readiness for publishing and suggests necessary refinements.