Publishing Definitions
Free Publishing
As publishing content becomes more and more accessible, there are many publishing solutions offered free of charge or for minimal costs. But, as there is no cost to the author, only a minimal service is provided. Free publishing obviously costs nothing upfront—but you get what you pay for. You have to do everything yourself, except for the actual printing. Authors should note that the cost of printing or “manufacture” per book can be much higher—since that’s how the company makes money. Distribution is limited to some online stores and whatever you can sell yourself. As for marketing, you’re completely on your own.
Self-Publishing
Many authors will choose to independently publish their books by drawing on their own resources and time to develop and produce their work. This is often appealing to authors getting started, but it can be extremely challenging to manage and produce a quality work. There are also many restrictions on distribution and marketing options available to individuals without a credible imprint.
Subsidy Publishing
Subsidy publishing is often confused with self-publishing since it involves authors paying for services to publish their books. Unlike self-publishing, authors rely on a publishing company to edit, design, produce, and market their books. Typically, a subsidy-published book is retained under the publishing imprint and the profits are more evenly shared.
Royalty Publishing
Royalty publishers buy the rights to produce a book and pay the author a small percentage for each book sold. Royalty "advances" and marketing budgets can differ greatly between publishers. True royalty publishers do not charge you any money to publish a book or require you to buy a certain number of copies.
The publisher pays all the upfront costs—and, consequently, it takes ownership of the rights and retains most of the profits. Royalty publishing works well for established authors or personalities with a built-in audience; it’s extremely rare for new authors to be “picked up” by a royalty publisher. Standards for initial acceptance are extremely high, and your book will be professionally edited (usually several times)—although, in most cases, you will have no control over the edits.
Distribution is usually good and the quality of the final product is high. The publisher will do some marketing, but you’ll still be required to do a lot of the promotion yourself.
WinePress Publishing
WinePress Publishing offers the best of both worlds—a hybrid of royalty publishing and self-publishing. We specialize in Responsible Publishing™ that has the author’s passion and heart at the center of the project, combined with solid industry experience and expertise. Honest advice and guidance are provided upfront. You pay for the publishing costs, keep the rights to your book, make more of the profits, and enjoy full involvement in the process—just like a self-publisher. You get all the benefits of professional editing, design, full distribution, a complete range of marketing options, and a reputation for the highest quality—just like a royalty publisher.