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Hope Moore

Dr. Hodges Hamilton

ENG 4900

8 December 2017

Publishing a Novel

Many people recognize that the publishing industry is a business, but the general public

possesses various misconceptions about the industry. Albert N. Greco voices some of these

misconceptions: Novice writers often assume that book publishing is a neat, symmetrical world

filled with editors, marketers, graphic designers, booksellers, distributors, typesetters, printers,

agents, book reviewers, and countless other professionals eager to advance the authors

reputation, support good literature, and further the pursuit of knowledge (8). The publishing

industry contradicts such assumptions. This growing and changing industry cannot remain neat

and organized. Greco claims, Book publishing in the United States in the 21st century is a

frenetic, fast-paced world of thousands of publishing companies employing more than 90,000

individuals, issuing more than 150,000 new titles annually, keeping over 3.5 million distinct

titles in print, and generating approximately $26 billion annually in net publishers revenues (8).

If a new author wants to publish a novel, then he or she must become familiar with the business-

oriented mindset of the publishing industry.

An author who wants to publish his or her first novel usually lacks knowledge about the

publishing industry. Without such knowledge, the first steps to publishing a novel can be hard to

determine. The average person does not know the ins and outs of the publishing industry;

therefore, new writers would do well to get acquainted with the industry in which they wish to
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enter. Albert N. Grecos The Book Publishing Industry and Jane Friedmans Todays Book

Publishing Landscape both provide excellent overviews of the publishing industry. From these

resources, writers can learn about the Big Five publishers in the United States. After learning

about the publishing industry at large, new writers should look to experienced authors for more

specific details on the path to publication. During the English Studies Panel at Belmont

University, Dr. Susan Finch told of her own publishing journey, and she emphasized the

importance of authors protecting their rights when negotiating with publishers. Jane Friedmans

The Book Publishing Contract lists the elements of a publishing contract and even gives J. K.

Rowling as an example of an author who properly protected her rights. In addition to protecting

rights, authors must decide whether or not they wish to self-publish. Writers can either follow

John Greens advice to use a publishing company or attempt to reach E. L. Jamess level of

success through self-publishing. Overall, new writers should not be intimidated by the publishing

industry. Whether a writer decides to pursue publication with a publishing house or through self-

publishing, the writer must take the leap of faith and begin his or her path to publication.

Overview of the Publishing Industry

Two of the six exclusive rights of a copyright owner are reproduction and distribution.

An author falls into the category of a copyright owner because he or she creates an original work

that is fixed in a tangible expression (U.S. Const. art. XVII, sec. 106). The publishing industry

comes into play when a writer wants to exercise the rights to reproduce and distribute.

In Jane Friedmans online video series, How to Publish Your Book, the first episode is

titled Todays Publishing Landscape and describes how the publishing industry originated.
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According to the narrator, publishers date back to Gutenberg-era printers. During such times,

profits motivated publishers, and patrons supported authors. Patrons of the arts financially

supported artists and writers while publishers profited from and owned all the rights to the works

(Freidman). A shift in the early publishing industry occurred when authors no longer received

support from patrons. Freidmans narrator gives the example of Samuel Johnson, a writer who

chose to live off book sales rather than patrons in 1755. Over time, the support of patrons fell

away, leaving authors to solely depend on book sales (Friedman).

First and foremost, todays publishing industry is a business (Friedman). Friedmans

Todays Publishing Landscape even suggests that publishing was business-oriented from the

beginning of its existence. The narrator demonstrates that the early Gutenberg-era printers were

a distinctly commercial trade from the beginning (Friedman). There is no doubt that todays

publishing industry is a complex business. In The Book Publishing Industry, Albert N. Greco

states, Although publishers and editors are deeply involved in the transmission of knowledge

and perform invaluable gatekeeping functions, publishing has been, is, and is likely to remain a

business, albeit a business that supplies readers with printed or electronic books that educate,

inform, and entertain (4). Grecos insight reveals the way in which publishers must reasonably

integrate the promotion of knowledge with the drive for profits. Any publisher that sacrifices the

quality of works for the sake of financial gain does society a disservice. Greco asserts,

Publishers and editors have a fiduciary responsibility to the owner(s) of the publishing house

and to their readers and society. A publisher or editor who neglects any of these three distinct

constituencies fails his or her responsibilities (4). Without good publishers, authors would

struggle to reach a large audience, and readers would not have access to such a wide range of

literary works.
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Within Americas publishing world, five major publishers dominate the industry:

Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, Hachette Book Group, and

Macmillan (Milliot). These publishers are commonly referred to as the Big Five (Freidman).

Both Jane Freidmans Todays Publishing Industry and Jim Milliots Ranking Americas

Largest Publishers agree on which publishers make up the Big Five. Freidmans narrator

reveals, The Big Five are New York-based publishers that produce more than two-thirds of all

books (Todays Publishing Landscape). According to Freidman, when people think about the

publishing industry, they usually think of the Big Five. In his article, Jim Milliot examines the

statistics: Penguin Random House sold the most units through NPD BookScan outlets last year,

followed by HarperCollins. Simon & Schuster was in third place. The Hachette Book Group

was #4 in units sold in 2016, a total that includes units from the Perseus Books Group, which

Hachette bought last March. Macmillan rounded out the top five (Ranking Americas Largest

Publishers). Statistically, these five trade publishers release the most titles in print throughout the

publishing industry in America. It is easy to see why many authors who want to reach a wide

audience would seek publication through one of the Big Five.

After scouring many articles that claim to know what the Big Five publishers want in a

manuscript, writers will only come across the overall conclusion that there is no specific formula.

Publishers consider many factors when deciding if they will sign an author. These factors often

include the quality of the manuscript, whether or not the writer has been published in a literary

journal, and the use of a literary agent. (Finding a Literary Agent). When trying to impress a Big

Five publisher, all of these various factors come into play; therefore, every writers experience

with a Big Five publisher could be different. In her blog, author Kristen Lamb offers her own

unique advice for impressing the Big Five publishers. She encourages writers to complete the
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best possible manuscript they can, research possible literary agents, and carefully follow the

submission guidelines that publishers provide (Lamb). Something as simple as following the

submission instructions can set serious writers apart from those who are less professional. New

writers should follow Lambs helpful tips if they want to attract the slightest attention from a Big

Five publisher in todays publishing industry.

The Path to Publication

The publication process is a long, complex journey that involves constant rejection. In

Todays Publishing Landscape, the narrator reveals that publishing consists of ninety-nine

percent rejection (Freidman). Such rejection may seem disheartening to new writers, but the path

to publication can be achieved with diligence. During the English Studies Panel at Belmont

University, Dr. Susan Finch informed students about her own journey to publication, proving

that publication is indeed achievable. Dr. Finch admitted that writers face constant rejection in

the publishing industry, but they must not let this rejection discourage their desire to publish their

works. Dr. Finch outlined the publication process to students, drawing from her own experience.

She suggested that writers hoping to publish a novel should begin by reading literary journals.

Through reading and eventually publishing in literary journals, a writer can achieve enough

experience to justify writing a query letter to an agent (Finch). Dr. Finch explained that an agent

sends the writers manuscript to the publishers because an agent is well-acquainted with what the

different publishers are looking for. Negotiating a contract and, ultimately, the publication of the

novel ensues once a publisher notifies the agent that it wants the writers manuscript (Finch).
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The publishing contract is one of the most important elements of publishing a book. Jane

Freidmans The Book Publishing Contract outlines the major aspects of a typical contract that

would be drafted between an author and publisher. The narrator begins, Few authors speak

openly about their contracts, and virtually no publisher makes their contract available for public

scrutiny (Friedman). Luckily, authors have agents who can assist in the negotiation process. The

agent should make sure that the negotiation process results in the protection of the authors

intellectual property and earnings potential (Friedman). Both Friedman and Dr. Finch

emphasize the importance of an author having an agent during the negotiation process in order to

protect the authors rights.

According to Freidmans The Book Publishing Contract, a publishing contract consists

of three parts. The narrator states, There are three areas of the contract to pay close attention to

the grant of rights clause, the reversion of rights clause, and the subsidiary rights clause

(Freidman). The grant of rights clause specifically states which rights the author grants or

licenses to the publisher. Friedman reveals, The act of granting rights does not traditionally

mean giving up your copyright. Granting rights to your work simply means youre granting the

publisher permission to publish a specific piece of work under certain circumstances in certain

formats for a stated amount of time (The Book Publishing Contract). Publishers typically want

as many of the authors rights as possible. During the English Studies Panel, Dr. Finch asserted

that writers must be careful not to give all of their rights away to the publisher. In addition to the

grant of rights clause, the reversion of rights clause plays an important role in the author

regaining his or her rights. The narrator of The Book Publishing Contract states, The

reversion of rights clause spells out when and how your relationship with the publisher ends,

meaning when and how all rights revert to you, the author (Freidman). Even the most optimistic
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author must consider the possibility that his or her relationship with the publisher might end, and

the authors contract must provide protection for the authors rights if this occurs. Freidmans

narrator claims, Negotiating a clear reversion of rights is critical (The Book Publishing

Contract). An author needs a strong reversion of rights clause in case he or she eventually wants

to self-publish, take the book elsewhere, or adapt or modify the work (Freidman). Finally,

the subsidiary rights clause involves the rights that the publisher has the freedom to either

exercise or license out to other parties (Freidman). An example of subsidiary rights could be the

merchandising rights. An author must pay close attention to these three major sections of the

publishing contract because they involve the authors valuable rights.

In The Book Publishing Contract, Friedmans narrator also describes the three different

methods a writer can choose from when determining the grant of rights and reversion of rights

clauses. First, there is the life-of-copyright contract, and this method describes your

traditional print book publishing contract, which remains in effect potentially for as long as

copyright on the work remains in effect (Freidman). While the life-of-copyright contract is

the traditional model, authors can also work with the fixed-term contract. The narrator

describes, These contracts have a set time limit. For example, five years, after which all rights

revert to the author. Fixed-term contracts are becoming more common and make more sense for

work sold primarily in digital form (Freidman). Freidman suggests that e-book publishers

generally use fixed-term contracts because those kinds of publishers deal with the digital

market (The Book Publishing Contract). Finally, the work-for-hire contract is the third model

for constructing the grant of rights and reversion of rights clauses in a publishing contract. A

work-for-hire contract simply involves giving up all rights and the actual copyright to the
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publisher. According to the narrator, most authors follow the life-of-copyright contract model

unless they plan to only release e-books (Freidman).

Negotiating the rights in the publishing contract is of the utmost importance for an

author, and J. K. Rowling serves as an excellent example of an author who chose to retain her

rights. In The Book Publishing Contract, Jane Freidman uses J. K. Rowling to demonstrate

how the negotiation of an authors rights can significantly affect an authors career. For example,

Bloomsbury published Rowlings Harry Potter books in the United Kingdom, but Rowling

retained her foreign sales rights. Friedman reveals that Rowling later auctioned the foreign sales

rights off to Scholastic in America. The narrator goes on to state, And Rowling also held onto

her e-book rights, which led to the creation of Pottermore.com (Friedman). Although Rowling

originally published her Harry Potter series outside of the United States, her protection of her

rights demonstrates the path that any American writer should try to follow. Rowling might not

have profited as much if a different American publisher gained her rights but failed to properly

market her books. Rowling was able to increase her profits by retaining her foreign sales rights

and controlling which American publisher gained access to her works. Rowling proves that an

author has more control over his or her work when less rights are given over to the publisher.

If a writer is going to successfully negotiate a contract that protects his or her rights, the

writer must be aware of the contracting tactics that publishers try to employ. In Ten Book

Contract Traps We Can Help You Avoid, the Authors Guild provides useful advice for writers

in the process of negotiating a publishing contract. The Authors Guild begins by advising against

authors giving away their copyrights. The article states, Never assign or transfer your copyright

to a publisher; grant only specific rights (e.g., book publication, not film and TV) and review

each rights grant carefully (The Authors Guild). The author should not give away his or her
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copyright to the novel because that would result in the loss of total control of the work (The

Authors Guild). The Authors Guild goes on to list nine other traps that publishers often try to

employ when contracting with authors. Many of these traps relate to the reversion of rights

clause, thus confirming Jane Freidmans claim that the reversion of rights clause must be strong.

For example, the article commands, Demand that your book can be declared out-of-print and

your rights to it will be reverted to you if the publisher pays you less than a certain dollar amount

of royalties each year (The Authors Guild). By following this advice, new writers will be

equipped to negotiate contracts that best protect their rights.

One final aspect that writers must consider on their paths to publication is the decision of

whether or not to self-publish. One author who would prefer to work with a publishing company,

rather than self-publish, is John Green. Green is the author of several bestselling Young Adult

novels, such as The Fault in Our Stars (Flood). In an article for The Guardian, Alison Flood

reveals that many people believe that John Green should self-publish because of his large social

media following. She describes, Green is a social-media sensation, with more than 1.5 million

followers on Twitter, a hugely popular Tumblr page and a YouTube account with more than a

million subscribers, where the videos he makes with his brother Hank have been viewed more

than 200m times (Flood). Because of his large following, John Green seemingly has the power

to bypass publishers and successfully conquer the process of self-publishing; however, Green

claimed in 2013 that he will always stand by his publisher, editor, and all the people who work to

make his books available to the public. For example, Green stated, We must strike down the

insidious lie that a book is the creation of an individual soul laboring in isolation. We must strike

it down because it threatens the overall quality and breadth of American literature

(AmericanBooksellers). In his acceptance speech for the Indie Champion Award from the
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American Booksellers Association, Green passionately supported the work of publishers and

booksellers. Green asserted, We need editors, and we need publishers, and we need

booksellers (AmericanBooksellers). Green credited the existence of his books to the work of his

editor and agent, but he also acknowledged copyeditors, warehouse employees, programmers,

people who know how to make servers work, librarians, and booksellers

(AmericanBooksellers). Greens claims serve the publishing industry well because they show the

benefits of collaboration and not having to tackle every aspect of publishing alone.

While John Greens claims seem to encourage writers to seek collaboration with

publishing companies, E. L. Jamess success might inspire new writers to pursue the route of

self-publishing. E. L. James is famous for self-publishing her Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy, which

began as erotic fan-fiction of the Twilight series (Grimsby). James initially published her work

on her own website and other fan fiction sites. After attracting The Writers Coffee Shop, which

is an independent publishing company, Jamess novel became available as an e-book and a print

on demand paperback (Grimsby). In an article for Self-Publishing Review, James Grimsby

claims, Although the series has been heavily criticized for being poorly written, it didnt stop

millions of people from buying it anyway, and sparking a greater shift in attention to womens

literature (Self-Publishing Success Story: E.L. James). Jamess work has consistently received

criticism, but few people can dispute Jamess success through self-publishing. Over one million

copies of Jamess first book have been sold around the world, and the entire franchise has made

over $95 million (Grimsby). An article for Writers Digest lists several pros to self-publishing,

and most of the pros are related to the way in which an author maintains control of his or her

work. According to the article, self-publishing authors can control their prices and covers, make

changes to their works with no trouble, and control all other decisions regarding the book
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(Klems). Overall, self-publishing may be the right path to publication for writers who want both

publication to result quickly and to retain control over their works.

Call to Publish

If any new author possesses a desire to see his or her work published, then he or she

should certainly put forth the effort to pursue publication. Despite the long and complicated path

to publication, writers can achieve this goal with an abundance of diligence and a decent

manuscript. Jane Freidmans narrator claims, If you publish with a Big Five house, its a near

guarantee that your book will sit on store shelves across the nation (Todays Publishing

Landscape). While securing a publishing deal with one of the Big Five publishing houses in

America might seem out of reach, new writers should take note that there are many other

reputable publishers in the country. According to Jim Milliot, other publishers with a strong

presence in the industry include Scholastic, Disney Publishing Worldwide, Houghton Mifflin

Harcourt, and Workman (Ranking Americas Largest Publishers). New authors should also

recognize that self-publishing serves as another path to publication. The success of E. L. James

only proves that self-publishing is both a valid and profitable way to seek publication. In

Todays Publishing Landscape, the narrator claims, Amazon is now the number one retailer

of books (Freidman). Amazon competes in sales with the Big Five, and self-publishing appears

to be an attractive way for writers to make their works available to the public. Authors can

evaluate their own circumstances and personal preferences in order to decide whether they will

seek a publishing deal or self-publish. Either way, authors must pursue the path to publication if

they are going to share their works with the world.

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Conclusion

Overall, the publishing industry may surprise many new writers with its wide variety of

publishers and complicated contract negotiations. If a writer is not familiar with the industry,

then he or she might struggle with determining the first steps to publish a novel. The publishing

industry in America consists of more than just the Big Five publishing houses. Writers, agents,

publishers, editors, and booksellers all work together in various ways to make up this hectic and

ever-changing industry. New authors can study the publishing industry at large in Albert N.

Grecos The Publishing Industry and Jane Friedmans Todays Publishing Landscape.

Understanding the general makeup of the industry benefits writers by providing valuable insight

into the field. Most importantly, new authors must be equipped with the knowledge of how to

protect their rights when negotiating with publishers. Authors should also consider hiring an

agent to assist with these negotiations. If J. K. Rowling had given up certain rights, the world

might have never known Pottermore.com. Writers who, like Rowling, fight to retain their rights

will benefit in the long run. Ultimately, authors should continue writing and creating, and they

should not let intimidation prevent them from pursuing the path to publication and achieving

their goals. Understanding the basics of the publishing industry and knowing how to protect

certain rights are the keys to successfully publishing a novel.

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Works Cited

Finch, Susan. English Studies Panel. Senior Seminar in English Studies, Belmont University

English Department, 19 Oct. 2017, Belmont University, Nashville, TN. Panel

Presentation.

Finding a Literary Agent: Q&A with Mark Gottlieb. Now Novel,

https://www.nownovel.com/blog/finding-literary-agent-interview/. Accessed 5 Dec.

2017.

Flood, Alison. John Green: Why Ill Never Self-Publish. The Guardian, 6 Jun. 2013,

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/jun/06/john-green-never-self-publish.

Accessed 5 Dec. 2017.

Friedman, Jane. The Book Publishing Contract. How to Publish Your Book, episode 18, 12

Oct. 2017. Kanopy, http://belmont.kanopystreaming.com/video/book-publishing-contract.

---. Todays Publishing Landscape. How to Publish Your Book, episode 1, 12 Oct. 2017,

Kanopy, http://belmont.kanopystreaming.com/video/today-s-book-publishing-landscape.

Greco, Albert N. The Book Publishing Industry. Lawrence, 2005.

Grimsby, James. Self-Publishing Success Story: E. L. James. Self-Publishing Review, 5 Oct.

2014, http://www.selfpublishingreview.com/2014/10/self-publishing-success-story-e-l-

james/. Accessed 5 Dec. 2017.

John Green Indie Champion Award Acceptance Video. YouTube, uploaded by

AmericanBooksellers, 30 May 2013,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Pd4EFEfu0ww.
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Klems, Brian A. The Pros and Cons of Self-Publishing (&Traditional Publishing). Writers

Digest, 11 Jun. 2012, http://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/the-pros-and-cons-of-

self-publishing-traditional-publishing. Accessed 5 Dec. 2017.

Lamb, Kristen. Breaking Big: How to Impress Big Five Publishers. Kristen Lamb, 14 Nov.

2017, http://authorkristenlamb.com/2017/11/bigfivepublishers/. Accessed 5 Dec. 2017.

Milliot, Jim. Ranking Americans Largest Publishers. Publishers Weekly, 24 Feb. 2017,

www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/72889-

ranking-america-s-largest-publishers.html. Accessed 30 Oct. 2017.

Ten Book Contact Traps We Can Help You Avoid. The Authors Guild,

www.authorsguild.org/member-services/legal-services/improving-your-book-contract/.

Accessed 30 Oct. 2017.

U. S. Constitution. Art. XVII, Sec. 106.