Parisian Phoenix Publishing

Definitions used in publishing

These definitions are my own. Search these terms and your will find a lot of descriptions. Click here to read a good one from the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.

I’m debating how to organize this list, as I may go with alphabetical. Part of me wants to organize it in degrees of autonomy or cost, but that seems like it requires a value judgment on my part.

But if you want a glimpse into my mind and what I am trying to do, here we go:

• PRINT ON DEMAND (POD): Before the rise of ebooks and advanced printing technology, books were printed (like newspapers) on presses. The cost of a project balanced on how much paper and press time was used, based on massive sheets of paper that could be cut into smaller pages. Print on demand technology has changed the landscape so that authors and publishers can print a book on what is essentially a fancy home printer or copy machine, where cost is calculated on how many pages are printed usually regardless of size. Here’s a Youtube video on how to print a book before the digital age.
• SELF PUBLISHING: I don’t use the term independent author like many others do, because in my worldview, small presses are also independent because independent in my worldview means free of what has been called the big five. Self-published authors use their own effort or hire their own professionals for every step of the process. Amazon because the first major distributor of self-published, POD books through their CreateSpace which evolved into what is now KindleDirect (KDP).
• SMALL (OR INDEPENDENT) PRESS: A publishing entity not connected to the Big Five.
• TRADITIONAL BIG FIVE: Hachette, Harper Collins, MacMillan, Penquin Random House and Simon & Schuster.
• TRADITIONAL PUBLISHING: May refer to the Big Five and often considered the goal of many authors, but small presses also offer traditional publishing. A traditional publishing contract means that the press produces the book at no cost to the author. They may offer the author an advance, but the author will not earn revenue on royalties until they have paid back the advance. Publishers in a traditional contract make their money on the royalties of each copy of the book sold. Once the author repays the advance, the author and the publisher share the royalty, usually with the bulk of the royalty going to the publisher. Keep in mind that the retail price of the book must cover the cost of printing, the cost of distribution and the retailer’s share of the purchase price. After these expenses are paid, what remains are the royalties.
• VANITY PUBLISHING: Vanity publishers existed long before POD printing. These publishers charge an often hefty upfront fee. (I know a local-to-me vanity press whose packages start at $4,000 and don’t offer much more than an ISBN and a signing at a local bookstore.) I have not worked with vanity publishers, but a common complaint I have heard is that they publish anything by anyone who has the money to pay the fee. I have also heard complaints that their professionals don’t always have appropriate experience in the industry. But on the other hand, I have heard some authors rave about their vanity publishing experience. Because all fees are paid upfront, the perk of a vanity package can be that the author receives 100 percent of their royalties and the publisher has no claim or connection to the work in the future.

You will notice I didn’t include HYBRID PUBLISHING on this list. That’s intentional. HYBRID covers a publishing model that combines several of these items into a unique blend of services.

I often say that while Parisian Phoenix has always intended to be a traditional publisher, sometimes it is in the best interest of the client to pursue a hybrid contract. Sometimes someone wants to work with us, but I don’t have the resources in my schedule to support that project.

Other times someone already has a self-publishing system that works for them but wants our support with editorial services. Sometimes I recognize that a client has 90% of the skill to do the job themselves and all they need is knowledge. Why would I take their profits if they did all the work?

And further muddying these waters is ASSISTED SELF PUBLISHING which are services to help authors navigate various aspects of self-publishing, which could mean a vanity press type deal or something as simple as hiring an editor who has a little bit of knowledge about KDP or IngramSpark.