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If you’re a writer seeking publication, there might be a question you’re dying to ask: is being published by a big publisher better than a small indie press? It’s an eternal industry debate, so you’re not alone in wondering. There are pros and cons to consider for both—in terms of resources, reach, awards, personal attention, all of which can influence sales. So what does this mean for you as the author?
Author and writing coach at The Novelry Gina Sorell has experienced both types of publisher. In this article, she shares her insights into the ins and outs of ‘debuting twice’: once with a small indie press and once with a large publishing house, one of the so-called ‘Big Five’ publishers. After two decades of working as an actor on screen, stage, and TV, Gina returned to her first love: writing. She published her first novel, Mothers and Other Strangers, with an indie press in California, and her second novel, The Wise Women, with HarperCollins.
Gina emphasizes that, despite differences in resources and reach, an author remains the best advocate for their own work regardless of the size of the publishing house. She highlights the importance of personal effort in marketing and creating lots of buzz for your book, and reminds us that the real celebration in publishing is the creation of a story to share with others—after all, the writing process is where you can invest your hopes and dreams.
My publishing journey
I’m the author of seven novels. Two were published under my name, one under someone else’s, two are waiting in the wings, and two more probably won’t have a life outside of my desk drawer but were essential in getting me to where I am.
My first published novel was with a small press in California, and my second novel, coming years later, was published by one of the Big Five.
I’m often asked what the difference is between being published by a small publisher and a large one; my answer is nothing and everything. The reason is that whether you have a whole team behind you or one person, as the author, you’re still the best cheerleader for your book. Whether you have a little or a lot of support, you’re still going to do all you can to ensure that when your book goes out into the world, it goes out as loud, proud, and happily as possible. But because I had the great fortune of debuting twice, I’d like to share a little about my publishing journey here.
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Publishing with a small indie press
My debut novel, Mothers and Other Strangers, found its way to a small press the way many novels do after a long submission process, where it received lots of love but no offers from larger houses. There were several reasons for this: the location of a Canadian city as the setting for a part of the novel (it might be unfamiliar to readers!); the inclusion of a cult-like organization that is central to the fractured relationship of my protagonist and her late mother (not everyone likes cults!); the structure of the story that relied heavily on flashbacks (not all readers like flashbacks!); my very flawed, depressed, complicated protagonist (readers won’t root for an unlikeable woman!); and a reason that I heard a few times, that not everyone on the team could get behind the book. As much as all of these reasons hurt at first—and wow, did they ever—it was true. Not everyone would like this story, just as I don’t like every story I read, but someone would like it as much as I did. I just needed to find that person.
Not everyone would like this story, just as I don’t like every story I read, but someone would like it as much as I did. I just needed to find that person.
‘People usually come to us after the Big Five have turned them down, and that’s okay.’ My publisher told me this at our first meeting, and she was right, at least in my case. Of course, some people choose a smaller press, knowing that it’s the right fit for their book. But I had tried for a bigger house first and had been turned down, and it really was okay. After submitting to many people and getting many ‘no’s, I got my one ‘yes’, from a publisher that only did twelve books a year. Some were coffee table books, some were mysteries, and a few were debuts. Debuts are a lot of work, and I understand why. Nobody knows who you are, and launching you and your novel into the world can be a daunting task.
The biggest challenge at this small press was their resources. They had two full-time staff members and an intern. The intern was only part-time, and the publisher edited the books herself and had to be involved in all aspects of its production and marketing. It was a tiny but mighty operation, and I quickly rolled up my sleeves and got to work alongside them.
I read as many blogs about debut authors as possible, reached out to friends who were generous enough to share their experiences and helpful tips, and then decided to invest in an outside publicist. Being new to publishing, working full-time, and parenting, I felt that I needed someone to help me with aspects of the business I hadn’t tackled before. I found someone who could help me place personal essays and articles whose topics aligned with the themes of my book and reach out to magazines and podcasts, as well as influencers and bloggers. Together, we organized a one-woman self-funded publicity tour in five major cities, where I was confident I could get people to come out. Working alongside my publisher, we tried to reach as many people as possible in the hopes of stirring up excitement and getting the ever-elusive but much sought-after ingredient for any new book—buzz.
Buzz. It’s what every author wants. Buzz, excitement, word of mouth, people talking about your book.
The hope is that the more people talk about your book, the more likely others will buy it. One of the people talking about my book was me! I wrote to key booksellers, visited indie bookshops with a one-pager on my book, gave free copies to staff members, and campaigned my heart out. I autographed my novels in stores, and some even let me stand and greet people and tell them about my book. It was a ton of work, but it paid off. My essays were placed in several online and print magazines. I did countless blogs and podcasts, three newspaper reviews, was chosen for a Great Group Reads list, and made the ‘best of’ lists for Refinery 29 and Self Magazine. All this, and I had hired someone, which is not always possible for debut authors. It was exhausting and thrilling, but I was happy to pitch in. After all, this was a small press, so I had to do all of this, right? Wrong.
Publishing with one of the Big Five
Five years later, with a new agent and a new book, my second book, The Wise Women, was published by HarperCollins. They viewed it as my debut because it was with them in a new category with a new audience.
Naturally, I was thrilled to be published by HarperCollins. They are a fantastic publishing house, put out great books, and they have a large publicity team. Not just one person, but a whole team! For a brief moment, I harbored a fantasy that I would just show up at book signings and events, rested, refreshed, and ready to meet readers. Well, not quite. Yes, they had a great, hardworking, enthusiastic team, that was true, but so was the fact that I wasn’t their only author. Unlike the small press, my book wasn’t the only one publishing that day, let alone that week or month. They had many books across many imprints going out into the world. They had lists of books before and after mine that needed their attention. If I wanted my book to stand out from the crowd, I needed to do all I could—again. So, I hired another fantastic publicist to bring on board. Now, as I said, I know not everyone can do this.
Still, the things we all can do stayed the same: personal essay writing, blogging, ‘bookstagramming’, podcasting, visiting bookstores, giving away copies, having online launches, in-person events, attending book club meetings and chatting up my book as much as possible.
I got some fantastic breaks and some incredible buzz. I was featured and reviewed in People Magazine, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Ethel, and was even chosen as a Good Morning America Book Buzz Pick. The cover of my book flashed on a massive billboard in Times Square. It was such a thrill. I was, and still am, incredibly grateful for all the love and attention my book received. But I also learned that no matter how much buzz you get, it’s easy to feel like there could always be more. Everything about my second book was bigger, but so were the expectations. In many ways, the experiences felt strangely similar. That’s not a bad thing because I realized something very important. Even as the buzz comes and goes, the thing that remains is this wonderful thing that I have created: my novel.
Even as the buzz comes and goes, the thing that remains is this wonderful thing that I have created: my novel.
Whether your book finds a home with traditional publishing at a small press or one of the Big Five or is self-published, the real celebration is the creation of a story to share with others. There is so much about publishing that we cannot control. But the one thing we can control is the work itself. Writing is where we can put all our hopes, frustrations, dreams, and desires. It’s the thing that lasts after everyone’s attention has rightly shifted on to the next great book being released, and the work and all our effort are what should truly be celebrated.
Writing is where we can put all our hopes, frustrations, dreams, and desires. It’s the thing that lasts after everyone’s attention has rightly shifted on to the next great book being released, and the work and all our effort are what should truly be celebrated.
So even though I got to debut twice, the reality is that every book still feels like a debut. I have all the same hopes, dreams, and challenges. All of the same worries, fears, and desires. I am still my book’s biggest champion and most enthusiastic cheerleader. While the whole process can seem daunting and overwhelming, it is also truly amazing. Because each new book is a new beginning and another incredible opportunity to create something I love and am proud of. Something that I get to share with readers. And that’s a feeling that never gets old.
For more insights into literary techniques, coaching and a supportive writing community, join us on a creative writing course at The Novelry—the world’s top-rated writing school.
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