March 29, 2024

Currently of the growing number of manuscripts received by publishers, less than 1% is retained for possible publication. This low percentage can open up prospects for anyone wishing to create a publishing house because it will be easy for them to find new talented authors who have hitherto been on the sidelines. Here are 5 concrete tips to get you started in this activity.

1-Find the right positioning

The publishing market is segmented into different sectors, so you should choose your own field of choice before embarking on the adventure. Regarding the share of major publishing sectors in the turnover of publishing in 2012, here is the breakdown:

-24.2% in literature,

-16.8% in beautiful books and practical books,

-14.1% in school education,

-13.4% in youth,

-9.3% in the field of comics,

-9.3% in Human and Social Sciences (SHS),

-4% in the news and documentaries category,

-3% for dictionaries and encyclopedias,

-3% in Science, Technology and Medicine ( STM ),

-1.4% dedicated to maps and atlases,

-1.3% in religion and esotericism.

If you want to stand out, you have to enter the niche of specialized publishers. Some have made this choice and are now enjoying great success. This is particularly the case of the publisher Origami, which specializes in the distribution of books and articles devoted to origami (foldings). The same goes for Olibris, the independent house dedicated to publishing quality chess books in the French language. Éditions Qui plus est are dedicated to careers guidance, employment and training professionals, while Noire Edition specializes in detective novels…

It is therefore up to you to find a good positioning, guaranteeing the success of your publishing activity.

2- Find your first authors!

Once you have chosen your editorial line, stick to it. There’s nothing worse than a catch-all publishing house because it will only hurt your credibility. You also have the option to work with an experienced editing and proofreading service in order to scale your editing volume up or down whenever the need arises.

From there, you need to find your first authors. This step is not too difficult, many authors seek to get a chance. Already around you, the information will circulate and you will soon receive the manuscript from a friend of your brother. Do not hesitate to create a Facebook page that will quickly attract people and aspiring to the publication. Social networks are real breeding grounds. It is the same with the forums which make it possible to meet future authors.

Finally, don’t forget the cultural events centered on the book (fairs, book festival, festival, literary meetings, readings in the presence of authors, etc.) which promote contact between publisher and author.

3- Think about selling online!

Many authors choose to sell online. Do not hesitate to resort to this type of publication, the means of making new authors exist today. Indeed, the market is really supported by online sales, which offset the drop in club and store activity. You can contact the two giants, Amazon and Fnac.

4- Find a distributor to be present in bookstores…

The distributor is an organization that performs the functions related to the distribution of books. As a representative of publishers, he will introduce you to his various sales networks: large multimedia stores, hypermarkets, without forgetting the most important – bookstores. These will open doors for you, especially since their involvement can yield excellent results. Of course, you can also ensure part of the distribution yourself. To do this, do not hesitate to contact the local bookstores directly.

5- Seek advice from the profession / SNE

Find out more from the Syndicat national de l’édition (SNE), which provides all the keys to being a publisher these days. Indeed, many specificities are to be known: the single price of a book (the law on the single price of the book of 1982 establishes the system of the single price of the book in France: any person who publishes or imports a book is required to set a public sale price for this book), the discount (the remuneration of the various points of sale comes from the discount granted by each distributor (or publisher) on the public price of the works) or even the return to the publisher(return is unsold work returned to the publisher via the distributor if they have one or directly. Books sent to the novelty service carry a full right of return).

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