How to Publish a Book in 2025: A Go-To Guide of Authors
When it comes to publishing a book, there are two main paths most authors consider: traditional publishing and self-publishing. These routes offer very different experiences, each with its own set of rewards and challenges. Traditional publishing is often seen as prestigious and industry-validated, while self-publishing provides authors with full creative control and a faster route to market.
But there's also a third option that’s gained traction in recent years: hybrid publishing. This model blends aspects of both traditional and self-publishing, offering professional support while allowing authors to maintain more control. However, not all hybrid options are created equal—so it's important to understand how this model works and how to identify reputable partners.
Ultimately, the right path depends on your goals, timeline, resources, and how involved you want to be in the process. Our goal is to help you understand the landscape clearly, so you can make informed decisions and move forward with confidence—whether you're aiming for a traditional deal, going indie, or exploring something in between.
What is Traditional Publishing?
Traditional publishing is the industry-standard method of publishing a book through an established publishing house. These publishing houses manage the book’s editorial, design, printing, distribution, and—depending on the contract—some marketing. It’s often seen as the most prestigious path, but it can be highly competitive and requires patience, resilience, and strategy.
In most cases, traditional publishing begins with a literary agent, who serves as the author’s representative and advocate. Literary agents pitch your manuscript to editors at publishing houses, negotiate contracts on your behalf, and help shape your book for commercial success. Landing an agent often involves a submission process where authors write a query letter, include a sample or full manuscript (if requested to do so), and wait for feedback or offers of representation.
Once an agent secures a deal with a publisher, here’s what the process typically looks like:
The publishing house acquires the rights to your manuscript and signs a contract with you.
You work with a professional in-house editor to revise your manuscript.
The publisher handles cover design, layout, printing, and distribution to bookstores, libraries, and online retailers.
You receive an advance against future royalties, which means you are paid upfront, and royalties are earned after your book "earns out" that advance.
The publisher may provide limited marketing support, although most authors are still expected to actively promote their books.
However, you don’t always need a literary agent to publish traditionally. Many independent and small presses accept unagented submissions, which can be a more accessible route for new authors. These publishers vary in size and prestige, and some focus on niche genres or underrepresented voices. While their resources may be more limited than large publishing houses, small presses can still offer editorial guidance, design services, and distribution support.
If you’re pursuing either route—through agents or directly to small presses—we offer publishing consultations to help you:
Understand your options and build a clear path forward.
Edit and refine your manuscript through developmental editing services.
Prepare your query letter, author bio, and submission materials.
Build your author platform to strengthen your appeal to publishers.
Create a personalized strategy that aligns with your long-term goals.
We know that breaking into traditional publishing is not easy. But with the right preparation, professional support, and persistence, it’s absolutely possible.
A note for poets: While traditional publishing can be a challenging landscape for any writer, it’s especially true for poets. Poetry is one of the most underrepresented and undervalued genres in the traditional publishing world, which makes access even narrower. Many publishers see it as a niche market that doesn’t generate the same commercial return as fiction or memoir, which often results in limited opportunities and smaller advances. But that doesn't make it any less necessary or powerful.
To better understand the unique challenges poets face in this industry, we encourage you to read our blog Why Publishing Poetry Books is Harder Than Other Genres (But No Less Worth It), where we explore the systemic barriers and stigmas that persist. And if you're a poet looking to navigate the traditional route—whether through agents or small presses—check out our blog How to Publish a Poetry Book: What Every Poet Needs to Know for guidance on submission strategies, press research, and what to expect along the way.
What is Self-Publishing?
Self-publishing puts you, the author, in full control of the publishing process—from editing and design to distribution and promotion. In this model, you take the reins creatively and financially, which means you’re also the one investing in professional services to bring your book to life. Unlike traditional publishing, where gatekeepers determine if your manuscript gets through, self-publishing allows you to go directly to market. It’s an empowering path for authors who want total creative freedom and full ownership of their rights and royalties.
The self-publishing process generally looks like this:
You finish writing your manuscript and hire professionals for developmental editing, copyediting, and proofreading to ensure quality.
You work with a cover designer and interior layout specialist to make your book visually appealing and ready for print and digital formats.
You choose a publishing platform like Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, or Draft2Digital to distribute your book to online retailers, bookstores, and libraries.
You develop and implement a marketing plan that includes social media promotion, author events, media outreach, email marketing, and launch strategies.
You manage your author platform, growing your audience and establishing your presence as a writer.
While self-publishing can be overwhelming at first, it doesn’t have to be a solo journey. Our team offers services and consultations to guide you through every step, including:
Full editing and design services, ensuring your book meets professional standards.
Custom self-publishing consultations to help you map out your timeline, goals, and publishing strategy.
Marketing and book launch planning, from pre-launch buzz to long-term promotion.
Author platform development, so you have a strong foundation to connect with readers and grow your career.
The self-publishing world is dynamic and constantly evolving, but with expert support, a clear plan, and the right resources, it can be a powerful way to share your work and build a lasting author brand.
What is Hybrid Publishing?
In between traditional and self-publishing is a model known as hybrid publishing. Hybrid publishing is designed for authors who want to retain more control over their books while still benefiting from the expertise and structure of a professional publishing team. With this model, authors pay for services like editing, cover design, and production, and in return, they receive hands-on support in creating a high-quality book. She Writes Press is a well-known example of this approach.
That said, hybrid publishing often comes with one major caveat: many hybrid publishers require authors to share royalties or sign over partial rights. This means you're not only paying for services upfront—you may also be giving up a percentage of your future income or creative control. Depending on your goals, this trade-off might be worth it. But for others, it may feel limiting.
It’s also important to be cautious of vanity presses, which often disguise themselves as hybrid publishers. These companies are more interested in charging authors exorbitant fees than in producing quality, marketable books. Unlike reputable hybrid presses, vanity presses may offer little to no real editing, design, or marketing support. Their business model is centered around profiting from the author, not from book sales or success.
Unlike hybrid presses, our model is completely service and mentorship-based. We’re not a publisher, we’re your strategic support team. You maintain full creative control, 100% of your rights, and all royalties. Our mission is to give you the guidance, tools, and professional services you need—when you need them, and in a way that works best for your book, your budget, and your long-term goals.
Whether you’re looking for editorial feedback, help navigating the publishing landscape, or ongoing author platform development, we’re here to support you without ever taking ownership of your work.
What Factors Should You Consider When Choosing Your Book Publishing Path?
Deciding how to publish your book is a personal decision based on your unique situation and goals. Here are some questions for you to consider when deciding which publishing path is best for you:
What are your publishing goals?
This might seem like too broad of a question to ask but understanding your goals is crucial. Self-publishing offers more control and faster time-to-market but also requires a bigger financial investment. Traditional publishing might provide wider distribution and editorial support, but it’s a competitive market with unpredictable timeframes. Knowing your priorities sets the tone for your decision.
What are your long-term writing aspirations?
Consider your long-term writing career. Some authors use self-publishing to kickstart their careers and later transition to traditional publishing. Others prefer the independence of self-publishing because they already have an established brand to build off of on their own. Clarifying your long-term strategy can guide your initial decision about which route to take.
What level of financial investment are you prepared for?
Self-publishing requires an upfront investment for services like editing, cover design, and marketing. Traditional publishing typically doesn't cost the author, but the trade-off may be lower royalties and less creative control. It's about aligning your publishing choice with your financial capacity and ensuring that your decision doesn't hinder your overall financial goals.
How involved do you want to be in the publishing process?
Understanding your willingness and capacity to contribute to the publishing process is vital for either path. Traditional publishing requires author involvement in marketing and promotional efforts. But it goes beyond substantial promotion when you decide to self-publish, as you’re taking on every aspect of the process from distribution to sales to marketing and beyond. Get clear on how much you’re willing to take on independently throughout the journey.
What genre and audience are you targeting?
Certain genres and niche markets may find more success in one publishing path over the other. A mainstream romance novel might be more suited for traditional publishing than an erotica or highly niched novel. Research the market trends for your specific genre to inform your decision.
How resilient are you to handling rejection?
Traditional publishing often involves rejection from literary agents and publishers. If resilience to rejection is a challenge, self-publishing might offer a more direct path. Plus, traditional publishing involves relinquishing some control and facing tough critiques to align with the publisher's vision. Assessing your comfort with this trade-off is essential.
What is your timeline for publication?
Self-publishing is generally quicker, allowing you to get your book into readers' hands faster. Traditional publishing timelines are longer due to the submission and review process. Assess your patience and urgency in getting your work out and why that timeline is significant to your success.
How We Help Authors Choose the Right Publishing Path
Choosing how to publish your book is one of the most important decisions you'll make as an author. It shouldn’t be made lightly. Each publishing path offers something different, and success doesn’t come from choosing the “most popular” route. It comes from understanding how each model works, what it realistically demands from you, and how it aligns with your unique goals, your book, and your identity as a writer.
At Our Galaxy Publishing, we help aspiring authors like you make informed, empowered decisions about their publishing journey. Through our personalized consultations, we talk through your big-picture goals, the kind of book you’ve written (or are planning to write), and how you envision your role as an author. We look beyond the surface-level pros and cons and dive into the systems at play—how books are sold, what different publishing routes mean for marketing and distribution, and what it will realistically take to reach the readers you want to reach.
Some authors want the structure and reach of traditional publishing. Others crave the control and speed of self-publishing. Some are exploring hybrid options but aren’t sure how to separate the legitimate partners from the vanity presses. No matter where you are in the process, we’re here to guide you through your options with clarity and honesty so you can choose the path that will actually support your success.
Publishing a book isn’t just about getting it out into the world. It’s about doing it in a way that reflects your voice, honors your work, and sets you up for long-term growth. That starts with the right knowledge, and we’re here to make sure you have it.
Our Galaxy Publishing is an educational and service-based platform that helps writers navigate the publishing industry with clarity, confidence, and creative control. Whether you’re self-publishing, seeking a literary agent, or still figuring out W T F you’re doing, we provide the tools, resources, and support to make your writing and publishing journey intentional, strategic, and powerful.