What is an indie author? Who are the big 5 publishers? Are there other traditional publishers?

Whether you’re trying to figure out your publishing identity or are simply trying to understand the lingo in the publishing space, I’ve got you covered.

What is an Indie Author?

An indie author is a term used to describe someone who publishes independently of the big 5 publishing houses, including self-published authors. Basically, if they’re not published through Penguin/Random House, Hachette Book Group, Harper Collins, Simon and Schuster, or Macmillan, they are an indie author. Even if they still have an agent and still got published through a traditional publishing house, they’re considered indie.

Indie Authors vs Traditional Authors

It’s actually pretty simple to differentiate between the two.

Traditional authors:

• Published under one of the big 5 publishing houses or their imprints.

Note: Publishing ‘imprints’ are sub-houses under the larger umbrella of a traditional publishing house, usually specializing in certain genres, such fantasy, romance, historical, etc.

Indie authors:

• Self-published authors.

• Authors published with a small press outside of the big 5 publishing houses.

Can indie books be in bookstores? Absolutely! A big misconception for people who don’t know what an indie author is is that they think those books won’t make it in bookstores. The truth is that they do. It just might take a bit more (manual) work for a self-published author.

Now, everyone wonders about the money aspect of this, right? However, there is no straight answer for how much indie authors can make per book. Whether or not the indie author is self-published or published through a small press will also alter their royalty per book. Either way, it’s likely that an indie author will make more per book sale than traditionally published authors.

Note: Traditional publishing houses may have a lower printing cost through partnership deals or owning a printing press. So the calculations below are very rough.

Traditional Earnings:

• 10% – 15% royalties per book

• Can take 1-3 years to publish one book

• Up-front advance (but you don’t make royalties until that advance is ‘paid back’ to the publisher)

Self-Published Earnings:

• 30% – 70% royalties per book

• Can publish 2-3 high-quality books a year

• No advance, but you make money right away, though you pay for book production costs

Authors can expect to make a full-time living provided they have multiple books, know how to market them well, and an active, engaged fan base.

There are a ton of factors that play a role in how much authors make in a year, including books sold, royalty rate, and book printing costs. No two authors will make the same amount, though we all wish we could be lumped with the income of J.K. Rowling or Stephen King.

Can an author go both traditional and indie?

Yes! Some authors get traditionally published book deals with the big 5 publishing houses, but if they want to write a book the house doesn’t want to buy, they can then self-publish the book on their own. However, keep in mind that there are some contracts with publishing houses that could forbid this, so always have a good lawyer and agent help you with those details.

How do you tell if an author is an indie author?

Supporting indie authors is important. Whether you realize it or not, the large majority of the books you read (and therefore, the movies or TV shows created from those stories) are decided upon by 5 entities. That’s not a lot of diversity.

If you want to get more diverse stories from various sources, supporting indie authors is the way to go about it. But that means knowing how to tell if an author is an indie author. Which is super easy, by the way. All you have to do is look at the copyright page. It will indicate who owns the rights.

Should You Become an Indie Author?

It depends on your goals, mostly. If you want sole creative control, to make every cent of what you earn, and to manage all aspects of your book production, then being an indie author can sound appealing!

Most authors want to be traditionally published with a big 5 publishing house, but it’s a goal based on notoriety rather than a goal of making an income. While it sounds nice to have everything taken care of, where you can just focus on writing your book and not the cover, formatting, or uploading, being a traditional author isn’t necessary to have that luxury.

How to Make a Final Decision?

As with all things, communication is key! Whether the publishing process is undertaken with the help of a freelancer or independently, authors may wish to consult the resources below for helpful information on the publishing business:

Writing Groups.

Many new authors benefit from joining a local writers’ group. These groups can provide vital feedback and critiques on your writing, typically in exchange for the same with their members’ work. Writing groups are useful for shaping your manuscript before seeking an editor to take it to the next level. They can also share their opinions about the state of the publishing market, new tendencies, as well as possible ways to better put your work out there.

For an in-person group, research local writing groups by searching online, or asking writer friends or acquaintances in your area. Local libraries, bookstores, and community centers may also have information on area groups.

Many writers join online groups—Facebook communities and Google Meetups are of particular interest. You may also wish to search other social media platforms to find writing groups in your genre or subject area.

Finding an Agent.

Even if you decide to go solo, finding a good representative of your future work never hurts, and will come at no cost without feasible results. Reputable agents do not charge reading fees, submission fees, evaluation fees, or any other up-front fee. Just for your quick notice, editors can help prepare book proposals, query letters, and other submission materials, but they are not agents!

Finding an agent is a bit like finding the love of your life online: not impossible, but it’s unlikely that you’ll get it right the first time. Begin by researching the writers whose work feels close to yours. Find out who their agents are, and get in touch (most agency websites provide instructions for how they prefer to be contacted). Be specific in your pitch: Why will your book be successful? Where does it fit in the larger publishing market? Why should an agent want to work with you?

In summary…

Become any author! And for this, you need to:

• decide that it’s your path (just like you would choose to go to college);

• invest where you need to (again, just like college or other training needed for professions);

• make a plan of the date you want to be ‘full-time’';

• work backward to create writing goals to reach that timeline;

• learn the true path to full-time earnings as a self-published author;

• say no to the things that get in your way and make the necessary sacrifices to do what you love for a living.

Good luck!