It’s a new age in writing and book publishing.
From desktop publishing to digitization to e-books to social media to NFTs, publishing is now a way for writers everywhere to turn their ideas into products, income, and careers.
Some writers will publish themselves, start to finish. Some will be selected for publication by major companies. And some will partner with independent, hybrid publishers such as Touchwood Press to get the help they need, whatever that may be.
Three Ways to Publish
Self-Publishing All by Yourself (mostly)
Our first self-published book was a software/book bundle developed in the early 1990’s. This project was self-publishing in that we did our own project management, marketing and distribution—the business side of publishing—but we still relied on partnerships for design and production.
We contracted with an editor, designer, and printer to leverage existing software and content into a computer science product sold around the world to tens of thousands of students and more than 350 universities as part of their computer science curricula. Print-on-demand (POD) technology was new, but the internet was still emerging as commercially viable, so no e-books. Yes, we were compelled to buy design and editing services and pay set-up fees to our printer, but we did not need to print and inventory large numbers of books prior to working out how to sell them. We could wait for orders and then print the books.
The challenge for many self-publishing writers is they don’t yet have an established market for their books, never mind that they aren’t experienced in the mechanics of book publishing.
Another way to self-publish is through a so-called “vanity press.” This approach is centuries old and does not seem to be willing to die even now. For many writers this has been the rather sad tale of working with a “publisher” to get books designed and printed, only to wind up with boxes and boxes of bound books in the writer’s garage gathering dust while the writer looks for buyers. There is no need for this to happen to you or anyone you know. Enter hybrid publishing.
Getting Published
You may be aware of how hard it is to get the attention of and then be selected for publication by an established publishing house. Or, maybe not. Nearly any best-selling author you can name experienced rejection after rejection by one or usually more major publishers.
Then, either a courageous editor or a happy accident, has resulted in that initial contract and the rest is history, sometimes. In the early stages of Touchwood Press, we were motivated by friends who got published by an established author only to experience ultimate rejection when their book failed to survive the publisher’s first selling season. At Touchwood, we had access to technology and business experience that could help first-time authors self-publish and find the right markets for their works. These days, established publishers are on the lookout for successful self-published authors to add to their lists. The self-publishing marketplace is the farm system for mainstream publishers. Touchwood specializes in helping writers become authors and take those first steps to wide acceptance.
Hybrid Publishing
Hybrid publishing, from the writer’s perspective, just means partnering with a business that can do what needs to be done to produce and market their book.
Making a book is a team sport, involving dozens of steps and specialized knowledge. The good news is that a motivated writer can do everything that needs doing on their own. The bad news is this is hard work and a major distraction from writing.
Touchwood Press will create the process and product that will fairly represent your creative effort and put it before the reading market. E-book, paperback, hard cover, audio book, author blog, advertising, promotions, events, and administration. Touchwood can do all this or any portion that suits your situation. We can create a set of commercial terms aligned to your budget and aspirations.
We help authors publish books.