How do you get published? 

There are two ways to publish your book. You can publish traditionally or independently. Each route to publication has pros and cons, but authors can make lots of money with both methods. 

Both methods require hard work. Anyone who says otherwise is selling something. But both methods are doable.

In this article, I will walk you through the process of getting published with a traditional publishing house like Simon & Schuster or Random House. As a former literary agent, I will offer you tips and tricks to help you along the way. 

Why should I choose traditional publishing? 

You can hear all about the pros and cons episode of Traditional Publishing on my other podcast, which focuses on traditional publishing. I also have an episode on the Pros and Cons of Indie Publishing. If you’re trying to decide whether to go indie or traditional, those episodes will help.

But here are a few quick pros: 

More Prestige

The prestige associate with traditional publishing is particularly important if you’re writing Literary Fiction or Nonfiction. It’s less important for SciFi and Romance because, generally speaking, readers of those genres don’t place a lot of value on the prestige.

Less Money Out of Pocket

Your publisher will cover most, if not all, the expenses of publishing your book.

Access to the New York Times List

Most authors don’t realize the New York Times bestseller list isn’t really a bestseller list. The list is carefully curated by their selection board and features their recommendations. They take sales into account, but they also exclude books based on political opinions or publisher. 

The New York Times has a strong bias against indie authors. If being on the New York Times list is important to you, traditional publishing is your only option.

Indie authors can hit the USA Today Bestseller list and occasionally the Wall Street Journal bestseller list.

Access to Prestigious Awards

Many awards only consider traditionally published authors to be eligible for the award.

Better Distribution into Brick-and-Mortar Retail

Traditional publishers make most of their money selling paper books, and indie publishers make most of the money selling ebooks. More money is spent on paper books even though ebooks are growing. In certain genres, ebooks are dominant. 

If you’re writing Military Sci-Fi, you can probably go indie. If you’re writing Literary Fiction or a Nonfiction Business book, you’ll probably want to be traditionally published. People tend to read business books in paper or audio.

There are many more pros to traditional publishing, but there are also cons. Likewise, there are downsides to indie publishing. Both can be lucrative and rewarding.

If you’re seeking to be traditionally published, follow these seven steps.

Step 1: Prove Yourself

Large traditional publishers spend tens of thousands of dollars publishing your book. Editors, cover designers, print runs, sales teams who interact with bookstores, and marketing people all cost money. The largest houses are based in New York and h...