Oh wow, there is so much information I have desperately been wanting to have consolidated in this post, and as always, your clear and distinctive voice made it SO enjoyable to read. WOW! A huge thank you for the time and effort you put into this. I want every aspiring non-fiction reader to dive into this! Also, the cover is so gorgeous! I especially love the hand on the tail- it piques my interest right away. (Is she fighting it? Hanging on for dear life? Tell me more!) I can't wait to preorder the book, and I am so moved by how you've brought this memoir into the world with such integrity!
So glad you found this helpful! There’s no wrong way to get a book out into the world, I do believe that. Understanding the different pathways is empowering. And thank you! Grabbing the tiger by the tail is frequently used imagery in my memoir, and I love how Ben brought it to life for my cover. 🥹
This is *such* a good resource for aspiring authors, Lauren! Way to lay it all out plain for everyone. And the cover!! Perfect. Gotta say though, it was this quote that brought all the feels for me:
"Writing will always be revolutionary. Stories, by their very nature, are dangerous. They are meddlesome and political. Every wicked tyrant in history has feared them, every effective leader has harnessed them, and every greedy ego has tried to manufacture them. We writers are the alchemists, transforming nothing into the most powerful of somethings."
That's going up on Instagram (fully crediting you!). Chills. You so inspire me!
I have to agree COMPLETLY with the quote of the CENTURY here, LC! So powerful and inspiring. Your book cover is gorgeous and I really like the font used. I will be pre-ordering as soon as you have a release date!
This is such an excellent overview of the various paths to publishing! And your cover (give me a minute to pick my jaw off the floor) is simply stunning. I can't wait to read it!
This is is so helpful! I’m trying to decide which route to take with my memoir. I’m just about to send a round of queries, but leaning more and more towards self or hybrid publishing since I don’t have a big platform. Thanks for breaking this all down. And I LOVE your book cover!!
I sent queries and I don't regret it! It's a great learning experience. Advocating for yourself and your work is a skill; it gets easier and more effective with practice. Excited to hear more about your memoir project! Can you give us a back cover pitch? 🙃
Sure! I would love to. Any suggestions are welcome.
(Un)Lovable is a memoir about a woman who has built a life of success—only to realize her high-functioning alcoholism is quietly dismantling it. But sobriety presents an even greater challenge: if she ever hopes to find the love she longs for, she must confront her deepest fear—that she is fundamentally unlovable.
As she stumbles through heartbreak, self-doubt, and the nonlinear work of healing, she embarks on a deeper journey—one that leads her to God, the power of surrender, and the truth of who she really is. Raw, unflinching, and ultimately hopeful, (Un)Lovable is a story of transformation, proving that sometimes, the love we seek has been within us all along.
Navigating the publishing world is so daunting... This post is so good and such a service to all new(ish) authors everywhere!
I would add that I published Nice Churchy Patriarchy with a tiny tiny traditional publisher - not hybrid (didn't share the costs), but also not able to pay an advance like the larger traditional publishers. Profit share is somewhere in-between. They had fewer resources than a larger publisher for sure, but still some of the benefits of traditional publishing.
Just something for authors to consider - there's a wide range of traditional publishers, and sometimes smaller ones are more willing to take a chance on those of us who are not internet famous (or any kind of famous) and don't really want to be, lol...
This is GREAT context, thank you for giving us this peek into your experience, Liz! I only ever really hear about the big boys. This alternative route into trad publishing is fascinating!
Thanks for detailing the options so well, Lauren. I tried the traditional route with my book, and got some good feedback from an agent. While she had high praise for my proposal, she did not think she could interest publishers in the topic. I had some interest from a couple small presses (hybrid) but could never get comfortable with the cost/benefit trade-off. It soon became clear that self-publishing was the right path for me, and I hit the jackpot with an editor who was a dream to work with, and very inexpensive. She did all the formatting and uploading for me, and even did the cover design, which I loved. In one year I've sold about 150 books.
If I were ever to consider a hybrid publisher, it would only be if they could handle the marketing and distribution. That's the hardest part. I don't know even one writer who isn't uncomfortable with promoting their own work. We all hate that part! And we don't have the necessary connections to get our books in independent book stores, line up podcasts, etc. A hybrid publisher who offers THAT will have people lined up. Otherwise, there are simply not enough benefits to make it worth what you give up. I can do my own project management and outsource the editing. That's only scary the first time you do it, and in my case, it was so easy. Anyway, that's my two cents!
Thanks so much, Aileen! Yeah, self-promotion can absolutely feel uncomfortable. And the temperament and lifestyle that makes writers good at writing (quiet, removed, contemplative, independent) often feels at odds with what's needed to be good at promotion. Promotion feels loud, bold, aggressive, needy.
The critical switch happens when you really, truly, deep-down-in-your-bones believe that someone out there is desperately waiting to read your words. Someone needs them. If that's true, it's an unkindness to be quiet about your work. So be loud! You might be saving someone's life. 🥰
Oh wow, there is so much information I have desperately been wanting to have consolidated in this post, and as always, your clear and distinctive voice made it SO enjoyable to read. WOW! A huge thank you for the time and effort you put into this. I want every aspiring non-fiction reader to dive into this! Also, the cover is so gorgeous! I especially love the hand on the tail- it piques my interest right away. (Is she fighting it? Hanging on for dear life? Tell me more!) I can't wait to preorder the book, and I am so moved by how you've brought this memoir into the world with such integrity!
So glad you found this helpful! There’s no wrong way to get a book out into the world, I do believe that. Understanding the different pathways is empowering. And thank you! Grabbing the tiger by the tail is frequently used imagery in my memoir, and I love how Ben brought it to life for my cover. 🥹
This is *such* a good resource for aspiring authors, Lauren! Way to lay it all out plain for everyone. And the cover!! Perfect. Gotta say though, it was this quote that brought all the feels for me:
"Writing will always be revolutionary. Stories, by their very nature, are dangerous. They are meddlesome and political. Every wicked tyrant in history has feared them, every effective leader has harnessed them, and every greedy ego has tried to manufacture them. We writers are the alchemists, transforming nothing into the most powerful of somethings."
That's going up on Instagram (fully crediting you!). Chills. You so inspire me!
You are SO fast! 😂 Thank you for championing my words!
I have to agree COMPLETLY with the quote of the CENTURY here, LC! So powerful and inspiring. Your book cover is gorgeous and I really like the font used. I will be pre-ordering as soon as you have a release date!
This is such an excellent overview of the various paths to publishing! And your cover (give me a minute to pick my jaw off the floor) is simply stunning. I can't wait to read it!
Aw thank you so much, Sarah! That means so much to me. 🥰
Love this post! So excited to be working together and toward the goal of launching Tiger in Lifeboat in May.
🙌 🙌 🙌
Thank you for sharing this! Not many authors are candid about all this. It’s generous of you. I’m bookmarking for the very far out future.
Absolutely, glad you found it helpful! Excited to hear there might be a book idea percolating… 👀🤩
This is is so helpful! I’m trying to decide which route to take with my memoir. I’m just about to send a round of queries, but leaning more and more towards self or hybrid publishing since I don’t have a big platform. Thanks for breaking this all down. And I LOVE your book cover!!
I sent queries and I don't regret it! It's a great learning experience. Advocating for yourself and your work is a skill; it gets easier and more effective with practice. Excited to hear more about your memoir project! Can you give us a back cover pitch? 🙃
Sure! I would love to. Any suggestions are welcome.
(Un)Lovable is a memoir about a woman who has built a life of success—only to realize her high-functioning alcoholism is quietly dismantling it. But sobriety presents an even greater challenge: if she ever hopes to find the love she longs for, she must confront her deepest fear—that she is fundamentally unlovable.
As she stumbles through heartbreak, self-doubt, and the nonlinear work of healing, she embarks on a deeper journey—one that leads her to God, the power of surrender, and the truth of who she really is. Raw, unflinching, and ultimately hopeful, (Un)Lovable is a story of transformation, proving that sometimes, the love we seek has been within us all along.
Great summary of publishing options, thank you. And congrats on getting this far. May 6th will come soon.
Thanks, Joshua! 🧡
Love your cover btw.
🥰🥰🥰
Love your profile description.
Thank you!
Navigating the publishing world is so daunting... This post is so good and such a service to all new(ish) authors everywhere!
I would add that I published Nice Churchy Patriarchy with a tiny tiny traditional publisher - not hybrid (didn't share the costs), but also not able to pay an advance like the larger traditional publishers. Profit share is somewhere in-between. They had fewer resources than a larger publisher for sure, but still some of the benefits of traditional publishing.
Just something for authors to consider - there's a wide range of traditional publishers, and sometimes smaller ones are more willing to take a chance on those of us who are not internet famous (or any kind of famous) and don't really want to be, lol...
This is GREAT context, thank you for giving us this peek into your experience, Liz! I only ever really hear about the big boys. This alternative route into trad publishing is fascinating!
Thanks for detailing the options so well, Lauren. I tried the traditional route with my book, and got some good feedback from an agent. While she had high praise for my proposal, she did not think she could interest publishers in the topic. I had some interest from a couple small presses (hybrid) but could never get comfortable with the cost/benefit trade-off. It soon became clear that self-publishing was the right path for me, and I hit the jackpot with an editor who was a dream to work with, and very inexpensive. She did all the formatting and uploading for me, and even did the cover design, which I loved. In one year I've sold about 150 books.
If I were ever to consider a hybrid publisher, it would only be if they could handle the marketing and distribution. That's the hardest part. I don't know even one writer who isn't uncomfortable with promoting their own work. We all hate that part! And we don't have the necessary connections to get our books in independent book stores, line up podcasts, etc. A hybrid publisher who offers THAT will have people lined up. Otherwise, there are simply not enough benefits to make it worth what you give up. I can do my own project management and outsource the editing. That's only scary the first time you do it, and in my case, it was so easy. Anyway, that's my two cents!
Thanks so much, Aileen! Yeah, self-promotion can absolutely feel uncomfortable. And the temperament and lifestyle that makes writers good at writing (quiet, removed, contemplative, independent) often feels at odds with what's needed to be good at promotion. Promotion feels loud, bold, aggressive, needy.
The critical switch happens when you really, truly, deep-down-in-your-bones believe that someone out there is desperately waiting to read your words. Someone needs them. If that's true, it's an unkindness to be quiet about your work. So be loud! You might be saving someone's life. 🥰
Great ideas! Thanks a lot 🙏📚🙏
Thanks for reading 🧡
Love the cover! Very exciting. ❤️
Thank you so much!