In the first post of this series, I talked about why writers might want to work with a small press rather than querying agents or self-publishing. In my second post, I wrote about the disadvantages of working with a small press: reasons why you might NOT choose that option. Here, I’m going to talk about some of the things that separate good small presses from bad ones. These are questions you should ask before signing a contract!

How long has the publisher been around?

In 2024, it’s very easy to set up a small press. Digital publishing technology and POD make it easier to publish books than ever before. As a result, people who’ve self published a book or two may think to themselves, “Why don’t I publish other writers’ work, too? I could set up my own press and publish the kind of books I think we need in the world!” I understand how exciting that idea sounds. Wouldn’t it be fun to have your own publishing house?

However, it would also be a lot of work, and it would require time, money, and skills. One of the problems with new small presses is that they are often started by people who lack experience in the publishing industry. They may have the best of intentions, but good intentions don’t sell books. If the money runs out, or if one of the few staff is unable to continue working for the press, a small press may collapse. In fact, small presses go out of business all the time. This post at Writer Beware goes into more detail on the problem than I can do here.

My Experience: When I was writing picture books, I was eager to be published. So eager that I took a chance on a brand-spanking-new small press. Imagine my disappointment when, after signing the contract, the press folded before my book was ever published. The problem was that the press in question was really a one-woman operation. When the woman running the show encountered a personal crisis that prevented her from working, she had to close down the press. Ouch! Personally, I don’t recommend submitting to new presses. Wait until they’ve been around the block a few times!

Do the publishing staff behave professionally?

Professionalism problems are sometimes (not always) related to lack of experience. Since anyone can start a press, there’s no guarantee that the person running a small press is ethical, polite, or easy to work with. I’ve heard whispers about writers who have absolutely terrible experiences with small presses that don’t fulfill their promises, don’t edit work adequately, lie to authors, are insulting to their writers, or have unethical practices.

In some cases, unprofessionalism leads to a small press folding. When a tiny new press is just starting out, a single unprofessional act can destroy it if the writing community finds out about it. I won’t name names, but I remember a small press that closed down after they reneged on an offer to a writer who’d submitted to them. The writer posted their correspondance with the press on Twitter, showing that the publisher withdrew a written offer without adequate cause. The writing community tore the publisher to shreds. Shortly after the incident, the publisher disappeared. I’m not sure if they ever published a single book!

Keep in mind that unprofessionalism can occur with Big 5 presses, too. Even well-established imprints sometimes get in trouble for failure to pay royalties, discriminatory treatment of authors, etc. This is why it’s always good to talk to people who have worked with a press. If possible, talk to more than one person, because two different people may have very different experiences with the same press.

One of the reasons why experienced writers recommend not subbing to brand new small presses is that there may not yet be books available for you to check the quality. That’s a problem, because both book design and editing vary widely from one press to another.

When you get a publishing offer, take a look at the already-published titles. Do they have attractive covers? Do all the books have reviews on Amazon and GoodReads? Do the blurbs and taglines read like they were written by amateurs, or do they sound professional?

There are some aspects of book production that you can check by looking at a digital copy. You can study the cover, read a sample, and see if the book seems to be well edited. Keep in mind that “editing” means more than just proofreading. There’s a difference between a press that only provides light editing and one that provides real developmental edits. Most likely, you’ll need to ask authors who publish with the press about their experiences to find out how much time and work a publisher invests in editing.

If possible, get a print copy of a recently-published book. Take a look at the interior design, not just the cover and back blurb. When you open up the book, does it look professionally published? Does it look inviting? Many small presses make their money through digital publishing, but if you want to sell print copies, you need to make sure the print version looks attractive, too.

My Experience: Remember my experience trying to publish a picture book with a small press that soon folded? If I had done my homework, I could have avoided that. Once I read one of their first published picture books, it became clear that the press didn’t know what they were doing. The book was written in rhyme, but the rhyme and meter were uneven. Those are considered huge faults in the picture book world!

The issue here isn’t just about whether the press will do a good job with YOUR book. Your book may not have any glaring flaws. The problem is that readers who were disappointed by previous books from a small press may not be willing to give YOUR book a chance. You want to publish with a press that has a good reputation not just among writers, but among readers.

How will your book be marketed?

Marketing can make a big difference in sales, and small presses vary a lot when it comes to this aspect of publishing. As I mentioned in the second post in this series, some small presses invest very little time or money into marketing, because they expect the authors to do all the promotion. If you’re a writer with good marketing skills, this kind of press could still work well for you. But if you are new to book promotion, you would probably do better working with a press that actively markets their books.

Some questions to ask about marketing:

• Will the publisher make ARCs of the book available for reviewers, or is the author expected to do that? A good publisher will make digital ARCs available on NetGalley, BookSprout, BookSiren, or similar sites. This shouldn’t be the author’s responsibility.
  
• Will the publisher submit the book to review sites? (This could include magazines, blogs, bookstagrammers, etc.)
  
• Will the publisher pay for ads on FB, Amazon, or other social media? Not all publishers have the budget for this, but neither do all beginning writers.
  
• Is the publisher active in reader spaces, such that readers are likely to find out about your book? (This could mean hosting readers’ groups, but it might also mean being active on social media.) Or will readers only learn about your book if you spread the word yourself?
  
• Does the publisher provide a clear marketing plan for each book that outlines what they will do and what they expect the author to do?

The answers to these questions vary WIDELY from one small press to another. Before you sign with a small press, ask questions of their current or past authors, so you don’t have any nasty surprises after you sign.

Final Thoughts

Publishing with a small press is not for everyone. There are many writers who thrive by self-publishing. Other writers prefer to invest their time in writing, revising, and querying in the hopes of signing with an agent. For many aspiring authors, landing a contract with a major publisher is the dream or ultimate goal. At the end of the day, though, there simply aren’t enough opportunities for everyone to publish with Big 5 presses. I’m glad there are other options available!