I often see authors on Twitter celebrating a publishing deal. I almost always have alarm bells ringing, and go off to check the publishing company. Why? Because in this new era of publishing, there are many different types of publisher out there, and lots of authors, excited by the words ‘book deal’ don’t always know what they’re getting. And I often read posts and articles about publishers who haven’t come through for their authors, and hear from authors whose ‘deal’ turns out to be expensive, and, unfortunately very often, a huge mistake.

So, what exactly are the different types of publisher?

1- Traditional publishing

Traditional publishing is still what most people think of when they think of a publisher, and a publishing deal. Penguin, Harper Collins etc. are traditional publishers.

These companies usually only work with agents, so you will need an agent first who will submit your manuscript and…