I just finished my first novel this year and am now exploring the world of publishing. (And I thought writing the novel was painful!) It is complicated, to say the least. One of the clearest overviews of the different publishing options I’ve found is by Jane Friedman. She provides a concise chart, entitled “2018 Key Book Publishing Paths.” She divides the options into “Traditional Publishing” and “Alternatives to Traditional Publishing.” Traditional publishing is defined as “not paying to publish.” Non-traditional is publishing on your own or paying to publish. Traditional publishing is divided into three categories: Big Five, Mid-Size & Large, and Small Presses. She tells authors the value of each type of publishing and what to watch for.
Barbara Kussow, Writer 