Secrets of a Children's Book Publisher: Part 1 - Traditional Publishing doesn't pay

The Dream

Many self-publishers begin with the dream of getting a traditional publishing contract. They write to dozens of agents and submit to publishers accepting unsolicited manuscripts. Then after receiving countless rejections and waiting months for copy-paste replies, they begin to wonder if getting a traditional publishing deal is really worth all the hype.

The Reality

The media is full of stories about ordinary people publishing bestselling books. Nevertheless, it is actually really difficult for a writer to land a publishing deal. Even when someone has written the best story in the world, they still need to find an agent in order to even get a seat at the table with a publisher. According to statistics, there is only a 1 in 3,000 to 1 in 6,000 chance of authors getting picked up by a literary agent over the year (WordsRated 2023). These are not good odds. In order to stand out above the rest, an author needs more than just a story. In this business, you need to be a sure thing and unfortunately, that often means having a large social media platform.

But…

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but traditional publishing doesn’t pay what you think it does. Let’s take it that you do finally get that publishing deal. You might be surprised to find out that it is not what you dreamt it to be. In 2020, L.L. McKinney set up a grassroots campaign on social media to try to find out what type of advances authors receive. She wanted to find out the real numbers. #PublishingPaidMe received a huge response and exposed a lot of problems in the industry. In the end, the average median advance for a picture book is only $8,000 (and that money is usually split with an illustrator). MG was a bit higher at $20,000 and YA was at the top with $25,000. As it can take months to years to get an agent and a deal, these numbers show that even those who do achieve a traditional publishing contract still only earn peanuts. Big publishers pick only a handful of stars that they want to push and give these authors the big bucks. The other authors are to them like petty cash at a casino. If you are not Megan Markle, why should they care?

The Hard Truth

For most people, traditional publishing does not pay enough. Plus, it’s risky. With every new book, the process begins again. This means that many authors who have traditional publishing deals either have a second job or have other means of paying the bills. What about royalties you ask? That is a good question. You might be surprised to find out that the average royalty for an author under a traditional publishing contract is usually 3.5-6% of the cover price. The author gives their agent a piece of that, too. This leaves around 30-60 cents per book and that is only after the publisher has made back their cash on your advance.

Unless you have connections in the industry, are insanely talented, or are really lucky, getting a traditional publishing contract is left as an option only for those that can afford it. When looking at the numbers, you can see why so many people decide to self-publish.

End of Part 1.

Secrets of a Children’s Book Publisher is a blog series with essays which expose some of the lesser known aspects about the children’s book industry. Kelley Donner is a bestselling children’s book author/illustrator has a Masters Degree in Illustration and Book Design from Cambridge, UK. She has worked in the field of education for over 20 years and has lived on three continents. When she is not at her desk, you’ll find her playing with her three boys and their new kitten Luna.

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