Publishing Resources

On This Page

  1. Should I Self-Publish?

  2. What Are My Options In Self-Publishing?

  3. Do I Need an Agent?

  4. How Do I Pitch to an Agent?

  5. What About Traditional Publishing?

Should I Self-Publish?

First-time authors often have questions about self-publishing. Let’s look at some of the most common.

Is self-publishing a better way to make money than traditional publishing?

The answer depends on several factors. A traditional publisher won’t ask you for money, but you won’t get paid until your book sells. An Australian author publishing traditionally can expect to earn somewhere between 5 and 15 percent of book sales.

If you self-publish, once you’ve paid your publisher’s invoices, and depending on your contract and retail strategy, profits will come to you. How much you earn will depend on your contract, the quality of your book’s writing and production, the standard of your publisher’s services, the number of books you sell and how quickly you sell them. If you’ve taken the DIY route, your understanding and execution of editing, design, marketing, promotion, distribution and sales will strongly influence your book’s success.

With the right ingredients, financial success is possible. Reddit is full of stories by authors claiming to earn livings from their eBooks. And, occasionally, a self-published book makes the big time. The Martian, a novel by American author Andy Weir, began on his blog before being uploaded to Kindle. It was picked up by a traditional publisher, and then became a Hollywood movie starring Matt Damon.

Getting good advice is crucial. See below for links, including blogs comparing two big names in self-publishing: IngramSpark and Amazon (Kindle Direct Publishing).

Do readers take self-published work seriously?

While writers often notice publishers – because they’re deciding who to submit their manuscript to, or because they follow the career of a particular author – in general, the reading public doesn’t have a strong interest in how a book came to be published. A reader is more likely to pick up your book because it looks good. Or perhaps because they follow you on social media. Perhaps they’ve read a review or heard an interview you’ve done. Maybe they like your book’s cover design and find its title intriguing.

Once in a reader’s hands, your book’s quality will have the greatest influence on whether it sells or not. If your book looks good and has a strong title, bookshop browsers will likely read your blurb, and perhaps your opening paragraph. If you’ve done a great job with your hook, they might read on. The quality of your writing and the standard of your book’s production and promotion will create sales, not its publication details.

Will self-publishing hinder my chances with a traditional publisher?

Self-publishing your first book won’t make a difference when you approach a traditional publisher. However, most publishing houses won’t accept a manuscript that you’ve previously self-published—so once you self-publish a book, it will be hard to publish that same book with a publishing house. While mentioning previous publications may be advantageous when pitching your manuscript, ultimately, publishers are commercial operations: they assess every submission on its merits. Unfortunately, rejection is a reality in traditional publishing. Even successful authors have manuscripts rejected. To accept your manuscript, a publisher needs to believe they can sell it.

What Are My Options In Self-Publishing?

If you want to self-publish, you have two ways to turn your manuscript into a finished book. You can hire your own team (the DIY option) OR pay a self-publisher to produce your book for you. Both avenues have advantages and pitfalls, so it’s important to figure out which is best for you. The route you choose will depend on your motivations and goals, your skills and available time.

The DIY Option 

If you want to control costs and essential publication elements, this could be the choice for you. As a DIY publisher, you make decisions around your book’s editing, design, quality, timeline, and the size of your print run. You can employ an editor and book designer to get your manuscript ready to publish. Editors and designers have professional associations; you’ll find links at the end of this article.

The DIY approach can work well if, for example, you’re interested in producing a memoir for family and friends on a limited budget. You may decide to do your own editing and illustrations, and then engage a designer to put it all together for a small print run.

If your motivation is commercial, the DIY option will only succeed if you have a thorough understanding of publishing, and the time and skills to produce the best outcome for your book. In 1997, the DIY approach worked for Australian author Matthew Reilly. His self-published novel Contest was picked up by Pan MacMillan, when commissioning editor Cate Paterson found it on the shelves of a Sydney bookshop. Matthew now has a highly successful publishing career.

Whatever your aspirations, you’ll need the services of an editor and designer, plus you’ll need to do the work of copyright, marketing, promotion, distribution and sales. You’ll also need an ISBN (International Standard Book Number) so readers can find your book and retailers can sell it. Organisations such as Alliance of Independent Authors and Writing NSW publish guides on these topics and more. See the links below.

The Self-Publishing Option

Engaging the services of a self-publisher – also known as custom publishers, hybrid publishers and partnership publishers – can be a good option for authors without the time or skills to turn their manuscript into a finished book. However, there are many potential pitfalls in this process, and many unscrupulous businesses making exaggerated claims. Unlike traditional publishers, which only make money when people buy an author’s book, self-publishers make money from the author, regardless of sales. Doing your research and taking professional advice is essential.

The best self-publishers are transparent about the services they offer and how much they cost. They may offer editing, design, marketing and distribution, and provide tips on how to make sure your manuscript is ready for publication. Often, they can register your copyright and get your book an ISBN. They may also offer to convert your manuscript into an eBook and promote it online. The Australian Society of Authors (ASA) offers guides, templates and a publishing consultancy service to its members.

Beware of ‘vanity publishers’: businesses that will happily take your money but have little interest in your book’s sales. Vanity publishers are often opaque about their fees and may take a big cut of sales revenue. They’ll rarely consult authors, meaning you have no control. They’re unselective, meaning they’ll publish low-quality work. They’re likely to compromise on your book’s production values to maximise their profits. You’ll find vanity publishers on social media, and they’ll come up in Google searches. Don’t click on ads asking for submissions. Reputable self-publishers won’t ask for submissions – they get plenty. A good self-publisher won’t hound you for money and won’t make extravagant claims for your book.

Before approaching a self-publisher, it’s a good idea to Google search their name + ‘customer reviews’. But be aware, dodgy publishers will create their own reviews, and good self-publishers may receive positive and negative reviews. You can check bookshops and online stores to see if a particular self-publisher has books for sale.

Finally, it’s essential to get sound, independent legal advice before signing a contract with a self-publisher. Several organisations can provide help in this area.

Do I Need an Agent?

If you’ve published before, or have experience in the publishing industry, you may successfully manage your career without the help of an agent; however, most first-time authors will benefit from an agent’s knowledge and contacts.

If you’re a writer without a strong track record, you may find it difficult to interest a publisher in your work. Publishing houses have enormous slush piles (unsolicited manuscripts), meaning it may take several months for anyone to consider your work, and many publishers will only consider manuscripts sent to them by a literary agent. Even if a publisher is willing to accept your submission without it coming from an agent, an agent’s recommendation will see it considered faster.

Of course, while some writers may want to control their financial affairs, many writers are not business people and don’t want the burden of negotiating contracts and administering royalties. For a fee — usually about 15% — an agent will do this work on your behalf.

An agent will usually ask you to sign a form outlining the conditions of your arrangement. If you have questions about such an agreement, organisations such as The Australian Society of Authors provide contract-assessment services (see the link at the end of this article).

Most Australian agents will have links to agencies overseas. If they think your book is suitable for an international market, they’ll forward it to the appropriate agent with a letter of recommendation.

If you decide to approach an agent (see our article ‘How to pitch to an agent’), make sure to do your research first. Some agents represent authors working in a broad range of genres and styles, while others will not accept submissions in certain genres — poetry and fantasy, for example. Information on what an agent will and won’t accept can usually be found on their website, as well as their requirements regarding the material (synopsis, sample chapters, etc.) they want you to send.

The Agent’s Role

A literary agent does the work of approaching a publisher, selling your manuscript and negotiating the deal. They can also give advice on marketing, contracts and reproduction of your book in different countries and different media: film and television, for example. In addition, they may help generate work opportunities for you. While your agent may not be a lawyer, they should have a good understanding of contract law and intellectual property rights.

How to Find an Agent

The Australian Literary Agents’ Association (ALAA) is the peak body for Australian literary agents. Check the link below for a list of their members, where you’ll also find a link to Curtis Brown’s agents. The Australian Society of Authors also holds literary speed dating events, giving authors a chance to pitch to agents.

How Do I Pitch to an Agent?

The Brief Pitch

When approaching an agent, you need to write a pitch letter (email), also known as a query letter or agent letter. It’s helpful if you open your letter with one or two sentences — a brief pitch — to spark the agent’s interest and encourage them to read on. Agents are busy people and receive hundreds of submissions every year, so approaching them in a professional and engaging manner is essential.

While your short pitch should be simple, writing it may not be. Try asking yourself what your book is about, and then distil your answer to a single word — love, friendship, revenge, etc.

Next, expand your answer to a sentence or two that conveys the heart of the work — the central question driving the story, the core conflict, the central character’s predicament, or the incident the story hinges on. These sentences should intrigue and excite the agent, prompting them to want to know more about the work. Think in terms of the blurb you find on a book’s back cover. Your brief pitch should also convey the book’s genre.

There are several ways you can frame your short pitch. You might choose to focus on your central character, the book’s concept, a key question it poses, or the work’s unusual structure.

The Pitch Letter

The pitch letter is the most important part of the package. It’s your chance to grab the agent’s attention and make them want to read your book. Begin the pitch letter with your brief pitch (1-2 sentences). Your letter should be no longer than one page, and consist of three parts: the book, the agent, and you (not necessarily in that order).

1) The central character approach

· The book’s about a man/woman/non-binary person who…

· What lies at the heart of their story?

· What’s your protagonist’s quest or dilemma? What’s the journey they go on?

For example, a brief pitch for Love & Virtue by Diana Reid might go:

When a young woman begins an affair with her professor, she’s forced to wrestle with the nature of friendship, sexual consent, and the dynamics of power.

A pitch for The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas might read:

When a man slaps a child at a backyard barbecue, he creates shockwaves that ripple through his family and circle of friends, leaving no one unaffected.

2) The high-concept approach

If your book is a high-concept novel, or has a unique selling point (USP), this should be central to your pitch.

For example, a pitch for The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton might read:

Aiden Bishop knows the rules: Evelyn Hardcastle will die every day until he finds her killer. But as each new day begins at Blackheath Manor, Aiden wakes up in the body of a different guest. And some of his hosts don’t want him to know the truth.

3) The key question approach

Posing a question in your pitch is a good way to spark an agent’s curiosity. Your question might have two parts. The first establishes the book’s central problem, while the second hints at ensuing complications.

For example, a one-line pitch for Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey might be:

How do you solve a mystery when you can’t remember the clues?

4) The unusual structure approach

If your novel has an unusual structure, it’s a good idea to frame your pitch around it.

For example, Bear is Now Asleep by William Verity, a memoir about the sudden death of his three-year-old daughter, tells the story in three parts: the day of India’s death, the week following her death, and finally, the subsequent year and the ramifications that emerged.

The Pitch Package

When you’ve written your brief pitch, you’re ready to create a pitch package — the material you’ll send to the agent. Your package should include:

1) Your pitch letter - the most important part, no longer than one page, and beginning with your brief pitch

2) Your one-page synopsis

3) Your opening chapters or full manuscript (depending on what the agent requires)

About the book

Like your brief pitch, you should approach this section as if you’re writing a blurb. You need to sell the book in 150 words or less. The details you include should be the most resonant, those that convey the heart of your story. You might need to write several versions before settling on the one that works best. Make sure to give the agent the premise of your story, a sense of what makes it compelling, and an idea of where your story will take them. You don’t need to mention technical details such as whether the novel is written in a first-person voice or a third-person voice, etc.

For example, you might sell Diana Reid’s Love & Virtue like this:

Michaela and Eve become friends at university, where they live in adjacent rooms of a residential college. Eve is confident and popular; Michaela is uncertain, reflective and eager to please. In the aftermath of sexual assault on campus, and Michaela’s secret affair with her professor, the girls discover the fragility of friendship, the complexity of consent, and their capacity for betrayal.

You may also want to include a line that positions your book in the market. For example:

Love & Virtue is for fans of Sally Rooney’s Normal People.

About the agent

This section of your pitch letter is where you show you’ve done your research on the agent — the authors they represent and the books they’ve helped publish. Check the agent’s author list and make sure it includes writers whose books are comparable to yours. Mention these books in your letter and explain how your work is similar or different. Look at the agent’s social media, writers’ festival panels they’ve been part of, etc. You need to convince them you know their work, and that they’re the best agent for you.

About you

In this section of your letter, you tell the agent significant details about yourself: where you’re based, your professional background, your previous publications, awards you’ve won, selective courses you’ve completed, mentors you’ve worked with, etc. If you’ve won prizes, include links rather than saying your work is ‘critically acclaimed’. Don’t worry if you haven’t got a long list of publications and accolades — just keep the paragraph concise and engaging. And don’t be too formal. Address the agent by their first name and present yourself as someone who’s friendly and collaborates well. Remember, if the agent wants to represent you, they’ll likely have suggestions as to how your manuscript might be improved. Like the other two sections of your letter, limit the ‘about you’ part to 150 words or less.

The Synopsis

Like an effective short pitch, a good synopsis is crucial and often difficult to write. The upside is: it does a lot of work for you and the agent. Distilling your manuscript into a synopsis helps you understand what is and isn’t working. Some writers like to rewrite their synopsis with every draft of their novel to make sure it’s on track. A well-written synopsis will give the agent a clear idea of where and when your book is set, who the central character is, the dilemma they face and the story’s resolution. Again, the idea is to get to the heart of the story. What motivates your central character? What’s at stake for them? How are they changed by the events that unfold? What’s the primary lesson they learn?

While you don’t necessarily want to reveal your story’s resolution in the ‘about the book’ section of your query letter, in your synopsis, you do need to let the agent know how your story ends so they have a good understanding of the work.

Don’t try to convey subtleties of theme and style in your synopsis — the agent will discern those elements from your manuscript. And limit your synopsis to one page. Any longer, and you risk losing the agent’s attention.

What About Traditional Publishing?

If you choose to follow the traditional publishing route, you will sell your book to a publisher who will, under a contract, design, edit, proofread, market, promote, print, and distribute your book for you. How much money you make is determined by how marketable your publisher thinks your book is. There is usually an advance (determined by how many copies the publisher thinks they will sell), and royalties are usually calculated at 10% of the recommended retail price (RRP). If you have an agent, they will also take a commission from royalties.

The main benefit of traditional publishing is that the author has the opportunity to work with a team of professionals who strive to make the book as commercially successful as possible. Many authors also value the sense of validation and prestige that comes with traditional publishing. As a writer, you will have little control over the publishing process, however you should expect a relationship with your publisher that is built on respect and trust. Remember, publishers are there to support authors, but they are also there to sell a product.

You’ll only want to send your manuscript to a publisher once it’s as perfect as you can possibly make it. You could consider paying a professional editor to look over your manuscript before pitching it to a publisher, or you could receive feedback through a writing group, taking a course, getting a manuscript assessment, or undertaking a mentorship.

Generally, you only have one shot with a publisher, so you need to make it count. Research your publisher carefully to decide which one might be the right fit for you, and make sure to follow their submission guidelines exactly. If you send your manuscript to a publishing house without an agent, your manuscript can end up in the ‘slush pile’—the huge collection of unsolicited manuscripts from unknown authors that publishers must sort through, though this is usually low on their priority list. Some small, independent publishers, however, will read and consider unsolicited manuscripts (although this doesn’t mean having a great pitch is any less important).

There are five major publishing houses in Australia (sometimes referred to as ‘The Big Five’), which are: Allen & Unwin, Hachette Australia, Penguin Random House Australia, HarperCollins Australia, and Pan Macmillan Australia.

Australia has many other small and independent publishers, some of which include: Giramondo, Text Publishing, UQP, Ultimo Press, Black Inc., Magabala Books, Ventura Press, etc.

There are a few prizes in Australia that can help you get your manuscript published, such as The Richell Prize, Dorothy Hewitt Award, ASA/HQ Commercial Fiction Prize, among others.

Resources collated by A J Wright, 2023

Updated and added to by Mya Hicks, 2026