Nothing can be more demotivating than receiving a rejection letter from a publication company. After spending months or even years on your manuscript, you get the standard “not a right fit” message from a traditional publication company. Does this seem like a familiar scenario? Well, if it does, then know that you are certainly not alone; there are thousands of Canadian authors going through this each year.
However, here is a surprising twist to this story: being rejected by a traditional publishing company is just the start of a new journey for many.
Why Are So Many Manuscripts Declined?
The publishing industry is a gatekeeping profession. Thousands of manuscripts are submitted every year by literary agents and publishing firms, yet few are accepted; the reason being not necessarily the content of the manuscript but the need for it as part of the business model. Publishers take on works they feel will sell well, will be popular among certain genres, or that the author is well known.
This results in rejection of new ideas, unpopular subjects, regional stories, and new authors, not because of the poor quality of the work itself, but due to a lack of marketability. What is done to these rejected manuscripts? Mostly, they sit gathering dust at home. However, this is rapidly changing.
The Problem With Waiting For Traditional Publishing
Even in cases where a manuscript is accepted by a traditional publisher, it will be two to three years before that manuscript appears on shelves. Advance pay is typically low for new writers. You lose control of your cover, your title, your marketing plan, and even sometimes your material.
For Canadian writers, traditionally, the Canadian marketplace has been overrun by big-name publishing houses, making it increasingly difficult for stories based on uniquely Canadian experiences and themes to come to light.
It’s simply not designed for modern readers. Or modern writers.
How Self-Publishing Has Turned the Tables
Self-publishing has changed things around completely. There is no need for an intermediary to give their consent before publishing the book. Even more importantly, authors get to retain complete creative control, receive higher royalties, and take their book to the market in days instead of years.
Amazon has played a critical role in this process. Being the largest retailer of books globally, Amazon has helped authors reach their audience by providing them with tools that allow them to publish their books in print and electronic formats through their Kindle Direct Publishing service.
That’s when it becomes useful to work with the book publisher Canada near me. You don’t have to deal with all the complexities involved with format, ISBN acquisition, book cover design, and publishing because it will be done by professionals so that you can write the book.
What Does It Mean to Be an Amazon Book Publishing Partner?
There’s the assumption that being a self-published author means you do everything yourself. This is false. The work is taken care of by a professional amazon ebook publishing service so your book is presented, written, and marketed the way it would be if it were traditionally published – but with none of the restrictions.
Below are some of the services provided by a complete publishing service partner:
Manuscript Formatting
Your manuscript will be professionally formatted for both the print-on-demand version and the digital version of the book.
Cover Design
The first impression counts for a lot when it comes to selling books. A professional cover design will boost your visibility tremendously within the Amazon system.
ISBN & Copyright
Your book will have all the registration and copyright information necessary before it’s even released.
Amazon KDP Optimization
Your book will be listed in Amazon using appropriate keywords, categories, and descriptions.
Distribution
Your book will be available for purchase by people from Canada, the US, UK, Australia, and more countries!
Reasons for Canadian Authors Going Down This Path
Canada boasts an energetic, expanding circle of authors writing independently. In Toronto and in Vancouver, for example, these authors choose the road of self-publishing not out of necessity, but out of calculated reason.
This is because statistics show self-publishers earning 70% in royalties on ebooks sold through Amazon, whereas the traditional publishers typically pay 10-15%. Furthermore, certain genres – such as Canadian history, Indigenous culture, local memoirs, or dual language – have no other way into publication than through self-publication.
Being able to cooperate with a Canadian publisher also means being familiar with the Canadian market – province-by-province distribution channels, ISBN registration in Canada through Library and Archives Canada, and Canadian marketing strategies.
Your Rejected Manuscript Is Ready For Another Shot
Just because your story was rejected by a traditional publisher does not mean that your audience rejected it. It means the business model rejected your manuscript. This is the business model’s restriction; it is not a personal one.
Choosing self-publishing services from Amazon and being advised by a publishing company with years of experience will give you the best possible presentation of your work and put it where it truly belongs.
Your story is worth telling. Let the proper platform and partner do the job!
Conclusion: Don’t Wait to Be Told to Publish Your Work
The old-school way of doing things revolved around scarcity – limited shelf space, limited budgets, and limited risk tolerance. And that might have worked fine a few decades ago. Not anymore. Publishing has changed drastically since then.
If a manuscript gets rejected now, it means one thing: You can go down another road to success, one that offers you greater control, higher earnings, and faster access to your reader base. This is a game-changer enabled by Amazon’s innovative publishing tools and the professional know-how of the best Canadian publishers out there.
Whatever your genre is – memoirs, business books, novels, poetry, or anything else – your book will find its readership. All that remains is your willingness to act fast.
A simple rejection letter shouldn’t mean much anymore. After all, the writer just hasn’t gotten it yet – but that doesn’t make your manuscript any less worth it to other readers. Trust them.
Looking to publish your rejected manuscript? Discover how we at Book Publisher Canada can help you succeed as an author.