Publishing Unraveled: Traditional vs. Hybrid vs. Vanity Press | Expert Insights with Julie Lokun

In this episode, Julie Lokun discusses the world of publishing and provides insights into different publishing options available to authors. She starts by emphasizing the importance of books as marketing tools for entrepreneurs and businesspeople like herself. Julie mentions her own publishing company, The Media Caster's Publishing House, and highlights the team behind it. She distinguishes between traditional publishing, hybrid publishing, and vanity press. Traditional publishing involves authors submitting manuscripts to literary agents or publishing houses, with publishers carefully selecting manuscripts with market potential. Julie advises authors to be cautious when approaching publishing agents, as legitimate agents should not charge upfront fees. If accepted by a traditional publisher, authors receive a contract covering various aspects such as editing, cover design, marketing, and distribution. Julie emphasizes the need to have someone review the contract and mentions that publishers are not responsible for author branding or publicity. Hybrid publishing combines elements of traditional and self-publishing. While these publishers may require a financial contribution from authors for book development, cover design, or editing, authors retain a higher percentage of royalties compared to traditional publishing. Professional services such as editing, cover design, and distribution are provided by the publisher. Self-publishing, the third option discussed, allows authors to have full control over the publishing process. Authors can upload their books to platforms like Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), IngramSpark, or Barnes & Noble. However, Julie strongly recommends investing in professional editing to ensure the book represents the author's brand effectively. Julie raises concerns about vanity press scams in the publishing industry. Vanity presses charge authors exorbitant fees for subpar or unnecessary services and often hold authors' books hostage. She advises authors to do thorough research, check with the Better Business Bureau, and read reviews before committing to any publishing company. Red flags to watch out for include demands for substantial upfront fees without clear service outlines, hybrid publishers requiring authors to pay for all publishing costs, and promises of instant success in exchange for hefty fees. Julie urges authors to protect their creative work and prioritize their integrity. She concludes by encouraging aspiring authors to believe in the power of their words and their potential as successful authors. Julie offers her support and invites listeners to reach out to her with any questions or concerns Join Our Community And Create A Buzz For Your Business Get Our Favorite Microphone Here: The Shure MV7⬇ https://shure.pxf.io/c/3476149/879980/12212?prod=aonic50&source=facebook Why We LOVE The Shure MV7: Shure's SM7B mic is a long-time favorite among producers and recording engineers. Now Shure offers a version of this legendary mic at a modest price designed for podcasters and gamers: meet the MV7. The Shure MV7 features both USB and XLR outputs. So you can record directly to your smartphone or computer, or run the signal through a traditional audio mixer. And you can do both simultaneously — a great way to save a backup recording. The MV7 has a built-in headphone jack for monitoring, with a built-in touch panel for easy volume adjustment. #shure Follow us on all social spaces @themediacasters Join The Mediacasters Community FREE for a limited time: h ttps://themediacasters.mn.co Get our #1 new book release! The book, Audiocasters teaches you how to launch, market, and, monetize your podcast! Get it here! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/t hemediacasters Podcast website: https://t hemediacasters.com The network website, with all our community, shows: https://podp Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.