The world of publishers for first time authors has evolved to a point that cost is not so much a barrier for either the publisher or writer. Now that a lot of reading is done online and with portable electronic devices, cross-platform writers will likely have an edge in the growing field of online publishing. Writers who want to self-publish and sell books can do so using Amazon’s CreateSpace or Lulu. The traditional method of getting a cash advance for a book contract still exists for well-known writers, but many new writers do not see any advance.



Publishers who seek new writers usually want content that is completely unique that breaks the mold of what readers come to expect. Looking for writing opportunities on online classified websites is usually a waste of time. Credible publisher seek writers through more subtle channels that do include certain specialized websites such as The Publisher’s Network. Someone who has no writing track record can still get published if they have an amazing story to tell that stands out from the norm.

One of the most adventurous publishers for first time authors is PublishAmerica, based in Maryland. The company has taken a chance on many unknown authors and has paid all the publishing costs, unlike some publishers who charge the writer for manufacturing costs.

The company has now been around for over a decade and serves nearly 50,000 authors.
PublishAmerica specializes in first time authors who have successful stories about overcoming hardships. Using a modern publishing business model, the company manufactures books based on demand.

Vantage Press has been around since 1949, allowing new authors to put their books alongside big names in the publishing industry. Some of the authors who have written for Vantage Press have included Benjamin E. Mays, who was a mentor to Martin Luther King, Jr., Dr. Albert Szent-Gyorgi, who won a Nobel Prize in Medicine and Pulitzer Prize winner Emory Holloway. The publisher has put out a lot of textbooks by college Presidents, particularly on medicine. Vantage Press attracts new writers by advertising in publications with huge circulations.

Not everyone who writes wants to publish a physical book, especially when everywhere we turn tablets are in the news. Modern technology now makes it sensible to create complete ebook solutions for certain subjects. Consumers searching for easy to follow step by step instructions are more likely to find what they want from an ebook than a textbook written to spew loads of detail. New authors who know how to create simple manuals are in demand these days.

Publishers for first time authors help expand the pool of quality content that is often over-shadowed by quantity or trendy topics. Many big names in the publishing industry have not survived the transition to a more efficient electronic community. As tablets and ebook readers grow in popularity, attention is likely to shift from mainstream to niche topics. Inevitably, publishing is about distributing information, regardless of how it’s done.

The writers and publishers who will survive in the new world understand that words can be presented in many different packages. The ones who articulate authority and meaningful messages are the ones who will find success.