Why Partners In the Publishing Process Matter

This is part of the Bittersweet Book Launch case study, where Dan Blank and Miranda Beverly-Whittemore share the yearlong process of launching her novel. You can view all posts here.


I was just reading through Miranda’s last post about the book cover for Bittersweet, and it reminded me of WHY we partner with others as we bring a book to life.

Even for die-hard self-publishers who feel they are 100% going it alone by writing a book and immediately uploading it to Amazon or other services, they too are relying on a partner for publishing, distribution and marketing. Heck, maybe some of these tools tend to be more “silent” partners in that they won’t argue with you, but as an author, you are making a conscious choice as to who helps your book navigate the world. Oh, and who gets a cut of any potential revenue!

The best argument for this comes from John Green in an acceptance speech where he passionately talks about publishing as a collaborative activity:

While a big part of me values independence, I find that more of the magical moments in life are those that are shared. Why? Because it opens up those wonderful moments such as the one Miranda experienced where a publisher creates the book cover of your dreams.

Congrats Miranda!
-Dan