Small vs. Large Publishing Houses

There are many pros and cons to being published at a small or large publishing house. (This blog post does not include vanity presses, which charge the author to publish his or her book.) Up to this point, I have been trying to publish my own work at large publishing houses like Random House, but I have recently decided to pursue both as small publishing houses may better suit my needs.

Large Publishing Houses

Pros:

In my humble opinion, the biggest benefits from a large publishing house are the distribution and marketing. Books like Twilight and the Harry Potter series have an easier time achieving success because they have more financial backing. Advertisements, prime placement in the bookstores, and a higher print run contribute to more people learning about and then buying a particular book. However, with the turn of the economy, a large portion of the burden is now falling upon the authors to market their own books.

In terms of distribution, I wouldn't be surprised to discover that it is easier to get your book accepted by the chain bookstores (ie Barnes and Noble) from a large publishing house. I think it is fairly clear that having your book in a store like Barnes and Noble may contribute to higher book sales.

The last benefit of a major publishing house is the advance. Larger publishing houses generally give higher advances. If you are having financial trouble, this fact may weigh more heavily in your decision.

Cons:

My biggest fear about large publishing houses is falling into the dreaded "Mid List Hell." Authors who sell books but aren't bestsellers generally fall into this category. They don't get much attention from the publishing house because the publishing house spends most of its attention on their Big List authors. (Since they are a business, it makes sense. Spend the most attention where you make the most money.) But for these Mid List authors, many of whom feel ignored, it isn't a comfortable feeling.

The other big drawback is that you don't have as much control over your book. I personally feel that every comment or suggestion an editor has given me has been fantastic, and I've used almost every one in improving my work. However, if Jennifer Weiner had stuck with her original agent, her book "Good in Bed" would have been called "Big Girl." Yes, this was an agent -- but publishing houses have even more control over your title.

Small Publishing Houses:

Pros:

The best part of being published by a small house is the extra attention. They don't have as many books on their lists, so they can spend more time on each one. The extra attention is especially good for new authors who are still learning the ropes.

Cons:

Yes, small publishing houses don't have the same marketing -- but as I said before, more and more of the marketing burden is falling onto the author's shoulders, big or small house.

Yes, small publishing houses generally can't give advances -- but as long as your book sells, you may come out ahead. Authors with advances don't collect on royalties until they have earned out their advance (read more here), and small publishing houses generally give higher royalties. Just like marketing, advances are currently getting smaller.


Basically, I've sold myself on small publishing houses for the time being. Now I just have to find the perfect one!

Who has worked with a small or large publishing house? Any comments?