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The Writing and Publishing Process: A Reality Check We’ve all heard the saying that “there’s a novel in everyone.” And yes, every life has more than enough stories to fill a book. But here’s the truth: not everyone can actually write one. Writing is hard. It takes skill, focus, dedication, and sheer determination. It also takes something most of us struggle to find — time. Time away from work, family, and leisure. And, let’s not forget, the financial breathing space to make that time possible, whether it be physically or mentally. As Virginia Woolf put it, to write, one needs money and a room of one’s own. But finishing the book is only half the story. Traditionally, getting published meant running a gruelling gauntlet: first, secure an agent, then hope

“Surely going through a traditional publishing house is the best way, perhaps only real way, for authors to be published?” It’s a common assumption, and for decades it was true. Traditional publishing has long been seen as the gold standard, the ultimate validation of a writer’s talent. But the reality, especially today, is much more complicated. In 2022, an anti-competition case brought by the US Department of Justice against Penguin Random House prised open the lid on the industry. Evidence showed that only a tiny percentage of traditionally published authors actually make any money. Just 35% of published books were profitable at all, and 60% of those profits came from only 4% of authors. Put another way: 85% of books published were considered commercial failures. That’s sobering enough. But then