22 Questions to Ask Before You Commit to a Publisher

Before choosing a publisher, decide what kind of publishing relationship you want. Self-publishing puts you in charge of the process, including any professionals you hire. Traditional publishing means seeking a publisher that selects and funds your book, sometimes through a literary agent. Paid publishing support gives you help with agreed tasks or services; compare exactly what you receive and what you remain responsible for.

Still weighing those options? Our guide, Should you self-publish or seek a publisher?, walks you through your goals, budget, creative control, support needs, and how long you want to spend seeking an agent.

Once you know what you want from a publishing partner, use the questions below to compare your options. Ask each publisher the same questions, request clear written answers, and check that any agreement reflects those answers.

Our mission at Wildebeest Publishing Co. is to help people publish their stories, whether they work with us or not. These questions apply when you’re considering us, too.

Does this publisher fit my book and my goals?

What experience do you have with books like mine?

Ask about your genre, intended readers, and planned formats. Request examples you can examine. Look beyond an attractive cover: consider the editing, interior layout, readability, and overall production quality.

A publisher’s strengths should match what your book needs. Experience producing illustrated children’s books, for example, does not automatically establish experience with a research-heavy business book.

What would success look like for this book?

Explain your purpose before asking for a recommendation. Reaching bookstore readers, supporting a speaking business, serving a local community, and preserving family stories can require different publishing plans.

Look for an answer connected to your readers and goals, with a clear explanation of what the publisher can contribute. Sales projections should come with assumptions, not promises.

Can I speak with authors who have worked with you?

Ask about communication, unexpected expenses, deadlines, and support after publication. References are more useful when their projects resemble yours. Remember that publisher-selected references provide one perspective.

What will I pay, and what will I receive?

What publishing model are you offering me?

Ask who funds production, who provides each service, and how each party earns money. Terms such as “traditional,” “hybrid,” “partnership,” and “full service” need an explanation of the actual arrangement.

Paying for publishing help does not, by itself, tell you whether an offer is suitable. You need to understand the work, costs, rights, responsibilities, and value.

What is the total financial commitment?

Request an itemized explanation of:

• Upfront fees and payment dates.
• Required purchases of author copies.
• Editing, design, printing, and distribution charges.
• Marketing commitments and optional upgrades.
• Ongoing fees, revisions, storage, or account-management costs.
• Cancellation charges and refund conditions.

Ask what could increase the price and whether additional work requires your written approval. “Starting at” pricing is not a complete project budget.

Exactly what is included?

An agreement should identify deliverables. “Editing” could mean manuscript development, sentence-level work, copyediting, or proofreading. “Marketing” could describe anything from a basic listing to a defined outreach campaign.

Ask how many rounds of work are included, who performs them, what you receive, and how completion is determined.

How will royalties and payments work?

How are my royalties calculated?

A percentage is only useful when you know what it applies to. Ask whether the calculation uses the book’s list price, money actually received, or an amount remaining after deductions.

Request a worked example showing how a sale becomes an author payment. Ask separately about print, ebook, audiobook, discounted sales, direct sales, and licensed rights.

What can be deducted before I am paid?

Ask about printing, distribution fees, discounts, returns, reserves, marketing expenses, and other deductions. If the agreement uses “net,” ask for its exact definition.

Look for terms you can use to check a statement yourself.

If there is an advance, how does it work?

Ask when installments are paid, what conditions apply, how the advance is earned out, and whether any circumstances could require repayment.

When will I receive statements and payments?

Ask what the statements show, how often they arrive, whether payment thresholds apply, and how discrepancies are resolved. Ask whether the agreement provides a way to inspect or audit the relevant records.

What rights am I granting?

Which rights do you need, and what will you do with them?

Ask about formats, languages, territories, and subsidiary rights, including audio, translation, and film or television rights.

If a publisher requests rights it does not currently exploit, ask why, what its plans are, and what happens if those plans never materialize. Also ask whether the agreement permits AI training or other AI uses of your work.

How long does the agreement last, and how do rights return to me?

Ask what happens if the publisher does not release the book, stops supporting it, closes, or leaves it technically available but generating little activity.

Request a clear explanation of termination and rights reversion, including conditions, notice periods, costs, and treatment of remaining stock.

Does this agreement affect my other work?

Ask about restrictions on future books, related projects, excerpts, teaching materials, speaking, or other uses you expect to make of your work.

Have an appropriately qualified publishing-contract lawyer review provisions you do not understand before signing.

Who makes decisions and controls the accounts?

What decisions will I make, share, or give up?

Discuss the title, cover, editing, interior design, formats, pricing, publication date, and marketing copy.

Ask what “consultation” or “approval” means in practice. Will you provide feedback, choose among options, or have final approval? What happens if you disagree?

Who controls the publishing accounts, files, and identifiers?

Ask whose name appears as the publisher, who supplies the ISBNs, and who controls retailer and distribution accounts.

Clarify which files you receive, whether editable source files are included, and how access or transfers work if the relationship ends. The arrangement may vary by publishing model; it should still be understandable before you commit.

Can I sell my books directly?

Ask about author-copy pricing, minimum orders, shipping, and any restrictions on selling through your website, events, schools, or other channels relevant to your plans.

How will the book reach readers?

What does your distribution actually include?

Ask where the book will be available to order and whether the publisher actively sells to bookstores, libraries, or other buyers.

Being listed or orderable is different from being stocked on shelves. Ask the publisher to explain which outcome it is offering and what remains outside its control.

What marketing work will you do, and what will I do?

Request specific activities, responsibilities, dates, and costs. Who prepares promotional materials? Who contacts reviewers or media? Who pays for advertising? What participation is expected from you?

Separate work the publisher commits to performing from outcomes it hopes to achieve. Sending review copies does not guarantee reviews; contacting bookstores does not guarantee placement.

What support continues after launch?

Ask who handles listing errors, file corrections, stock questions, reporting problems, and future updates. Clarify the support period and any additional charges.

How will we work together?

Who will be my contact, and how will I receive updates?

Find out who manages the project, how questions are handled, and what response time you can reasonably expect. Ask how concerns are escalated if your usual contact cannot resolve them.

What is the schedule, and what could change it?

Request milestones for manuscript delivery, editing, design, proofs, and publication. Ask which deadlines depend on you and how revisions or delays affect the schedule.

If a particular release date matters, explain why before signing.

What happens if either of us cannot fulfill the agreement?

Ask about missed deliverables, author delays, cancellation, refunds, unfinished files, and unresolved disagreements. These are easier conversations to have before a problem develops.

Compare the answers before you choose

Keep a simple record for each publisher:

You do not need identical answers from every publisher. You need answers that fit your priorities and explain the tradeoffs.

Choose a publishing partner based on the work it will do, the responsibilities you will retain, and the agreement you understand. If an answer remains unclear, keep asking before committing.

For a broader comparison of publishing models and additional contract questions, visit Publishing Avenues Explained. Explore our free publishing resources for help with your next step, whether you handle it yourself or choose professional support.