Traditional Publishing Services

When we speak of "traditional" publishing, we refer to companies that buy the rights to make selected works public. A traditional publisher, whether small or large, will select the best work out of many submissions, draw up a contract with the author, take out a copyright in the author's name, and pay the author for various rights, including first publication rights. The publisher makes the entire monetary investment, as well as taking all the monetary risk, and recoups that investment from book sales. The author may be paid an "advance," which is an "advance against royalties." Once the advance is earned back, the author receives any additional royalties from further book sales.

In order to succeed in the competitive world of book sales, the publisher must be highly selective about the books it choses to publish. No one can predict actual book sales, and the industry is sometimes taken by surprise by a book that suddenly soars to the top of the best-seller list (or that plunges far below expectations). Nevertheless, a publishing company cannot afford to take risks on books that it believes are unlikely to sell.

With the campaign's targets, goals, and tone set, a brand can begin to weed through its publisher options. Cost is an obvious and immediate consideration for a brand when it is evaluating publishers. How much will the brand receive from a publisher in return for what it will pay out? Traditionally, advertisers are charged on a cost-per-thousand-of-impression (CPM) or cost-per-click basis. With the economic crunch causing advertisers to pull back on marketing, advertisers are leaning more toward paying for results. To answer the retreat in marketing dollars, some publishers have established opportunities that are billed on a cost-per-lead (CPL) or cost-per-acquisition (CPA) basis. A publisher that offers a lower CPL and can generate a robust amount of leads can help a brand maximize its advertising budget.

The features available on a publisher's website should also factor into a brand's decision-making process. If a publisher cannot supply the functionality that a brand needs to execute its campaign, even the lowest CPM or CPL isn't worth much. For example, if a brand wishes to utilize rich media or e-mail creative, a publisher that doesn't accept rich media or has a small (or no) e-mail database may not be a good fit. Additionally, a brand needs to look for publishers who are willing to support sponsorships or special opportunities (e.g., co-registration, roadblock advertisements, sweepstakes, or brand