There are relatively few traditional publishers for unpublished writers. It’s a fact that whether you decide to use a traditional publisher or self-publish, making money with your book is all about selling thousands of copies. I started out 20 years ago with Arcadia Publishing, and I enjoyed the experience. Since then, I moved to self-publishing and feel no real need to change my path. I like the freedom and much higher royalty rates with self-publishing.
However, I enjoyed the process with Arcadia and learned a lot on the way. This could be your best jumping-off place.
Who is Arcadia Publications?
Arcadia Publishing’s focus is local history books, travel guides, and other regional publications. Readers may be most familiar with the Images of America series, which encompasses more than 17,000 titles about towns and cities across the United States. Arcadia accepts books on other topics, including military history, sports, and food. Arcadia, founded in the mid-1990s, is based in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, and releases about 500 books annually to 2,000 retail outlets worldwide. The company’s annual revenue was $19 million in 2021.
Arcadia’s website says they seek to “connect people with their past, their communities, and one another. We believe that local history is important and strive to make it accessible to everyone. Arcadia’s books are written by local experts, and they feature rare photographs and illustrations.”
Arcadia claims to be the largest local and regional history publisher in the United States. There are several others who do similar work, and they also qualify as traditional publishers for unpublished writers. It looks like recently, Arcadia has bought a few of them.
It’s challenging to find traditional publishers that work with new writers. It isn’t entirely necessary to be accepted in the traditional market to become an established author, but having a book or two accepted through such channels can add credibility to your portfolio.
I chose to tell you about Arcadia to highlight a golden opportunity for those who can commit to excellence, need a career push, and are willing to do a project that isn’t get-rich-quick.
A few words about royalties from traditional publishers for first-time writers
Without a doubt, all things being equal, a well-marketed, well-written self-published book pays better. Most of us, even though our passion is writing, have to consider income if we want to spend our time writing. Royalties matter. When you self-publish, royalties are in the area of 65% to 70% of net or more.
Get ready for the shocking truth: Traditional publishers are likely to pay new authors between 6% and 10% of net. Arcadia pays 8%. You will not retire on that income. You will, in either case, have to do most of the marketing and promotional legwork if you want sales in the thousands of books. You will find that traditional publishers, especially small presses, do far less marketing and promotion than they once did.
Here’s how traditional publishers for unpublished writers pay royalties
Start with the cover price. Standard paperback books sell for around $8. Trade paperbacks sell for about $14.95. Books from Arcadia and their ilk are priced at $21.95 and up. Apply the royalty percentage listed in your contract to the book price, and multiply by the number sold (the publisher does this calculation for you).
For example: 8% x $21.95 = $1.76 x 10,000 sold = $17,600 earned.
On the other hand, if you self-published, it looks like this on the lower end of royalties: 60% x $21.95 = $13.17 x 10,000 = $131,700.
Any advances get subtracted from those figures, but with small publishers, there are no advances. An advance is a sum paid to the author before the book is published and then recovered by the publisher from royalties. If royalties are more than the advance, the author gets paid. If the sales don’t offset the advance, the author gets no more paychecks. Some publishers pay quarterly, but the ones we’re looking at pay twice a year.
Someday I hope to write a book where the royalties will pay for the copies I give away. — Clarence Darrow
Traditional publishers for unpublished writers have rules
Arcadia requires 180 to 240 images per book, including photographs, postcards, drawings, maps, and so forth. The publishers prefer vintage or historic items, but they are somewhat flexible. Word count must be between 8,000 and 18,000 or you’ll get the manuscript back for revision with a 14-day deadline. The layout has to follow the parameters and templates provided by the publisher. Beyond those constraints, the author can discuss deviations with their editor. Together, you’ll work out a final deadline for the completed manuscript. The process is not unpleasant, and we didn’t feel any particular sense of being overly pressured.
One writing team’s Arcadia experience
Initiation and acceptance
Keep in mind, our experience was two decades ago, so expect that some things have changed. I hear from other authors with more recent interactions that, overall, much has stayed the same.
My partner, Dan Pelland, and I set out to capture the flavor of our once rural community, McHenry County, IL, and we chose to focus on the era from 1850 to the 1950s, more or less. Our title was Images of America: McHenry County, IL. We submitted a query, and the editor requested that we write a description of why we were well-qualified to write the book. They want evidence of community connections, residency, and writing experience. They wanted us to describe our platform — the audience we had garnered over time — so that there was some indication that we had a bit of reach.
Arcadia also asked for a sort of map of the book we proposed, including sample images, a list of where we might gather other images, an outline, a sample chapter, and a book description. We complied, and within a month, we had a contract and an invitation to visit the Chicago Arcadia office. These days, I believe the process happens by phone and email.
Our writing process
I won’t lie. It was exciting to know we were embarking on a writing project that would be published and distributed with our names on the cover. We had looked at a lot of publishers for unpublished writers and had decided that Arcadia suited us best. So we began.
We made an outline of the topics we wanted to cover, and that outline was altered several times during the year of writing. We began researching who, in our county, had been here a long time and might have assets we could borrow. I was very active on boards and organizations here, and I was editor-in-chief of our local weekly paper. I had lots of contacts and relationships. However, for our second book, Images of America: Weeki Wachee, FL, we built the relationships as we went.
We did a lot of legwork, going through tons of picture files at museums and other places. We interviewed a lot of people, mostly because we were having a terrific time learning things we had not known about the area. We’re both photographers, so we loved foraging through archives. I tell you this to underline the fact that an interest in history and a love of imagery will help carry you through this process. It’s a long road, a lot or work.
We met every deadline and followed the image protocols exactly, so we had no issues with work being sent back to us. Our editor was very cordial, knew her job, and communicated often and efficiently. The layout package and template were easy to follow. We did our best writing and probably wrote more than many Arcadia authors because I love to write. At one point, we had to get permission for an increase in Arcadia’s word limit.
The end game, having the book published, went off without a hitch. We were allowed to add images we had made ourselves, which was great.
Marketing and promoting
Yes, Arcadia did a fair amount of promoting our book. They also expected us to promote the books. We scheduled book signings, radio interviews, and cable TV interviews. We talked at various meetings and presentations and brought along books to sell. None of it felt overwhelming; we were having a great time. People in our personal and business networks were very generous about buying the books.
Over the past two decades, we’re grateful that both books continue to sell digitally and in print, and we receive royalties twice a year like clockwork. Arcadia does a good job documenting sales. We still do a shout-out for the books from time to time. We still live in McHenry County, and our community has a high degree of interest in local history; even new residents seem to search out ways to connect to our colorful past. As for the Weeki Wachee book — we hit it lucky. The roadside attraction there is an evergreen topic worldwide. That book sells in consistent numbers, and we often hear from readers.
“Read, read, read. Read everything — trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You’ll absorb it. Then write. If it’s good, you’ll find out. If it’s not, throw it out of the window.” ― William Faulkner
Pros and cons of Arcadia Publishing and other traditional publishers for new authors
Pros:
Arcadia publishes high-quality books on a wide variety of topics. They edit carefully and vet the authors. There is no junk.
Their books are written by local experts, which makes them accurate, informative, and often personal. It’s not a cookie-cutter thing.
Arcadia’s books are beautifully produced, with high-quality photographs and illustrations. They sell well.
Cons:
Arcadia’s books cost over $20 retail.
Some of their books are out of print and can be difficult to find, so prospective readers may feel frustrated. Sales determine whether a book gets reprinted.
Arcadia’s books are not always up-to-date since there is never a revised edition.
Overall, Arcadia Publishing and most others like them are reputable publishers with solid experience choosing and disseminating local history books. They are not vanity presses and never require you to pay fees.
How to get started with Arcadia and probably any of their competitors
Visit Arcadia’s series page to study a listing of what kind of books they are interested in. I’m quite sure the other small local history presses have such pages.
Spend some time deciding if local history is for you and if you have or can form the connections and contacts needed to succeed. Consider what your approach to local history might be, what you’d like to say, and where you can find images. Then write and send a query to Arcadia or whatever company you choose to work with.
Arcadia will provide a new author kit that requires you to write and submit
A multipage author proposal including the book title, author background, area facts, description of images, proposed schedule, marketing and sales suggestions
Summary (500 words) of proposed book content
Twenty sample images with detailed captions
Written permissions for images have to accompany the manuscript.
If you push it, you could probably put a book together in a few months, but a credible job will take longer. You don’t get an advance, so you have to cover any expenses. You won’t be reimbursed. All stories or events must be based on featured images. You definitely cannot sell advertising in or connected to any book.
A few other traditional publishers for unpublished writers
Pelican Publishing Company, Gretna, LA, is known for a variety of books, cookbooks, travel guides, and even fiction related to “identifiable regions of the US, especially the South.”. Founded in 1926, Pelican Publishing releases about 30 new books each year.
Legendary Locals is an Arcadia imprint with a twist. Their focus is on unique individuals and groups that made a significant impact on an area’s reputation. For example, one book highlights the community where Simon and Garfunkle went to high school. Find them on Arcadia’s website.
Hatchett Group’s Storey Publishing is another alternative if history isn’t your thing. Their interest is in adult and children’s non-fiction dealing with gardening, herbs, cooking, beer & wine, farming, animals, building, homesteading, natural health, home reference, crafts, and mind/body/spirit. Think Mother Earth News meets Arcadia.
Graywolf Press for fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and a few other non-traditional genres. They’re in Minneapolis, publishing around 30 books each year. Graywolf Press sometimes considers submissions from unrepresented authors. But the cool thing is, they hold at least one annual contest awarding an unpublished nonfiction author a publication contract with an advance. Learn more about the Graywolf Press prizes (scroll down on the page).
Kensington Publishing Corp is a small press with a big footprint — or maybe big imprints? They press 500 fiction and nonfiction titles annually, unusual for a small press. They seek “the books that America wants to read,” including Westerns, adventures, romances, fantasy, nonfiction, and African-American lit. This family-owned New York company is willing to consider un-agented authors, including first-timers, but you must be ready to present a compelling and flawless package. Begin with a query — DO NOT SEND MANUSCRIPT.
Before you contact these folks, learn How to Write a Query Letter: All the Do’s and Dont’s and How to Format a Book Manuscript .
Final thoughts about traditional publishers for unpublished authors
It would be unrealistic to think any traditional publisher would consider working with an author who breaks all the rules or doesn’t respect submission guidelines. In today’s world, costs are skyrocketing, profits are plummeting, and all publishing houses face serious challenges. The major companies pretty much won’t even read unsolicited submissions or inquiries — what used to be called “over the transom submission.”
But some small presses empathize with the plight of talented and conscientious writers trying hard to establish their worth. It’s not a hopeless situation, though finding a traditional home for your book is a long and winding road. The question has to be, how much do you want to succeed? Okay then, give it your best shot. Send me a review copy.
Both of my nonfiction books were published by Arcadia Publishing (the History Press imprint). They were great to work with - I highly recommend them!
Thank you for such a detailed and informative article. I don’t write non-fiction, but I do enjoy photography and live in a beautiful part of Australia…maybe I need to branch out!