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I believe that a print publisher is the better choice for a writer. In my research, I have found that agents and publishers do not consider self-publishing or online publishing a viable factor when a person claims authorship. One of the reasons cited is that online publishing can be done by anyone who wants to pay the fee; there is little control over content, grammar, and book style. In many cases, online publishing is free when you own a website and post your own books.

A print publisher will market your book for you if they believe you have a good, quality book that will generate income. It is difficult to connect directly with a publishing house and finding an agent is a long, involved process. However, the benefits are many. A publishing house or agency will generally help you market your book. They can provide editing services. An agent will charge you a fee, but that fee is usually only payable when you begin to receive your payments from the publisher.

Once you have established a good rapport with an agent, they will usually ask for additional books. In some cases, you might be given an up-front payment to complete a book. A distinct advantage is seeing your book in print, in bookstores, and the library. A good agent will help you achieve your publishing goals and meet your dreams.

An online publisher is a good resource for a person who wants to publish, for example, a family history or genealogy that he can make available to family members and close friends. Once your book is published online, anyone can download a copy and have instant access to the book. Generally, a person can download an electronic copy of the book to their computer hard drive and read the book now or later. In some cases, you can choose to online publish a portion of your book for free; if the reader is interested, he can then purchase the entire book.

With online publishing, it is difficult to make a large amount of money. Marketing is generally up to the author and she needs to have a good website in order to attract traffic and book sales. A website usually has a monthly or yearly fee; other than that, there might be very little cost associated with online publishing.

One advantage to online publishing is the ease of editing your work, even after it's published. Since online publishing is an electronic file, you can correct an error at any time.

Although there is some question about copyright laws, in general, once you have authored a book, it belongs to you. Plagiarism is illegal whether the work is online or in print edition.

The Online Publishers Association offers information for those interested in online publishing. They boast members such as Beliefnet, Bloomberg, CNN, and ESPN sports.

Learn more about this author, Jinianne Lutz.
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