Sixty percent of all english-language books are produced through what's called the "Big Five"; it consists of the following trade publishing houses: HarperCollins, Penguin Random House, Hachette, Simon & Schuster, and Macmillan.
These houses each publish thousands of the most recognized and best selling books that are used in education curriculum and pop culture. When an author is published by one of these large publishers, it's seen as a great accomplishment. There are three routes for authors to decide upon when writing a manuscript: choosing a major publishing house, a smaller press or self-publishing. Each of these have their own advantages as well as disadvantages. Depending on how invested an author wants the publishing house to be, their reach in the market, how dedicated the company is to helping and how much money the author wants to spend are all deciding factors in their decision.
Small presses are typically a frequent choice because there are many located across the country that simply require the author to submit the manuscript and wait for their decision on whether or not they will take it on. They welcome first-time authors. Small houses work with each individual author and take them through the editing and revision process. Because of the work they put in for one book, small presses only put out a few titles each year. Big publishers on the other hand typically require the author to have a literary agent. This ensures that the projects the author submits are well developed and close to print. This way, the big publishers do not have to spend much money and time on editing.
An imprint is a trade name under which a publisher puts out work. A company may have multiple imprints, often using different names as brands to market works to various demographics. For example, Viking is an imprint of Penguin Random House and has a strict objective of publishing a limited list of nonfiction, such as biographies, history and works on contemporary affairs. Penguin Random House has multiple imprints, each with their own genre focus. These imprints are located across the United States, however many are close to their headquarters located in New York City.
After an author's manuscript as been approved for publishing, the author works with the editorial team to look at technical errors and any rewrites or reworks to polish the manuscript. From there, numbers are calculated and a budget is set as well as planning out what market this book will go into and what can the publishers see in terms of sales and revenue. Production is an overlooked step in the publishing process but it's where the author's work comes to life. A cover is designed, illustrations are drawn, pictures are taken and printing and binding is coordinated. After it is sent to print, authors can expect to plan the distribution of their work and plan a book tour whether it's for sale online or on store shelves. Depending on the publishing house, there are either more or less steps, but this is generally what authors can expect in the publishing world. It's a very competitive industry and if anyone is thinking of getting their book in a store, keep in mind - it's a long process and you may not see success on your first time around, but it'll be worth it when you see your work for sale.
Sincerely,
Someone with experience in the publishing world