In the first installment of my book publishing series, I talked about deciding what you want to write and determining whether or not there is a market that will buy the book. You may have a unique or clever idea, but if a publisher isn’t convinced that people will buy your book, they’re not going to invest in the project.

Let’s suppose you’ve got a viable idea for a book. In my case, I had several ideas related to fraud detection and investigation. Your next step is to find a publisher, and below are three options.

1. Major Publishers – Getting a book published through a well-known publisher with a huge audience is typically the best option. Large publishing companies have marketing and distribution channels that will help you sell books. They know this, and that’s why it’s a competitive process to get a major publisher to pick up your book. Some large publishers focus on certain industries or types of books. For example, my colleague Barry Minkow works with a publisher that does spiritual and religious books.

2. Boutique Publishers – This can be a great option for many types of books. There are smaller publishers all over the place, dealing with their own specialties. There are companies that focus on publishing works for college professors, for example. There are publishing companies that focus on certain types of books, such as this company which does computer-related books.

Working with a smaller publisher doesn’t mean your book will be any less successful than with a major publisher. A great match between an author and a publisher can net a fantastic book that has great success.

3. Self-Publishing – In this day and age, publishing a book is available to just about anyone. Self-publishing, however, is a somewhat controversial way to publish a book. Experts say that doing so creates a book that lacks credibility. And the marketing and distribution of self-published books tends to suffer. On the other hand, writers who are willing to make the up-front investment in self-publishing can make more money per book. It is very difficult, however, to gain recognition or credibility with a self-published book, so a professional should consider this only if the other options have first been exhausted.

Finding the right publisher is key to the process, and an author (even a desperate one) shouldn’t just take the first offer that comes her or his way. More on selecting your publisher in the next installment.