The comparison of old and new publication methods would be incomplete without taking into account the question of how traditional publishers compare to a specialized company working in the area of local services. Large foreign publishers normally have a very strict selection procedure. They accept only a certain percentage of applications per year and normally demand literary agents prior to any discussion of manuscripts. Such companies can spend several years on publication of each manuscript, and authors have to give away a considerable amount of rights and royalties. A much more convenient method deals with editing and publishing the manuscript of an author without delays and additional agents. That's when many authors choose to use Macmillan Publishers' book publishing service as an alternative. The choice of one or another method is a matter of the author's priorities – either prestige and large-scale activity or something else.