What hybrid publishers do, reasons to choose one, questions to ask them, and additional research to before hiring
This is another repost of a blog by Stephanie Chandler at the Nonfiction Authors Association and is a perfect primer to hybrid book publishing, which I don’t know a lot about.
One of my editing clients is working with a company I always thought was a hybrid book publisher, but my client’s paying me and other pros to do book services, so I’m now thinking the US$6K they paid was just for consulting on how to self-publish a book…whoa! Maybe I should charge way more for coaching & consulting than $105/hour!
For authors who have the time and interest to go the DIY self-publishing route, or if you are on a limited budget, self-publishing your nonfiction book on your own can be a great option. But not all authors want to manage the many steps and processes involved in self-publishing a book, so they instead opt to hire a hybrid book publisher.
What is a Hybrid Book Publisher?
A hybrid book publisher manages self-publishing service providers that follow a set of criteria focused on quality control. Some of these criteria include:
1. Following an approval process for selecting manuscripts for publication. Having a manuscript approval policy is a key differentiator that sets hybrid book publishers apart from vanity publishers. A vanity publisher is a service that will publish any book in exchange for a cheque, but a hybrid publisher approves manuscripts before agreeing to publish.
Because hybrid book publishers adhere to quality standards in the books they produce, you can be assured your book will be in great company. And since the publishing company name will be attached to your book for its entire shelf life, choosing a publisher that is committed to producing high-quality books will help set your book apart.
(You don’t have to have written a book to land a traditional book publishing deal, but for hybrid & self-publishing, your manuscript must be complete.)
2. Publish to industry standards. A reputable hybrid publisher will ensure your book meets publishing industry guidelines. These include details like font styles (serif-style for primary text), grammatical rules (following the Chicago Manual of Style), and maintaining a single point of interest on a book cover design (covers should not have multiple elements or look “busy”).
3. Pay higher than average book royalties. While this is a subjective guideline, a hybrid publisher should earn just a small portion from your book sales, around $1 to $2 per book sold, and the author should earn the bulk of the profits.
Reasons to Choose Hybrid Publishing
The following are some reasons you may want to consider hiring a hybrid press.
1. Lack the time to manage self-publishing a book on your own. There are many steps involved in publishing and if your schedule is already busier than you would like, this is a popular reason to hire it out.
2. Producing a high-quality book is a priority for you. You want to ensure your book is produced as professionally as possible and meets publishing industry standards, especially if your book represents your business in any way.
3. Dislike DIY projects. Many new authors who endeavor to self-publish are surprised to discover just how many details there are to manage. If you’re like me and don’t like to tackle detailed and time-consuming projects, hiring it out can save you a lot of time and effort.
4. Have a budget and understand the value of hiring professionals. If you’re used to hiring out tasks in your business and your life, and you trust professionals to get the work done right, then hybrid publishing can be a great choice.
Questions to Ask When Evaluating Hybrid Book Publishers
Any publisher can claim they are a hybrid provider, so be sure to investigate before you make a hiring decision. The following are essential questions to ask during the evaluation process.
1. What are ALL your fees?
Package pricing for hybrid publishing services can range from $8,000 to $50,000+, depending on the services provided. Keep in mind that publishing a book is a labor-intensive process, and therefore not inexpensive. The costs for multiple rounds of editing, book cover design, interior typesetting, ebook formatting, and project management add up.
However, you will also incur many of these costs when going the solo self-publishing route so spending a bit more for the benefits of hybrid publishing may be worthwhile to you if it fits your budget and you want to save time.
2. What will the wholesale price of my book be?
In other words, what will it cost for you to purchase copies of your own book? A 150-page trade paperback with a black and white interior should cost between $3 to $6, depending on the number of copies purchased. Note that color printing and hardcover fees can be twice as high. (I recently published this blog about distribution and how publishers & distributors eat into your profit margin.)
3. Who sets the retail price for my book and what will my net royalty be?
You should be allowed to set a competitive retail price for your book that also leaves you room for profit. For example, a 150-page, black and white trade paperback should not have a retail price of $29.95 or greater, unless that price is based on standards for a niche genre.
Your retail price and wholesale price should allow you to earn a royalty of $3 to $15 per book, depending on the sales channel. (You will always earn more when selling books yourself.)
4. How much does the publisher earn from my book?
The author should earn the bulk of the profits from a reputable hybrid publisher, while the publisher should be transparent about its pricing and only earn $1 to $2 on a standard paperback book.
5. What are the terms of the contract?
Any agreement you sign should allow you to keep all of your rights to your work. Also, your contract should give you the right to cancel at any time.
If the agreement locks you into a long-term commitment, look elsewhere. This means that if you get a book deal offer from a traditional publisher, or you decide you want to take your book elsewhere because you aren’t happy with the services you’ve received, you won’t be allowed to leave until your contract expires.
6. How long will it take to produce my book?
Get a firm commitment in writing. Book production should take no more than a few months.
7. What kind of customer service and guidance will you offer through this process?
One advantage of working with hybrid publishers is that they often employ people with publishing industry experience. Ideally, you want to be assigned to work with a single project manager who you can reach directly by email and phone. You should not have to navigate a call center with inexperienced operators or wait days to get responses to your questions.
8. What kind of marketing will you do?
The reality is that few publishers do marketing well, so beware of being upsold on marketing services. You’re almost always better off handling marketing yourself or hiring independent firms to assist. Don’t rely on publishers for marketing.
Additional Research Tasks for Evaluating Hybrid Publishers
1. Conduct searches on Google for these keyword phrases:
[company name] scam
[company name] reviews
[company name] complaints
[company name] lawsuit
2. Contact two or three of the publisher’s clients for references.
3. Ask to see some book samples from their catalogue or order a couple of their books yourself. Pay attention to book design and quality of editing.
4. Request a copy of their services contract so you can review the terms. If the agreement is long or confusing, consider hiring a literary attorney to review. (The publisher should always be able to clarify what something in an agreement means so you don’t have to go this route, IMO.)
5. Ask fellow writers for recommendations and reviews. This is one of the many benefits of membership in the Nonfiction Authors Association. You can connect with the community of fellow writers and exchange recommendations and real-world experiences.
The Nonfiction Authors Association has a sister service hybrid publisher, Authority Publishing.
Bookmark this handy list by Writer Beware of publishing/marketing/fake literary agency scams.
Now that I know more about hybrid publishers, I think that an author’s best bet is to self-publish and work with someone like me to coach them on the publishing process, hire seasoned professionals (I have editors and designers I trust), and then get help to manage their publishing platform of choice (I do this too!). If they can get to that point, they won’t have to give up any royalties.
If you’d rather work with one company vs. be your book’s project manager, I recommend you consider publishers/agencies that don’t take a royalty. I can name 3: The Vegan Publisher, The Self Publishing Agency, and Scribe Media.
If there was a hybrid publisher that did book marketing better than the top 5 publishing houses, I’m sure we would have learned about them, but they don’t seem to exist!
Need a book coach, ghostwriter, editor, or formatter to help you publish your book so you can get it in the hands of readers? Read more about my services here and contact me if you’re ready to begin!
