Every so often it’s time to polish up the old comparison post since business models evolve and what was true a couple years ago has already changed and expanded. Also, I’ve been doing hybrid publishing for so long now that I can be guilty of thinking that it’s is more broadly understood than it actually is. So here goes.
I would like to see you do a resource one day about how to tell what is a predatory publisher. There are so many out there, I see many authors just repeat “if you have to pay anything, it’s a scam.” Obviously this is not strictly true — like everything in publishing there are no absolutes! — but I’d love to have a resource to link for people who are confused about whether something is predatory or not. I am sure it is also a frustration for you.
Well put! Very much along the lines I present to my clients and authors. I am a hybrid publisher based on the expertise and sales/distribution channels that are offered.
This article is helpful to any author who wants to get her book published without banging her head against the wall and trying to get traditionally published.
As always, you prove your point with great facts and present the options in a clear and thoughtful manner. You made a few new observations that really make sense. Thanks for being the voice of simple reason. Authors can make their own informed decisions with details like this.
Thank you, @Brooke Warner. One quick question: Where can an author find a list of *LEGITIMATE* hybrid publishers -- the ones who truly earn their pay? My gratitude for such a url.
Thank you, Brooke, for this enlightening piece. It certainly seems that ethical and experienced hybrid publishers are enabling new authors to get their work published and, as importantly, distributed. In the process, hybrid publishing is eroding the dysfunctional oligopoly power of the "Big Five" publishers. Brava!
I am just starting my second book, the working title of which is "Awakening Heart; The Art of Sacred Listening." I have 40 pages complete, and of course, this question is again up.
This week, I am participating, with 16 other authors, in a two day retreat, followed by six months of coaching with Jack Canfield, Steve Harrison, and Patty Aubrey, and 16 other authors. I know that the questions we authors have, and the distinctions between Indie, Hybrid, and Traditional, will be deep in that retreat, AND looked at with each author, with each of us having individual time with the three guides. Reading your article today clarified things for me, with my history with my first book, as an Indie author -- what was productive for me, and what was not.
I would say your paragraph, starting with "the only place you can truly go wrong" is your most important one, for me, and I hold it close.
Thank you for posting this important and comprehensive piece. So helpful for aspiring authors and for those of us in the biz who have to field this question!
Please talk about Distributor Load, that concept and measure of how many books a distributor has for sale in a catalog. It’s great to be in S&S. How does a title get noticed and loved on by a distributors’ rep? Is this the place to mention marketing plan, and its differences in hybrid and self publishing models?
So that’s a good question and the distributor and the sales force take on the whole catalogue. Some books get more attention than others. This is based on a combination of author platform, author publicity plans and confirmed media/blurbs, and the book and the package. There are books that rise to the top. Some of that is made and some is organic. But all books are distributed. I hope that clarifies.
Distributed is comprised of sales, fulfillment, and discovery? Seems like sales is the benefit we seek through distribution. And then sales rides on the strength of discovery services? I’m wondering if distribution is meted out by publisher marketing, or S&S provides marketing and promotion for all of its distributed titles.
You pretty much have it, yes. The sales efforts, the relationships with accounts. The infrastructure. All of it. There's a certain amount of discoverability that will happen just because of who your distributor is, but the publisher and the author do plenty on this front as well. It's a big organism, lots of moving parts.
Brooke, I have never been able to figure out the financial outlay of a hybrid publisher that gives them true skin in the game. Setting aside the pride that publishers have in the quality and success of their clients’ books, everything seems like financial upside for hybrids. I mean no disrespect in asking this question as I am not privy to your costs. Can you point to a case study that lays this out?
I don’t think we have a case study to point you to. What I’ll say is that this is not a hugely profitable venture for hybrids or authors. I tell authors that breaking even is a success. Of course some make good money, but this is not the norm. What reputable hybrids are doing is giving authors access. So pride is just a piece of it, very squishy. To me the skin in the game “requirement” is imposed on hybrid by critics of hybrid. I suppose the implication is that if we don’t have skin in the game we will publish “anything.” But we don’t. We are selective. We have our own reputation to protect and our sales force to answer to. We, like our authors, are just trying to make it. So skin in the game is the whole enterprise. We want/need to sell books but our effort is to give authors the highest royalty we can. I guess I think asking about skin in the game and only thinking about finances is a limited view. We try to cover our costs and in some cases we actually don’t. What hybrids offer to authors cannot be bought so I also think we are reasonable for what we provide. The other question I’ll ask is what is the alternative? If it’s self publishing then you have to understand what you are not getting. If you think it’s traditional, it’s a bit of a false choice. Some authors say why wouldn’t I try traditional. I say, Do try! And the barriers to entry are higher than they’ve ever been. Kind of circuitous but there you have it! And no disrespect taken. I like to talk about the money.
I am curious about “what hybrids offer to authors cannot be bought.” Isn’t the purchase of a consolidated publishing service, plus distribution, buying access to publishing?
When I refer to skin in the game, I'm thinking of a scenario where an author spends $20k on a package including editing, design, marketing/PR, and possibly a few copies of the book. How does that stack up to what the hybrid publisher has invested?
Sometimes books just don't sell—or don't sell as forecast—despite the best efforts of all involved. The niggling question in the back of my mind for the hybrid model is the degree to which zero sales even matters to the press's bottom line. If all the fixed costs are covered by the author, it just doesn't feel like the publisher has anything to lose except reputation. Yes, reputation is of critical importance to the publisher—it won't stay in business with a bad one—but my focus is on the business model itself. Dollars and cents.
Hybrids say they are picky but what's the financial proof of that? If the book doesn't sell, does the publisher have money at risk after the author has paid up front for the fixed costs? If the book "isn't selling" is the publisher's answer going to be "spend more of your own money?"
I assure you, my question is sincere. I appreciate the slim margins and the difficulties of the business. I have never felt comfortable sending a client to a hybrid press because I don't understand the financial dynamics of the business model.
Thank you again for taking time to break down barriers and misunderstandings, Brooke.
So, I guess I would say the financial proof of a hybrid being picky is in who distributes them. You cannot have traditional distribution without proven sales. Simon & Schuster or PGW or Ingram is not going to pick up a publisher that doesn't have a proven sales record. So that's one way.
I also suggest you apply this same standard to traditional publishing, whose failure rate is the same as hybrid as far as I can tell because no one actually knows what's going to sell for sure. And on a given list (trad/hybrid) you will always have some books that soar and some books that totally fall short. Does the fact that a traditional publisher paid for the failure make the failure more palatable to the author? I'm guessing yes, but it still sucks for everyone. In our case, we do not *require* an author to have an author platform in order to publish with us, and in that way it's true that sometimes the books won't have the same kind of success that trad-published authors will have because they bring that platform to the table. That said, you have to have a book to build a real platform, so part of what we're doing is giving authors a chance to play in a bigger arena.
Traditional publishers take bets on authors. We don't have the same calculus, that is true. But that's the promise of our business model. I see it as a plus, not a negative, that we don't base our acquisitions decision-making on author platform. We base it on the book itself. And the authors do have to put in a lot of effort, and resources. To me, this skin in the game makes authors better authors. Plenty of trad publishers just don't care if a book fails, but they're not being held to these standards because they paid for production, or paid an advance? I just think this entire thing is very nuanced, and not a matter of I got paid = all good. That's not the equation. You can get a hefty advance and get completely abandoned by your publisher. You can pay for a hybrid contract and have your publisher 150% in your corner. Just like everything, it's pretty relationship driven, case-by-case, book-by-book, publisher-by-publisher.
I would like to see you do a resource one day about how to tell what is a predatory publisher. There are so many out there, I see many authors just repeat “if you have to pay anything, it’s a scam.” Obviously this is not strictly true — like everything in publishing there are no absolutes! — but I’d love to have a resource to link for people who are confused about whether something is predatory or not. I am sure it is also a frustration for you.
This is a great idea. I'll take you up on this soon!
Well put! Very much along the lines I present to my clients and authors. I am a hybrid publisher based on the expertise and sales/distribution channels that are offered.
Looking forward to zooming with you regarding your well-written points on hybrid publishing.
This article is helpful to any author who wants to get her book published without banging her head against the wall and trying to get traditionally published.
This is required reading for anyone considering which path!
As always, you prove your point with great facts and present the options in a clear and thoughtful manner. You made a few new observations that really make sense. Thanks for being the voice of simple reason. Authors can make their own informed decisions with details like this.
So clear and detailed! Thank you.
Thank you, @Brooke Warner. One quick question: Where can an author find a list of *LEGITIMATE* hybrid publishers -- the ones who truly earn their pay? My gratitude for such a url.
Well... it's not easy to find and things change so fast. This is a curated list of publishers for an article I did not too long ago for Publishers Weekly, but not included in this list is Forefront and Authors Equity because they weren't on my radar at the time: https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/90296-hybrid-publishing-spreads-its-wings.html
At least this is a starting point.
Gratitude, @Brooke Warner. The article provides a number of possibilities.
Thank you, Brooke, for this enlightening piece. It certainly seems that ethical and experienced hybrid publishers are enabling new authors to get their work published and, as importantly, distributed. In the process, hybrid publishing is eroding the dysfunctional oligopoly power of the "Big Five" publishers. Brava!
Thank you, Brooke. I write to you as an author.
I am just starting my second book, the working title of which is "Awakening Heart; The Art of Sacred Listening." I have 40 pages complete, and of course, this question is again up.
This week, I am participating, with 16 other authors, in a two day retreat, followed by six months of coaching with Jack Canfield, Steve Harrison, and Patty Aubrey, and 16 other authors. I know that the questions we authors have, and the distinctions between Indie, Hybrid, and Traditional, will be deep in that retreat, AND looked at with each author, with each of us having individual time with the three guides. Reading your article today clarified things for me, with my history with my first book, as an Indie author -- what was productive for me, and what was not.
I would say your paragraph, starting with "the only place you can truly go wrong" is your most important one, for me, and I hold it close.
Best of luck to you, Amba. You got this no matter what. You already have one beautiful book in the bag, and much more to say and gift to the world!
Thank you, thank you. That means a lot to me. A lot, a lot.
Thank you for posting this important and comprehensive piece. So helpful for aspiring authors and for those of us in the biz who have to field this question!
Totally my motivation. :) Next time I can send that author who's debating over here. I appreciate the comment, Jennifer!
Exactly. A link to a full reply is a great resource. I do the same thing with other subjects.
So helpful for so many writers I know.
A really useful guide, thanks Brooke!
Please talk about Distributor Load, that concept and measure of how many books a distributor has for sale in a catalog. It’s great to be in S&S. How does a title get noticed and loved on by a distributors’ rep? Is this the place to mention marketing plan, and its differences in hybrid and self publishing models?
So that’s a good question and the distributor and the sales force take on the whole catalogue. Some books get more attention than others. This is based on a combination of author platform, author publicity plans and confirmed media/blurbs, and the book and the package. There are books that rise to the top. Some of that is made and some is organic. But all books are distributed. I hope that clarifies.
Distributed is comprised of sales, fulfillment, and discovery? Seems like sales is the benefit we seek through distribution. And then sales rides on the strength of discovery services? I’m wondering if distribution is meted out by publisher marketing, or S&S provides marketing and promotion for all of its distributed titles.
You pretty much have it, yes. The sales efforts, the relationships with accounts. The infrastructure. All of it. There's a certain amount of discoverability that will happen just because of who your distributor is, but the publisher and the author do plenty on this front as well. It's a big organism, lots of moving parts.
I’ve been thinking a lot about this recently. I’m excited for the future of publishing and I think it’s going to change, drastically
Brooke, I have never been able to figure out the financial outlay of a hybrid publisher that gives them true skin in the game. Setting aside the pride that publishers have in the quality and success of their clients’ books, everything seems like financial upside for hybrids. I mean no disrespect in asking this question as I am not privy to your costs. Can you point to a case study that lays this out?
I don’t think we have a case study to point you to. What I’ll say is that this is not a hugely profitable venture for hybrids or authors. I tell authors that breaking even is a success. Of course some make good money, but this is not the norm. What reputable hybrids are doing is giving authors access. So pride is just a piece of it, very squishy. To me the skin in the game “requirement” is imposed on hybrid by critics of hybrid. I suppose the implication is that if we don’t have skin in the game we will publish “anything.” But we don’t. We are selective. We have our own reputation to protect and our sales force to answer to. We, like our authors, are just trying to make it. So skin in the game is the whole enterprise. We want/need to sell books but our effort is to give authors the highest royalty we can. I guess I think asking about skin in the game and only thinking about finances is a limited view. We try to cover our costs and in some cases we actually don’t. What hybrids offer to authors cannot be bought so I also think we are reasonable for what we provide. The other question I’ll ask is what is the alternative? If it’s self publishing then you have to understand what you are not getting. If you think it’s traditional, it’s a bit of a false choice. Some authors say why wouldn’t I try traditional. I say, Do try! And the barriers to entry are higher than they’ve ever been. Kind of circuitous but there you have it! And no disrespect taken. I like to talk about the money.
I am curious about “what hybrids offer to authors cannot be bought.” Isn’t the purchase of a consolidated publishing service, plus distribution, buying access to publishing?
You cannot buy traditional distribution.
Thank you.
When I refer to skin in the game, I'm thinking of a scenario where an author spends $20k on a package including editing, design, marketing/PR, and possibly a few copies of the book. How does that stack up to what the hybrid publisher has invested?
Sometimes books just don't sell—or don't sell as forecast—despite the best efforts of all involved. The niggling question in the back of my mind for the hybrid model is the degree to which zero sales even matters to the press's bottom line. If all the fixed costs are covered by the author, it just doesn't feel like the publisher has anything to lose except reputation. Yes, reputation is of critical importance to the publisher—it won't stay in business with a bad one—but my focus is on the business model itself. Dollars and cents.
Hybrids say they are picky but what's the financial proof of that? If the book doesn't sell, does the publisher have money at risk after the author has paid up front for the fixed costs? If the book "isn't selling" is the publisher's answer going to be "spend more of your own money?"
I assure you, my question is sincere. I appreciate the slim margins and the difficulties of the business. I have never felt comfortable sending a client to a hybrid press because I don't understand the financial dynamics of the business model.
Thank you again for taking time to break down barriers and misunderstandings, Brooke.
So, I guess I would say the financial proof of a hybrid being picky is in who distributes them. You cannot have traditional distribution without proven sales. Simon & Schuster or PGW or Ingram is not going to pick up a publisher that doesn't have a proven sales record. So that's one way.
I also suggest you apply this same standard to traditional publishing, whose failure rate is the same as hybrid as far as I can tell because no one actually knows what's going to sell for sure. And on a given list (trad/hybrid) you will always have some books that soar and some books that totally fall short. Does the fact that a traditional publisher paid for the failure make the failure more palatable to the author? I'm guessing yes, but it still sucks for everyone. In our case, we do not *require* an author to have an author platform in order to publish with us, and in that way it's true that sometimes the books won't have the same kind of success that trad-published authors will have because they bring that platform to the table. That said, you have to have a book to build a real platform, so part of what we're doing is giving authors a chance to play in a bigger arena.
Traditional publishers take bets on authors. We don't have the same calculus, that is true. But that's the promise of our business model. I see it as a plus, not a negative, that we don't base our acquisitions decision-making on author platform. We base it on the book itself. And the authors do have to put in a lot of effort, and resources. To me, this skin in the game makes authors better authors. Plenty of trad publishers just don't care if a book fails, but they're not being held to these standards because they paid for production, or paid an advance? I just think this entire thing is very nuanced, and not a matter of I got paid = all good. That's not the equation. You can get a hefty advance and get completely abandoned by your publisher. You can pay for a hybrid contract and have your publisher 150% in your corner. Just like everything, it's pretty relationship driven, case-by-case, book-by-book, publisher-by-publisher.
Well said. Again, I thank you.