What Is a Hybrid Publishing Company?
You’re writing (or have written) a nonfiction book and as you look to get published, you’re considering your next steps.
You’ve probably heard the term “hybrid publisher” or “hybrid publishing company.”
But you have questions.
What exactly is hybrid publishing? How does it compare to traditional publishing and self-publishing? What are the pros and cons of hybrid publishing? And is it worth it for your nonfiction book?
You’re in the right place.
All that and more is below in this overview of getting published with a hybrid press.
What is a hybrid publisher?
A hybrid publisher is a company that produces and distributes books—with authors assuming the upfront costs and the financial risk in exchange for a high percentage of royalties. Hybrid publishers offer editing, design, distribution, and marketing services for authors.
Terms like “co-publishing” or “collaborative model of publishing” are often indicators that you’re dealing with a hybrid publishing company.
Hybrid publishing vs. self-publishing
Just like self-publishing, hybrid publishing requires an upfront investment from the author. And you retain the rights to your book.
However, unlike self-publishing, the hybrid publisher is listed as the publisher of record, not your name or your company. The hybrid publisher takes a small cut of the royalties.
And unlike self-publishing, you’re not the project manager; the company coordinates all that stuff, with your involvement.
There’s one more difference. With self-publishing, literally anyone can publish. Hybrid publishers are, at least in theory, supposed to be somewhat selective. You apply, and if it fits their “brand,” and they want to work with you, they’ll say yes.
Hybrid publishers also access to distribution channels (and sales reps)—something that self-published authors may not have. (This all is something you should inquire about when considering hybrid publishers, as it can be valuable to an author.)
Hybrid publishing vs. vanity publishing
Hybrid publishing is not vanity publishing or assisted self-publishing, where everyone with deep enough pockets gets approved, although there’s the perception that the hybrid publishing model works like that.
Hybrid publishing vs. traditional publishing
Hybrid publishing is similar to traditional publishing in that the work required to turn a book manuscript into a published book is done not by the author and/or individual freelancers contracted by the author directly but rather is coordinated by the publisher.
To put it another way, professionals, not you, transform your Word document or Google Doc manuscript into something that the public buys and reads, on your behalf. That’s not to say you won’t have input. Rather, they’ll coordinate things.
It’s similar to traditional publishing in that you don’t have to put your book on Amazon yourself; the publisher does that on your behalf. It’s similar to traditional publishing in that you’ll get royalty payments from the publisher after the book has been published.
But unlike traditional publishing, in hybrid publishing, you pay to get published. Most hybrid publishers aren’t as selective as most traditional publishers. Advances (think of it as a signing bonus paid before publication in expectation of anticipated royalties) aren’t paid. Authors still receive royalties (as in traditional publishing), but the percentages may be higher.
The hybrid publishing model can vary widely when it comes to what services are provided and how much it costs, so if you’re considering it, it’s important to carefully evaluate all your options.
How much does hybrid publishing cost?
How much do hybrid publishing companies charge authors?
It’s not uncommon for hybrid publishing to cost between $10,000 and $25,000 or more. It could be $50,000 for ghostwriting.
Prices vary wildly, and what’s included (or can be added on) varies wildly too.
What are the pros and cons of hybrid publishing?
Pros of hybrid publishing
Hybrid publishing has its benefits:
You keep the rights: You’re not signing away your right to publish the book in different formats, to license foreign translations, TV and movie deals, and more.
Creative control: You have more say in the creative process, and your opinion on title and cover design will likely matter more to a hybrid publisher than a traditional publisher. Your input is taken into consideration a little more in terms of how your book is marketed and distributed. Hybrid publishing is more collaborative.
Higher royalties: Yes, there’s a steep upfront cost. But hybrid publishing pays authors much higher royalties than traditional publishing. That’s a good thing if you expect to sell a lot of books. Most traditional publishers pay 8 to 12 percent of net receipts. But hybrid publishers may pay as much as 80 to 100 percent of net profits in royalties.
Convenience: It’s a one-stop shop. The hybrid publisher takes care of copy editing, design, cover design, and listing your book on various retailers’ platforms. Rather than having to navigate Amazon KDP and other platforms, that’s done for you.
Opportunity: Hybrid publishers often accept manuscripts from less established writers, providing an opportunity for new voices to be heard. For authors who are struggling to get traditionally published or who don’t want to jump through all of the hoops, it works.
Speed: Hybrid publishers move faster than traditional publishers. For books that are time-sensitive, this is a plus. Hybrid publishing companies move faster. Whereas it might take 18 to 24 months to get traditionally published, a hybrid-published author might have their book out in less than 12 months.
Access: Hybrid publishers may have access to wider distribution channels than self-published authors would have, meaning that they may have sales reps who can get the book into bookstores or other retail outlets that the author might not be able to do on their own.
Cons of hybrid publishing
Hybrid publishing does come with some negative aspects:
Cost: Authors must invest a large sum of money—upfront—that they may never get back.
Perception: This may be changing a little, but it remains the case that in the eyes of many (and in the eyes of many traditional publishers), you’re less of an author if you paid a company to publish your book. Hybrid publishers don’t have the name recognition and prestige of traditional publishing companies. You could invent a publisher name and self-publish on your own, for a lot less money.
At the same time, there are many people who will never know the difference between a traditional publisher and hybrid publisher, name-wise, and who, if they did, wouldn’t care.
Marketing: The marketing remains largely the author’s responsibility, no matter how you publish. If you plan on writing more than one book, you need to build connections with potential readers—on your own.
Access: Hybrid publishers may not always have the same extensive distribution that bigger traditional publishers have, meaning that your book may get into far fewer bookstores and libraries (if any) than it would with a traditional publisher.
Scams: In theory, hybrid presses have a reputation they wish to uphold, and their future business depends on producing high-quality books. But some hybrid publishers have low standards when it comes to the books they accept and the books they produce. It can be difficult to vet hybrid publishers (I have a number of tips below), and there are some out there that are not reputable and aboveboard. You may lose the right to vet each person who contributes to the making and publication of your book.
Hybrid publishing vs. self-publishing services or a book publishing coach
While it may take more time, it will save you money and may also give you more peace of mind if you find freelancers who can help you at each stage of the publishing process.
If you truly want a personalized experience that’s more affordable, or if you have plans to write another book in the future, investing in a book publishing coach can be a better option than hybrid publishing—whether or not you go on to self-publish or traditionally publish.
As a nonfiction publishing coach, I have worked with dozens of self-published and traditionally published authors—and hybrid presses—authors whose books have garnered praise from the Wall Street Journal, have become Amazon #1 New Releases, and who have racked up 200 Amazon reader reviews within two weeks of publication.
Simply put, I guide authors through the daunting publishing process.
➡️Learn more about my book coaching services here.
How do I find a reputable hybrid publisher? How do I evaluate a hybrid publisher’s reputation?
If you’re thinking of publishing with a hybrid publisher, you need to vet these companies carefully to ensure that you select a company that matches your goals and that offers you the services you need.
What is a hybrid publisher? Again, just so we’re on the same page, a hybrid publisher is a company that produces and distributes books, with authors funding the upfront costs in exchange for a large percentage of the profits on book copies sold.
In its “Avoiding Publishing Scams” article, The Author’s Guild has this to say: “It is important to do your research on hybrid publishers . . . and make sure you are dealing with a reputable entity, as there are many scammers that bill themselves as hybrid publishers but provide little to no added value while charging excessive fees. Review the IBPA hybrid criteria checklist when in doubt.”
IBPA’s Hybrid Publisher Criteria includes the following list of expectations, which all hybrid publishers are expected to meet (more details here):
✔️ Define a mission and vision for its publishing program.
✔️ Vet submissions.
✔️ Commit to truth and transparency in business practices.
✔️ Provide a negotiable, easy-to-understand contract for each book published.
✔️ Publish under its own imprint(s) and ISBNs.
✔️ Publish to industry standards.
✔️ Ensure editorial, design, and production quality.
✔️ Pursue and manage a range of publishing rights.
✔️ Provide distribution services.
✔️ Demonstrate respectable sales.
✔️ Pay authors a higher-than-standard royalty
Vetting hybrid publishing companies
Not only should you ensure that all of the above criteria are in place. You might want to find the answers to these questions:
Does your book seem like a fit? Do you see similar books?
Do they produce quality books? Do you like the book covers? The interiors? You might even want to buy or borrow a recently-produced book by a press you’re interested in and see what you think about how it looks.
How selective are they, really? How do they vet submissions? If it’s seen as a “vanity press,” then that’s a red flag.
Do some searches on Googling and Amazon for some of their recent titles. What comes up?
Are there Amazon reader reviews? What do the reviews say?
Where are their books sold? Are they in bookstores? Online retailers? Which ones?
Are their books in libraries (if that’s important to you)? Search Worldcat.org.
What kind of press are their authors getting?
What book formats do they offer? And for print books, is it a print run? Offset printing? Print-on-demand only?
What are the pricing options? Do you understand exactly how much it will cost? Do you need the options or the packages they offer? How do the prices compare to those of other companies? To self-publishing?
Who exactly will be working on your book? Someone in-house or a freelancer? Will you have direct access? If it’s a large team, can you choose?
How long does the publishing process take, on average? When can they start?
Is the publisher a member of the IBPA? How long have they been in business?
Reach out to authors who are hybrid-published for referrals and recommendations. What do they have to say?
List of the best hybrid publishers—nonfiction
➡️Click here to see a list of reputable hybrid publishers of nonfiction books (US).
There you will see examples of books published by those hybrid publishing companies.
Hybrid publishing, in summary
Under the hybrid publishing model, you, the author, pay a company to produce and distribute their book, in exchange for a high percentage of the royalties.
The pros: You keep the rights, you get creative control, it’s convenient, it gets your book out into the world, and it’s faster than traditional publishing.
The cons: It’s expensive, there’s a stigma to it, you’ll still have to do a lot of book marketing on your own, you may be let down by the publisher’s reach and connections, and it’s easy to be scammed or upsold.
You may prefer to hire a book publishing coach to either help you navigate the self-publishing process yourself (for much less money, but giving you even more creative control) or to try to get traditionally published, thus giving your book more status and prestige and a wider reach and better positioning you for a future traditional publishing deal.
Or you may choose to hire a publicist or a book marketing company to help you with publicity and advertising.
Weigh the ins and outs and the pros and cons of hybrid publishing and determine what matters most to you.
If you have money to spend and want higher royalties, more creative control, a quicker path to publication, and less administrative work to do, then hybrid publishing may be a good option for you. Just do your homework and carefully consider your options. And get a firm idea of what you’re paying for and what you’re getting for your money.
But if status and prestige is important to you, if you want to best position yourself for a future traditional publishing deal, or if you don’t want to pay any upfront costs and want the largest possible distribution channels for your book, the larger or more established traditional publisher you can find, the better.