List of Reputable Hybrid Publishers for Nonfiction Books US

If you’re writing nonfiction . . .

and your book is a memoir, business, thought leadership, self-help/self-improvement, health & wellness, or inspirational/faith-based, or even a politics book, a humor book, or a gift book . . .

and you’re considering hybrid publishing . . .

below is a list of some of the best reputable hybrid publishers for nonfiction books by US authors. This is not an exhaustive list, but it’ll definitely help you look for your match.

If you’re looking for a full, updated list of traditional publishing companies in the US that publish authors with and without a literary agent required, you can find that here.

First, a reminder on the definition of hybrid publisher and some tips on how to find a hybrid press that is reputable, and then the list of the best of the reputable companies.

What is a hybrid publisher?

Under the hybrid publishing model, the author pays a company to produce and distribute their book in exchange for a high percentage of the royalties.

As a hybrid-published author, 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.

But 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 (it will cost you less money, give you even more creative control, but take more time and patience), or to try to get traditionally published, which may give your book more status and prestige and a wider reach and may better position you for a future traditional publishing deal. (You can find a full list of traditional publishing companies in the US here.)

Weigh the ins and outs and the pros and cons of hybrid publishing and determine what matters most to you.

If you’re looking for some options and want to dig a little deeper into what’s included and how much it will cost you, here is a list of publishers to evaluate.

For each hybrid publisher on the list, there are examples with links to the book page on the publisher’s website (if available) and to the book’s Amazon.com sales page.

Always do your own due diligence when carefully vetting a hybrid publisher for your book. Individual results may vary.

I was shocked by just how many (and how few) Amazon reviews some of the books had. Some on this list have 7,000+. Others have fewer than 50.

What makes a hybrid publisher reputable? How to find a reputable hybrid press?

The Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) spells it out the best.

The IBPA’s Hybrid Publisher Criteria includes the following list of expectations, which all hybrid publishers are expected to meet (expanded 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

List of reputable hybrid publishing companies / Best hybrid presses for US nonfiction books

Compiled by publishing coach Daniel Tortora

Amplify Publishing Group

Imprints: Amplify Publishing | RealClear Publishing (politics) | Tagged Publishing (nonfiction and memoir) | 100 Coaches Publishing (executive coaching)

Amplify publishes Business, Politics, and Big Ideas books in these internal categories: Business and Finance; Health, Medicine, and Wellness; History; Industries; Inspirational and Personal Success; Memoirs and Biographies; Politics and Current Affairs; Professional and Technical; Sports and Recreation

Examples:

Atmosphere Press

Austin, Texas-based hybrid publisher of Fiction, Nonfiction (including Self-Help, Memoir, General Nonfiction); Poetry, Kids, and YA/Middle Grade books.

Examples:

Berrett-Koehler

An Oakland (California)-based publisher of books, many of them on business, current issues, DEIJ, and professional topics.

Examples:

Dexterity Books

Self-Help, Memoir, Inspirational, and Christian-oriented books.

Examples:

Fedd Books

While Fedd is also a literary agency, they have a hybrid publishing division with a number of categories represented in Business/Leadership, Children’s, Faith/Inspirational, Fiction, Memoir/Biography, Political, Self-Help/Self-Improvement, Sports, Social Justice, Devotionals, Study Guides, and Journals.

Examples:

Forbes Books

Business, Thought Leadership, etc.—books by business leaders, entrepreneurs, and industry experts.

Examples:

Forefront Books

A relatively new-to-the-game but rapidly-growing conservative-leaning hybrid publisher of books in these categories: African-American Voices, Business, Children, Christian Living, Current Events, Devotional, Education, Fiction, Frederick Douglass Books, Health & Wellness, History, Humor, Inspirational, Leadership, Memoir, Military, Philanthropy, Politics/Global Affairs, Relationships, Self Help, Social Justice, Women in Business

See Forefront’s various imprints and partnerships here. They include Frederick Douglass Books, Maxwell Leadership, Southwestern Books, StoryBrand Books, and Worth Books.

Examples:

Greenleaf Book Group

Categories include Art, Biography & Autobiography, Business & Economics, Cooking, Education, Family & Relationships, Fiction, Foreign Language Study, Health & Fitness, History, House & Home, Humor, Juvenile Fiction, Juvenile Nonfiction, Nature, Pets, Photography, Political Science, Religion, Science, Self-Help, Social Science, Sports & Recreation, Travel.

Includes the Wonderwell Press imprint, with a “focus on nonfiction books that help, heal, and inspire.” One of the more established hybrid publishers out there.

Examples:

Radius Book Group

Partners with authors to create, package, and publish the full range of nonfiction books.

Examples:

She Writes Press

Fiction and memoir by women, for women.

Examples:

Sibylline Press

Categories include Fiction, Romance, Narrative Nonfiction/Memoir, and Business books by women authors over 50.

Examples:

Page Two Books 🇨🇦

This Canadian company with US and Canadian distribution publishes in the following Categories: Business & Leadership, Health, Current Events, Biography & Memoir, Children’s, Food, Humour, Relationships & Parenting, and Self-Help. The vast majority of its titles are in Business & Leadership and Self-Help.

Examples:

Rise Books

“Rise Books accepts works of fiction and non-fiction guided by the principles of radical inspiration, books that are written to create change and transformation in the world and within our politics and culture. Rise Books accepts novels, memoir, and narrative non-fiction, including spirituality, mysticism, witchery, recovery, revolution, parenting, motherhood, and books related to social justice. Rise Books does not publish business, self-help, personal development, or wellness books not directly connected to the above subject matter.” Rise usually accepts submissions only in Q4 of each year, so plan accordingly.

Examples:

  • The Astrology of Healing by Nada Yousif

  • Wife Mother Drunk by Emily Redondo

The Collective Book Studio

A woman-owned company focusing on lifestyle, food, gift and children’s books.

Categories on their website: Food & Cooking, Lifestyle & Entertainment, Art & Design, Gift & Humor, Inspiration & Self Help, Education & Parenting, Coaching & Business, Workbooks & Stationery. There are also several Kids & Youth categories as well.

Examples:

Victory Belt Publishing Inc.

Cookbooks (including Vegan, Keto, and Paleo), Fitness, Health & Wellness, Nutrition, and Personal Development.

Examples:

Authors, PublishingDaniel J. Tortoraauthor tips, author coaching, hybrid publishing, self-help books, business books, self-publishing, traditional publishing, memoirs