What Is a Hybrid Publisher?

I’m often asked by writers, journalists, and moreover publishing insiders to specify “hybrid publishing.”

This is a confusing term, because you will perceive different definitions aliases descriptions of hybrid publishing depending connected who you inquire and what their schedule is. The word has go celebrated among companies that wish to put a new, “innovative” look connected a very common, age-old activity: charging writers to publish.

Here’s what I deliberation astir group tin work together on: Hybrid publishers harvester aspects of accepted publishing and self-publishing. Beyond that, however, it is challenging to specify what specified companies person successful common. They person highly varied business models, methods of moving pinch writers, and approaches to trading and distribution. Costs, too, are each complete nan map.

Making matters much complicated, “hybrid authors” are not authors who activity pinch hybrid publishing companies. Instead, that word describes authors who some traditionally people and self-publish. So don’t confuse hybrid authorship pinch hybrid publishing—they’re 2 different things.

Varieties of hybrid publisher

While it is astir intolerable to mostly picture hybrids, present are immoderate unsmooth categories you’ll find successful nan marketplace today.

• Editorially curated. While authors typically subsidize nan costs of editing aliases publication, this type of hybrid patient doesn’t judge each writer who walks done nan door. This selectivity tin lead to amended branding/reputation for nan patient and amended trading and distribution for nan author. Examples include Wonderwell and Greenleaf Book Group.
• Crowdfunding driven. Publishers specified arsenic Inkshares and Unbound require nan writer to raise a definite magnitude of money from their readership earlier they are granted a deal, which past intimately adheres to a accepted publishing process.
• Assisted self-publishing. Authors salary to publish, and location is small aliases nary discernment successful what types of authors are accepted. In nan pre-Internet era of publishing, this was commonly called “vanity” publishing (and sometimes still is).
• Traditional publishers pinch a self-publishing arm. Some accepted publishers—including mini presses you haven’t heard of—may connection writer services aliases assisted self-publishing and telephone it a “hybrid” option.

In nan lawsuit of assisted self-publishing (I for illustration to telephone them “publishing services,” for what it’s worth), these companies adopt nan moniker of “hybrid publisher” to look much innovative aliases charismatic to authors, to thief shed that aged stigma of “vanity publisher.” They’re not really a hybrid patient unless they can point to what they do that offers a accepted publisher’s value—such arsenic selectivity successful acquisitions, editorial guidance and vision, and meaningful trading support (which is costly, by nan way).

What astir distribution? What galore authors don’t recognize is that book distribution done online unit channels is much aliases little free and straightforward. (Online retailers and distributors for illustration IngramSpark return a trim of your sales; they don’t typically complaint for distribution.) Most authors shouldn’t activity pinch paid publishers (hybrid aliases not) because they’re worried astir “distribution.” That said, if you’re nan benignant of writer who can’t ideate being published without in-store placement and an effort to build relationships pinch bookstores and libraries, you’re astir apt looking astatine a top-shelf hybrid publisher, investing successful a people run, and spending northbound of $20,000.

In nan lawsuit of publishers pinch a self-publishing arm—which whitethorn not connection awesome professionalism to statesman pinch successful their accepted operations—they whitethorn beryllium utilizing paid services to prop up their business and besides to position themselves as progressive. These tin beryllium nan astir frustrating “hybrids” of all, since they mightiness beryllium identifying themselves chiefly arsenic a accepted patient and beryllium listed successful marketplace guides specified as Writer’s Market, but could usage that arsenic a bait-and-switch: Oh, sorry, your activity doesn’t meet our editorial needs for our accepted publishing operation, but would you for illustration to salary for our hybrid publishing [or self-publishing] service?

I urge moving successful nan different guidance if that happens.

How to measure a hybrid publisher

So really tin you show if you’re conscionable being sold a measure of equipment by a hybrid publisher? Here’s what to consider.

• A hybrid worthy nan sanction will person immoderate method of curating aliases selecting what projects to return on. In different words: They see nan marketplace imaginable of your activity and its expertise to succeed. If they look to return anyone and everyone, past you’re amended disconnected evaluating nan champion self-publishing work to use. Don’t kid yourself astir leveling up to a hybrid. (So-called hybrids aren’t averse to playing to your ego to get your business.)
• A hybrid patient should connection nan imaginable of specialized aliases hard to get distribution, wherever they tin get books physically placed connected shelves successful stores. They mightiness not beryllium capable to committedness this, but if they’re actively placing books astatine bricks-and-mortar unit outlets—and they person a catalog of titles for trading purposes—that’s a bully sign. Again, immoderate self-publishing writer tin easy get distribution done online retail, via Amazon and IngramSpark (who return a trim of sales), truthful nan much nan hybrid invests successful trading and distributing people editions, nan much they mightiness beryllium offering thing you may not beryllium capable to execute yourself. Still, support successful mind astir books are not sold successful beingness stores now. They are sold online.
• Most hybrid publishers that unrecorded up to their sanction activity pinch you some pre-publication and post-publication. The narration doesn’t extremity erstwhile nan book is done; immoderate moreover waste subsidiary authorities connected your behalf. However, you whitethorn person to salary fees to proceed nan narration beyond nan first twelvemonth aliases so.

The Independent Book Publishers Association released hybrid publishing criteria to thief nan manufacture create immoderate master standards astir hybrid publishing. This is simply a bully and adjuvant effort, but companies are not required to travel these criteria and nary 1 is policing it. It’s conscionable a group of champion practices and anyone tin telephone themselves a hybrid.

To summarize: Hybrid publishers that merit nan sanction behaviour immoderate level of gatekeeping, connection worth that nan writer would person a difficult clip securing connected her own, and should also pay amended royalties than a accepted publishing deal. (Fifty percent is common.) Ideally, nan hybrid is recognized successful nan manufacture for its value and has a estimation for providing a publishing acquisition and last merchandise that justifies nan cost.

However, erstwhile you salary tens of thousands of dollars to publish, it reduces nan likelihood you’ll make a profit connected book sales, particularly erstwhile nan hybrid takes a trim of nan profits. So spell successful eyes wide open, and walk only what you tin genuinely afford. Published books seldom waste arsenic galore copies arsenic authors dream of.

For further chat of this issue

See my May 2022 article successful The Hot Sheet.