3 Reasons Why You Might Not Want a Hybrid Publisher

why not to use a hybrid publisher

Today’s guest post is by Lizbeth Meredith, author of Pieces of Me.


“Are you happy you used a hybrid publisher?”

I’ve been asked this repeatedly since publishing my memoir with She Writes Press, usually just after I’ve stammered out a definition of what hybrid means.

“Hybrid publishing is a middle-ground,” I explain, parroting my editor, “between traditional and self-publishing in which the author pays for some of the services.” [For a fuller definition of hybrid publishing, see this post from Jane.]

And before I can answer comes the inevitable, “Do you think I should?”

I would never tell someone to publish with a hybrid publisher. Here’s why.

1. Every writer’s publishing goals are unique.

You know better than anyone what your goals are. I don’t. More specifically, I don’t know your work, your platform, and your finances. I don’t know what your motives are for publishing your current book, and how much work you are willing to do to get the word out about it after publication. I didn’t even know how much work I was willing to do until after publication when I was happily surprised at how much I enjoyed promoting my book. And that’s been a relief, since not promoting my book would result in even more boxes of paperbacks hogging my car’s space in the garage.

2. Hybrid publishing puts substantial financial risk on the author.

With hybrid publishing, there are no book advances. No team of marketing geniuses scheduling future book appearances unless you pay for them. The cost of your print run? It’s on you. And you’ll need to roll up your sleeves and sell that print run, because a year later, the warehouse storage fees will be yours as well.

While it’s true that after your book is accepted by a reputable hybrid publisher, you will have a talented team to help with editing and the selection of a stunning book cover, help ensuring your book is discoverable online, and that your book will (depending on the hybrid publisher) be available in bookstores and libraries. Still, what happens after the launch is up to you.

3. Another publishing option may be better suited for your book.

There are many routes to publishing, and all may lead to success or failure. So I encourage you to explore all of your options thoroughly.

For example, a retired Marine I met set a goal to become an author. He self-published 12 books after his first year. Today, three years later, he makes thousands of dollars a month on his rapidly expanding series of dystopian novels. Another author I met through a writer’s group toyed with hybrid publishing her ghost-written memoir, but instead reached out to a university press. Her book is close to its release date, and already she’s been asked on a national television show to promote it. And several author friends I met through my publisher have become bestsellers and award winners, and some others have found other income streams using the book as a tool for speaking engagements or teaching writing courses.

On the flip side, I know authors who’ve published with both large and small presses and with hybrid presses who complain that their books aren’t selling. They’re unhappy that they must use their own resources to hire public relations and marketing experts to generate book buzz. They insist that they don’t want to be tethered to social media to engage with fans when they could be writing.

So how should you publish your book? I encourage you to learn as much about every opportunity available to you before diving in. Ask questions. Compare options. And then proceed with confidence.

My path to hybrid publishing came after years of disappointments. I’d shopped my book to agents at conferences. I got feedback, joined a critiquing group, hired an editor. I rewrote it again and again, and shopped it some more. While I got a few nibbles on my queries, they did not result in getting an agent or the traditional publishing deal I wanted. My final nudge was when a literary agent told me that he loved my first pages, and had no suggestions of how to improve them. “But it’s another abuse memoir,” he said, shaking his head. “I just can’t sell it.”

When I finally learned about hybrid publishing, the clouds parted. There are many hybrid publishers to choose from, like Inkshares or Evolved or Ever After. My book, Pieces of Me, found its home with She Writes Press after I found that they offered what I’d been looking for.

I’d worked for over two decades to tell my story. More than a misery memoir, it was a book of hope about bucking intergenerational patterns. I wanted my book to be accessed wherever books are sold. I wanted it to be eligible for trade reviews. And I wanted to be a part of an author cooperative where innovative ideas and ongoing support is at my fingertips.

I would never tell you to publish with a hybrid publisher. Every writer’s publishing goals are unique. Hybrid publishing puts substantial financial risk on the author. And another publishing option may fit your work best.

But am I happy that I went with a hybrid publisher?

Absolutely.

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Jeff Shear

I’m still figuring out the route to get on the road to selling. There’s snake oil out there, plenty of it. Ms. Meredith’s essay takes on the problem. And she points to some hybrids you can trust. Thank you. As a writer in search of readers, I deeply appreciate her candor. I thank her for what must have been an arduous effort to find the right bunch of people who will do justice to her book.

I’ve danced with hybrids. They step on your toes. Why even consider them? The answer: Because the business-end of bookselling is more torture than the 1920s marathon dance fad. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noexE5bNwNk What is more, there is the indisputable fact that even with hybrids, you’ve still got to show up at the dance. You can’t play wallflower. You must promote.

Figure this: There are serious upfront costs to producing a quality manuscript. You’ve got to pay to publish. But why drop an additional $3,000 to $5,000 to lure a hybrid when the hard reality is that you probably won’t sell more than 1,000 books. I could be wrong, but you should have no illusions. So why not cut out the middleman and accept the reality that if you’re going to write a book, you’re going to have to sell it, and that’s a proposition that is both grueling and possibly unrewarding. So not only are there the front-end costs of preparing a manuscript, there are back-end costs to selling it, and the process can be spirit killing.

I’m a writer who does little to no promotion, and as a result, I’m invisible. So who am I to talk? Who am I to say hybrid publishing isn’t the better way? Simply this, I believe I’ll find a way to reach readers. And one more thing, I’m indomitable. I simply believe in myself. And I believe there exists a route to sales; I just haven’t found it yet. But I will.

Lizbeth

I like your insights, Jeff, and I’m glad you’re considering hybrid as a viable option. There are some great publishers out there like the one I published with. I think the world of publishing today necessitates we as authors treat our books as a business, no matter how you publish. Once I knew I was investing in my writing, I got serious about getting a return on my investment, and I have been pleased.

Thank you for commenting!

Laura K. Curtis

It’s important to note that this is also known as “co-publishing”, but it is NOT the same as someone who tells you they are a “hybrid author,” which means that they publish both traditionally and on their own.

The terminology in publishing becomes more confusing all the time — indie versus self, traditional large version small press…indie versus small press…

Lizbeth

Yes, Laura, I agree. It’s confusing. Just because I published with a hybrid publisher (or partner publisher) does not make me a hybrid author all by itself. And hybrid publishing is defined differently, depending on the publisher. But definitely worth looking in to for people who want more control over their work and access to some of the features of traditional publishing.

Sherry Stanfa-Stanley

I agree with everything you’ve noted, Lizbeth.

She Writes Press published my book, “Finding My Badass Self: A Year of Truths and Dares” in August 2017. For me, the experience has truly offered the best of both words: the personal input found in self-publishing, along with the top-rate professional services and distribution of traditional publishing. Seeing my book’s amazing cover on the shelves of bookstores and libraries everywhere is everything I’d hoped for.

Lizbeth

Thank you Sherry, and huge congrats! That’s a terrific feeling.

I imagine some day, I’ll write something that won’t matter to me enough to either traditionally or hybrid publish. But to have an option that provides the access into the stores and libraries is so important when authors want wide distribution.

Shriram Iyer

Is this the same as vanity publishing then?

Jane Friedman

It depends on the hybrid publisher. If you want to learn more about hybrid publishing, here’s a post: https://janefriedman.com/what-is-a-hybrid-publisher/

Judy Gruen

I am also a She Writes Press author, whose book, The Skeptic and the Rabbi: Falling in Love with Faith, was just published two months ago. Previously, I had one book published with a small time crook masquerading as a small publisher; 1 book published through a book distributor who also offered self-publishing services under their imprint; and 2 through CreateSpace. During these years I continued to work to build my name recognition as well as my craft.

So far I have been very happy with SWP in every way. The staff are all extremely professional — my book looks fantastic, and they are extremely organized, ensuring your project stays on track. The woman who did the cover design has also worked on books written by some of the biggest name authors out there. Critically important, SWP has retail book distribution and a sales force, something not available if you are self-publishing. I do not know what other co-publishing companies offer in this regard.

You need to have some financial resources for this option to really work. Not only do you pay for all the publishing services, and the printing, but also, of course, the publicity. This adds up. You need to be invested in more ways than one and give it your all.

So far I’ve had exciting early results with this book — including having BN choose my book for a holiday promotion (and large order of the books), which would not have happened without the SWP sales force showing it. I’ve had two positive trade journal reviews, chose my own cover image, and had the freedom to make bulk sales of my books to two organizations — 500 books so far. I’m now negotiating the first of what I hope to be several foreign rights deals. If I had been with a traditional publisher (which I tried to get but did not get), my hands would have been tied in all these respects.

Certainly, every author has to consider their goals, their ability to invest time, money, and marketing efforts, before deciding which way to go. I feel that the early success I am having is also due to the years of work I had put in prior in building both my name and craft.

Good luck to all who are writing their books!

Lizbeth

Hi Judy,
How exciting and well deserved! It does sound like all of your previous experience positioned you for this runaway succeess.

Hybrid publishing either motivates the writer to work hard to recoup their investment, or he/she can become overwhelmed with debt. I am a very cheap person, the type that brings leftovers home from restaurants! 🙂 So it was very motivating for me.
I got a couple of writers grants that offset expenses. I think folks forget about that option, and there are crowd funding options also.

Congratulations! And thanks for commenting.

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Rachel Norris

I have written a very important memoir that deals with my traumas decades ago that are still major issues in today’s world. How do I find the right fit. So many companies want me to pay and they’ll publish – good or not!

Jane Friedman