Hybrid Publishing vs. Self-Publishing vs. Traditional: A Plain-English Breakdown

You've written your manuscript, but now what? How does it get turned into a book? How do you get it in front of people? How much can you afford to spend?

There are three models most used for book publishing: traditional, self-publishing, and hybrid. Each can get the job done. The real questions are how much effort you are willing to put into selling your book, how much you can afford to spend, and what you are willing to give up in return. There is also a fourth option, the one we built Brookstone around, and we describe it after the three.

Traditional Publishing

If you don't have a lot of money to spend, the traditional model may be for you. Traditional publishers comb through submissions to find the books that suit their needs. They then buy the rights from you and publish your book at their own expense, paying you a percentage of sales (a royalty) in exchange.

The Trade-Off: Because traditional publishers take on the financial risk of publishing your book, they can be very picky, and it can be hard to get picked up. They may also require you to be represented by an agent. And when they do say yes, you are signing away rights to your book, often for a long time. Many traditional publishers also expect their authors to carry much of the marketing and promotion themselves.

The Breakdown for the Author:

• Cost: Free; the publisher pays for editing, design, and printing.
• Control: Low; the publisher may make final decisions on the cover, title, editing, and release date.
• Rights: The publisher usually controls them, often for years.
• Profit: Low, typically 10 to 18 percent after the advance earns back, if applicable. (Many small or independent publishers no longer offer advances.)
• Pros: High prestige, professional distribution, and retail store access.
• Cons: Very hard to get a deal; slow timelines (at least 1 year).

Self-Publishing

Self-publishing is the opposite end of the spectrum. If you are up to the challenge of handling everything yourself (and paying for everything), self-publishing may be your preferred model. You have complete control over the editing, the cover design, the marketing, and so on. No decision gets made without your approval. And you keep the profits.

The Trade-Off: You are responsible for everything: editing, design, marketing, distribution. In a truly self-published book, there is no one to guide you.

The Breakdown for the Author:

• Cost: You pay up front for any services, such as freelance editors and cover designers.
• Control: Total. You control every creative and business choice.
• Rights: All yours.
• Profit: Yours to set. You choose the price of your book and keep what each sale earns after the retailer or printer (such as Amazon KDP or IngramSpark) takes its share.
• Pros: Total freedom, fast release, and you set your own price and return.
• Cons: You do all the editing, design, marketing, distribution, and setup alone, and quality depends entirely on who you hire.

Hybrid Publishing

Hybrid publishing can be the best of both worlds, when it is done well. Hybrid publishers usually accept a wider range of books than traditional houses, and they usually have seasoned people who have worked in the industry and can offer you their expertise. In this model, instead of the publisher paying you a royalty, you pay up front for that expertise.

Most hybrid publishers also keep a share of your future royalties, or hold on to some of your rights, even after you have paid their fee. That is what sets a hybrid house apart from the option described below, so ask about it before you sign.

The Trade-Off: Hybrid publishers don't always have the prestige or market presence of a traditional house, and the guidance and expertise on offer varies greatly from one to the next.

The Breakdown for the Author:

• Cost: You pay an up-front fee to professionals who guide you through the process.
• Control: Shared. The publisher provides professional standards and distribution channels, and you are involved in the final decisions.
• Rights: Often shared. Many keep some rights or a share of future royalties.
• Profit: Higher than traditional, usually lower than self-publishing, because the publisher typically keeps a share of royalties after your up-front fee.
• Pros: Professional quality and distribution support, with easier acceptance than traditional houses.
• Cons: Quality varies widely, and some predatory presses imitate this model just to take money from authors. (See below.)

A Fourth Option: Brookstone Creative Group

Brookstone Creative Group is not a hybrid publisher in that sense. You pay a flat fee for the editing, design, production, and distribution support, and we take no royalties, now or in the future, and none of your rights. You keep 100% of both. The quality is that of a traditional house, because we are backed by Iron Stream Media and its roughly 1,000 titles, traditional and partner published, but you don't give your book away to get it.

We are also selective in the way that matters. We say yes when we can make you proud of the result, and we will tell you plainly if a book isn't ready yet.

What we don't do is promise sales. A flat fee doesn't buy readers, and nothing does. We bring the craft and the channels. You bring your voice and the people who trust it.

A Word on Predatory Presses

You may hear negative things about hybrid publishing and vanity presses. Neither is bad in and of itself. A vanity press is simply a press that publishes almost any book for a fee, and when that is handled ethically and honestly, there is no problem. But these models lend themselves to scams, and there are a lot of predatory presses that charge high fees, take the check, and give you very little in return. Some things to watch for:

• Cold Calls: If they reached out to you first without any kind of initiation on your part, be suspicious. Reputable publishers rarely cold call new authors.
• Unrealistic Promises: Guaranteed publication, guaranteed sales, or a very rapid turnaround can be a giveaway.
• Unclear Fees: A reputable publisher spells out what the work includes and what it costs in a written proposal before you commit. Be careful with any publisher who won't, or who adds charges later.
• Missing Transparency: Are they hard to reach? Are they vague about the process steps, or about who owns the rights and royalties? Think twice.

Remember the old adage: if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.

Not Sure Which Path Fits?

If you would like to talk through the options for your own book, schedule a discovery call. We will tell you plainly where we fit and where we don't.