Authors in Authority: Why Hybrid Publishing is a Go-to for Authors Today

For long, authors were relegated to the slush pile, at the mercy of an editor looking for a “refereshing story.” That’s not the case anymore. With Notion Press by their side, authors are more in control of their work and the earnings from it than ever before. In the last decade, we’ve noticed a shift in the industry, giving authors more power.

And a big reason for this is the advent of hybrid publishers.

What is a Hybrid Publisher?

Hybrid publishers blend the best of both worlds, offering professional support and services akin to traditional publishing while allowing authors greater control and flexibility, reminiscent of self-publishing. In the the hybrid publishing model, authors "contract" a hybrid publisher to handle the technical aspects of publishing a book, including the printing, distribution, designing, and marketing without losing any say in the final product.?

This essentially puts authors in the driving seat with the publisher offering necessary support—all this without losing the increased financial gains that self-publishing offers. Thus, the model presents a tailored pathway for authors seeking a middle ground in their publishing journey.

Today, it is one of the three ways to publish your book in the world. But interestingly enough, its inception has roots in authors wanting more than the creative control given by self-publishing.?

How the Self-Publishing Boom Led to the Hybrid Publishing Model

Self-publishing, while claimed to be a recent development, has been around for longer than most people might think. Esteemed authors like Frank L. Baum, Edgar Allan Poe, and Mark Twain have published some of their books by themselves. The boom, however, started in the 2000s with the beginning of the digital revolution and later, with pioneer self-publishing platforms like Lulu Press and Smashwords.?

With the advent of several platforms, the self-publishing sector has only seen an upward rise. This new age of publishing differed from the vanity presses used by the likes of Poe and the existing traditional setup. Authors weren't at the mercy of a traditional publisher's choice, and they didn't have to pay to get their work published.?

However, this came with a caveat: Authors were now fully responsible for the publishing process. Aside from writing the book, they had to edit, design, and market it. Over time, this became less of a boon and more of a pain point for many authors who struggled with the technicalities involved in making a book publish-ready.

This is where the Hybrid Publishing model came in, offering publishing support without taking the creative control away from authors. The best bit? Authors still earned more royalties (in some cases 100%) than they would in a traditional setup, making the new model a truly author-centric affair. No wonder more authors are opting for this model today.

Hybrid Publishing: An Author-first Approach Chosen by Authors

In 2024, the publishing industry across countries is witnessing a shift towards hybrid publishing. The reason is simple: Authors today are or want to be more in control of their creative pursuits. Self-publishing may have broken the barriers of the exclusive traditional setup but it is not the end-all. With the rise of content creators who have “made it” solely on their content and its fanbase, authors are empowered and are reaching readers directly.?

The likes of Diane Capri (bestselling author of ‘Don’t Know Jack’) and Grace Burrowes (bestselling author of ‘The Heir’) using personal websites or newsletters to sell their books is a great example of the power in authors’ hands. Closer to home, authors like Saksham Garg (bestselling author of ‘Samsara’) are creating a community with their social media activity. All this sets a precedent for increased involvement of authors in all aspects of book publishing, and the hybrid model allows that.?

In the process, they will become more than just authors—they will be authorpreneurs.

Gone are the days when books were a publisher’s commodity to publish, sell, and market. Today, it is a partnership between a publisher and an author to create a compelling product that attracts readers. And this is the need of the hour in a market overflowing with published books. “Putting a cover and interior together as the author wants it does not constitute a product,” says Naveen Valsakumar, CEO of Notion Press. “What will help more authors sell more books is if you can build that manuscript into a book that the readers want.”

It was with this idea that Notion Press launched its Outpulish Program, a bespoke hybrid publishing service centered around authors' needs, in 2017.?

The conception of this program lay in an author’s desire to write a book and a publisher’s desire to help the author find their voice. The resulting book, P.B. Kolleri’s bestselling ‘Murder at Rutherford Hall’, sowed the seeds of a service tailored to an author’s requirement of publishing support without claiming any right over the content and earnings.?

It was Notion Press’s first step from being a publishing enabler to becoming a nurturer and launchpad for talent, but the work to push for authorial autonomy continues. Similarly, Hybrid Publishing’s upward rise marks a major shift in the industry but there’s more to come.

To Conclude,

2024 and ahead will set off the golden age of authors in publishing, with them being increasingly in control of their content and how it reaches readers. Offering the best of traditional and self-publishing, the Hybrid model will, thus, be the future of publishing and a top choice of authors. And it’s not just because they can earn more and have more say. It’s because authors finally hold the power.