Choose Your Publishing Path. Traditional, Hybrid, or Self-Publishing?

What’s the difference between traditional publishing, hybrid publishing, and self-publishing?

A person thinking about writing a book asked me that question last week. I gave her a quick answer, but later, I felt she deserved something more comprehensive than a quick oral answer. This blog post is that something.

Years ago, if you wanted to be published, you had to convince a traditional publisher to handle your book. Sure, there were pioneers like Dan Poynter and Jerry Anderson, but for most folks, there was no such thing as self-publishing.

Technology changed the game. Today, just about anyone can publish a book, and there are days when it seems like just about everyone has. You have three book publishing options if you want to join the parade. There is no one-size-fits-all answer. In fact, there are no easy answers. You’ll have to work out the details for yourself.

Here’s a quick overview of the three publishing options with their advantages and disadvantages.

Traditional publishing

Traditional publishing is the only option where you don’t fork over money in return for services. That sounds good, but it comes at a price. The basic rule here is that the person who writes the checks makes the choices. Here are the advantages and disadvantages of going with a traditional publisher.

There are no upfront costs with the traditional publisher. Traditional publishers are in the publishing business, so they have a stable of experts to call on and plenty of experience in getting your book into finished form. Traditional publishers also have wide distribution and can get your book into libraries and bookstores. The final advantage is prestige. I’m not sure this makes any difference regarding readers choosing books, but authors?feel like they’ve accomplished more when their book bears the imprint of a traditional publisher.

Note. If you want to go the traditional publishing route, you write a book proposal, find and engage an agent, and sell the proposal to a publisher. That’s because the publisher wants a say in the content and structure of your book.

The two most significant downsides of traditional publishing are the loss of creative control and the time it takes to get your book from concept through landing a publishing deal to finished product. For many part-time authors, these are the reasons for pursuing some form of self-publishing.

If you want more control or?to get your book to market faster, the two main options are hybrid publishing and self-publishing.

Hybrid publishing

Hybrid publishing is a publishing model that combines elements of traditional publishing and self-publishing. Hybrid publishers are an artifact of the revolution in publishing. You will pay a publisher to take you on?and?get professional publishing services in return.

That’s the concept. Reality is mixed. The hybrid publishing field looks to me very much like the Wild West. There’s lots of great work going on and lots of firms delivering high value. But predators and charlatans abound.

There are honest and professional hybrid publishing firms?like the Greenleaf Book Group. There are also firms that charge high fees, produce shoddy work, and even try to steal your intellectual property. Buyer beware!

If you consider hybrid publishing, do your due diligence on every firm you consider. Check out some of the books they’ve published. Talk to the authors. Check for lawsuits and complaints. Ensure the firm is strong where you need the most help.

Self-Publishing

When you choose self-publishing, you’re the publisher. You’re responsible for all the things a publisher should do. You must know how to do them, learn how to do them, pay someone else to do them, or produce an inferior product.

There are plenty of advantages to self-publishing. You have complete creative control and earn higher royalties. You can get your book to market faster. If your book is intended for a narrow niche, self-publishing may be your only profitable option.

There are two significant disadvantages to self-publishing. You will spend a good deal of money and time if you want to produce a quality book. You will be making decisions in areas where you have little or no knowledge or experience.

One way to deal with your lack of experience and expertise is to hire an author services company. An author services company is a business that provides professional services to authors to help them publish and market their books.?Author services companies offer a menu of professional services that you can choose from based on your needs. Those services include professional cover design, editing, proofreading, and consultation on your title.

This is another Wild West area. There are honest and professional author services firms, like 1106 Design. But there are also firms that charge high fees, produce shoddy work, and even try to steal your intellectual property. Buyer beware! Do your due diligence.

Here’s a quick summary.

Traditional publishers pay you, so there are?no out-of-pocket costs. Because they write the check, they also make many choices. You give up a lot of control, and the process is longer, but publishing is in the hands of pros.

Hybrid publishers take your money and provide publishing services. The marketplace is filled with great firms, but it also has?less competent and less honest firms. Do your due diligence!

Self-publishing means you’re the publisher. You have complete control and won’t share royalties, but you’re also responsible for doing everything a publisher should do. You must know how to do them, learn how to do them, or pay someone else to do them.

An author services company provides a menu of publishing services. You can purchase the ones you need. The marketplace is filled with great firms but also less competent and less honest firms. Do your due diligence!