Traditional vs. Hybrid Publishing: When Does It Make Sense to Give Up Your Rights?

As an expert, influencer, or professional with a substantial following, the idea of writing and publishing a book is likely on your radar. Books can elevate your authority, build your brand, and open doors to speaking engagements and other opportunities. But when it comes to choosing the right publishing path, the traditional publishing model might not be the best fit—especially if you’ve spent years building your audience from the ground up.

Here’s why traditional publishing often doesn’t make sense for authors with a strong platform, and when it might be worth considering.

When Does Traditional Publishing Make Sense?

While traditional publishing is often positioned as the “gold standard” of the industry, there are limited situations where it truly makes sense:

1. You Don’t Want to Handle Any Logistics Traditional publishers take care of everything—editing, design, production, distribution, and some marketing. If you’re completely uninterested in managing these details and are comfortable ceding control, traditional publishing may be appealing.
2. You Value Prestige Over Control Being published by a big-name publisher can carry a certain level of prestige. For some, the credibility boost outweighs the drawbacks, especially if the book is more of a passion project than a revenue-generating tool.
3. You Lack a Built-In Audience Traditional publishers have distribution networks and PR teams that can help authors without an existing platform. However, even in this scenario, most publishers expect authors to promote their books actively.
4. You’re Offered a Significant Advance If a publisher offers a substantial advance, it might be worth considering, particularly if the upfront money aligns with your financial needs.
5. You Need Institutional Support for Mainstream Messages Traditional publishing shines when your message is broad, mainstream, or designed to appeal to a wide, general audience. Publishers excel at pushing generic or universally relatable content into mass-market channels.

Why Traditional Publishing Often Doesn’t Make Sense

For authors with a large following, giving up creative control and royalties to a traditional publisher is often a losing proposition. Here’s why:

1. You Built Your Audience—Why Share the Profits? If you’ve invested years in building a loyal audience, why give up 80-90% of your royalties to a traditional publisher? You’ve already done the hard part by creating demand for your work.
2. Publishers Don’t Guarantee Marketing Success While publishers often promise marketing support, the reality is they tend to prioritize a small number of titles. Unless you’re a celebrity or their next big bet, your book might not receive the promotional push it deserves.
3. Loss of Creative Control Traditional publishers often dictate key decisions like your book’s title, cover design, and even its content. For professionals with a strong personal brand, this can be a significant drawback.
4. Limited Royalties Traditional publishing royalties are typically 10-15%, which pales in comparison to the 70-100% you can retain through hybrid or self-publishing.
5. Lengthy Time to Publication Traditional publishing timelines can stretch 1-2 years, delaying your ability to capitalize on your book’s potential impact.

The Case for Hybrid and Self-Publishing

For professionals, influencers, and thought leaders, hybrid and self-publishing offer the perfect balance of quality and control:

• You Maintain Full Ownership With hybrid publishing, you retain all rights to your work, giving you the freedom to repurpose it for courses, workshops, or other content.
• Higher Royalties Hybrid publishing allows you to keep the lion’s share of profits, maximizing the value of your book.
• Professional Support Hybrid publishing teams, like mine, often include editors and publicists with traditional publishing experience. You get the same industry-level quality without giving up control.
• Faster Turnaround Traditional publishing timelines can stretch over years. With hybrid publishing, you’re in the driver’s seat and can bring your book to market much faster.

A Thought to Ponder

If you have a large following, the traditional publishing model might feel like a mismatch. You’ve spent years building your platform, creating content, and connecting with your audience. Why hand over rights to your work and accept a fraction of the profits from the audience you cultivated? And water down your message, compromising the authenticity that made your audience trust you in the first place?

Books are a stepping stone to greater opportunities—speaking gigs, consulting roles, and brand partnerships. Retaining control over your book ensures it aligns with your broader goals and vision.

Let’s Talk

If you’re a professional, thought leader, or influencer considering publishing a book, let’s discuss how hybrid publishing can help you achieve your goals without sacrificing control or royalties. My team combines the best of traditional publishing expertise with the flexibility and author-first approach of hybrid publishing.

Your audience is your greatest asset—let’s create a book that honors that.

Schedule a call to learn more.