Why More Authors Are Combining Independent and Traditional Publishing Methods

These days, authors are confronted with a variety of publishing choices. Do we self-publish our novel or memoir and bet on our own success? Do we wait years and months before hearing back from a traditional publisher or agent?

After publishing my first few books traditionally with minimal royalties, I was craving the financial control and freedom that hybrid publishing and self-publishing offer. Publishing my work with Transformation Books, a hybrid model for the best-selling series Pebbles in the Pond: Transforming the World One Person at a Time, allowed me to keep my profits while being supported by a strong marketing team to help build momentum for our anthology.

Publishers who do hybrid models, including Booktrope, Samhain Publishing, Entangled Publishing and Spencer Hill Press, act as both publisher and distributor for independent authors and small presses; meanwhile, the author pays upfront for some or all of the production or print costs. Backed by reputable publishers, authors reap the rewards of sales, exposure and brand recognition. Read on to learn more about the pros and cons of hybrid publishing.

Also on Mediabistro

Digital Media Skills 2026: Top 10 In-Demand Skills for Pros

5 Bad Writing Habits That Hurt Your Career (And How to Fix Them)

Know your publishing goals.

With so many publishing options, authors need to know if hybrid publishing truly meets their publishing goals. Some of this homework involves researching the various models, but the first step starts with evaluating your own needs.

Nina Amir, author of The Author Training Manual, suggests you ask yourself the following questions before signing on with any publisher:

__? Am I cut out for self-publishing?

__? Am I cut out for traditional publishing?

__? Do I have the ability to straddle these two publishing models?

__? Do I enjoy being on the cutting edge and blazing new trails?

Understand the financial side of hybrid publishing.

It would be great if authors publishing with a hybrid model could break even at the start, just like earning an advance with a traditional publisher. But the truth is hybrid authors will need to put aside marketing and production funds to produce a high-quality book. That is not to say you can’t enjoy a high cash flow as a hybrid author, but you need to determine if you are willing to take a bit of a financial gamble.

“I hesitate to say it’s a model that leads to success because success varies from author to author,” says Brooke Warner, co-founder of hybrid publisher SheWritesPress.com. “For us the parallel measure would be that a book ‘earns out’ its expenses, meaning that it breaks even. Many more than 10 percent of our authors are breaking even, so for me, this is an exciting place to be.”

But the model may not work for all authors. “Always remember that the self-publishing aspect of being a hybrid author means you are in business for yourself,” says Amir.”You create a startup publishing business, and you must project manage all aspects of that business. You have to know you are cut out to do this job — or else stick with traditional publishing.”

The authors at SheWritesPress.com (all women) do the lion’s share of the marketing for their digital and print books, a trend that Warner sees as more entrepreneurial than in the past. “The author reaps the rewards, but I think that publicity goes hand in hand with sales. We are offering our authors a platform for their publishing… with a team that knows the ins and outs of the industry.”

Broaden your reach with digital platforms.

Building your online platform implies offering your book in multiple formats, including digital. The fact is more readers will read the eBook version more than your printed format, so it’s a good idea to capitalize on this market. You can net higher sales when you go digital as a hybrid author. These sales can also support your work as a traditionally published author, but you still need to learn to straddle the fence between these two very different publishing worlds.

Amir did just that, but made sure to communicate in advance with both publishers of her books. “I have published an eBook that boosted sales of both of my traditionally published books, and I have three more planned that will also support sales of these books,” she says. “[Just] be sure your [traditional] publisher has no problem with the fact that you are also indie publishing. You want everyone on the same page so you don’t run into any issues with your contract. You don’t, for example, want to publish [an eBook] that competes with your traditionally published book.”

Publishing with both models can also skyrocket sales, especially when it comes to producing eBooks. Amir is proof of that. “Write more books,” she says. “The more books you write, the more books you sell. My agent has me writing two self-published eBooks for every traditionally published book I write.”

Be open to breaking new ground.

Younger hybrid publishers like SheWritesPress.com are indeed on the cutting edge of the publishing revolution. But because they haven’t been around long enough for massive credibility, authors may not want to take the financial risk. Yet no matter how you look at it, both traditional and hybrid publishers are affected by the winds of change.

Warner says, “I don’t think we are publishing in a way that allows us to see the volume that traditional publishers are selling. But we’re still only two years old, so I hope that we’ll grow toward that as we get bigger and have a stronger backlist propelling us along. We’re already making strides in terms of being recognized for our great books and an innovative model.”

Unfortunately, there is really no easy answer for any newbie or veteran author in today’s publishing world. Traditional publishers want to see an online presence, so even if you are still mulling your options, it’s best to continue to grow your platform and have both a Plan A and Plan B. Case in point: I intend to go agent shopping with my memoir, and if no fish bites within six months, I’ll be hybrid shopping.

Dorit Sasson is a freelance writer based in Pittsburgh. Follow her at @VoicetoStory.