Hybrid publishing: another option for today’s writer
I recently published a post on traditional versus self-publishing, and the discussion that followed was truly enlightening. I was excited to see how many of you are also working on books and making decisions about modes of publishing. I also learned of a third option for today’s writer: hybrid publishing. Because I don’t know much about it, I asked Louise Caiola to write a guest post on the subject. She graciously agreed.
Hybrid publishing for today’s writer
Writers are a unique breed. We are part hopeless idealists, part hard-nosed word warriors. We pour our hearts and souls into each line we create. I can proudly attest to having courted the creative muse for the greater portion of my life. I have composed novels, short story compilations, articles, blogs, business documents, fundraising speeches and just about everything in between.
As a professional freelance editor, ghostwriter and acquisitions agent with ASJ Publishing, I have experienced this lifestyle from both sides of the fence, so to speak. I have sat before a group of heralded literary agents at a writer’s conference with my belly knotted, pitching my novel with false bravado. Conversely, I have also been positioned opposite that nervous author, entertaining a concerted plea for representation.
It is from this dual vantage point that I have accumulated the industry knowledge I hope to share with you today. I thank Christie for inviting me to discuss a topic that has recently become very relevant to me, and that may also be worth considering for you as well: Hybrid Publishing.
I often say that the creation of a book or novel is where the magic happens. This is the romance period when a writer discovers a voice that simply must be heard. In that this voice comes from within is something even more exciting. This isn’t to say that writing a book is all fun and frolic. I’m sure we artistic type can agree that there’s a world of frustration involved as well. Since, once we have conquered the empty page, we must now determine how to go about ushering our treasured project out into the giant publishing universe.
If we choose to secure a literary agent to assist us in having our work published traditionally, we will quickly become acquainted with the painful sting of denial. It is the RARE author who hasn’t amassed an entire collection of rejection letters for their first or subsequent masterpiece. In time, and after having soothed the bumps and bruises of those rejections, many writers turn to alternative methods of publishing to attempt to reach their goals. Some opt to self-publish their work on platforms such as Kindle’s Direct Publishing. While, in my opinion, there is nothing wrong with choosing this path to publication, it can also be incredibly overwhelming to ‘go it’ alone. Unless a writer is familiar, comfortable and exceptionally skilled at marketing themselves and their work, it is likely that your prized creation will not go very far, or attain the audience reach you seek.
The notion that there exists a “middle ground” between traditional press and self-pub is also not new. Many authors have found themselves dabbling in the Vanity Press arena. Without naming names, I’m sure we have all heard of the numerous companies attracting the eager would-be author, as yet unpublished.
So significant is this need that even some top-notch well-known publishers have veered into the Vanity publishing field.
Due to some notable drawbacks with each of these above-mentioned potential publishing routes, the Hybrid Press was conceived. For those unfamiliar with the Hybrid model, allow me to share with you this brief introduction from ASJ Publishing’s Mission Statement.
Hybrid Publishing is an emerging market within the publishing industry. While it is not a platform to “self-publish,” it’s also not quite the same as “traditional publishing.” Hybrid Publishing offers that, while there is a market for a book title, we, as the publisher, take on the marketing for you – the author.
ASJ Publishing’s Partnership Program provides a series of significant promotional options to serious-minded authors whose passion is to see their book get the attention it deserves. Not everyone who queries will be accepted. There is a careful selection process and certain criteria that ASJ considers before offering to sign a new client. The submission window is currently open to authors whose work has never been published, or has been previously published by another press that has since either gone out of business, or for whatever reason the book’s rights have been reverted back to the author.
Finally, a word about the indie press experience…I’ve had two of my novels with two different smaller indie publishing houses. The first publisher closed down after a few years, and I was given back my manuscript to place elsewhere. The second time around, my book met with a similar fate. Neither of these publishers did much of anything at all to promote or market my work. Subsequently, the overall results fell far short of my original expectations. I have also been represented by several literary agents over the years. There too, my experience was less than remarkable.
It’s important to keep in mind that once a book is published, you – effectively – are a Brand. And unless you have had many years of experience in the marketing field, you are likely not going to recognize the enormous undertaking and financial obligation associated with actively promoting yourself as such.
I hope you found this brief look at the Hybrid Partnership Program to be intriguing. As a writer myself, I understand that navigating the numerous publishing choices can be daunting. Do your homework, speak to other authors, and take your time in choosing the best direction for you. If you think that ASJ Publishing might be of interest, feel free to reach out to me. I would be glad to address any questions you may have. I can be reached at louise.m@asjpublishing.com. You can also find me on Twitter and at my blog Goingbananasforbaby.com.
Many thanks again to Christie for having me here today. I wish each of you much success on your journey to publication!
You’re turn
- Have you tried hybrid publishing? Please share your experience.
- Do you have a writing project or publishing experience you would like to share in a guest post?
- Please share anything else that’s on your mind. I just love your comments!
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Louise, thank you for sharing this information on hybrid publishing. I’m doing some memoir work but have yet to finish my draft, much less worry about publishing. That’s a minefield I thought I would worry about once I had a completed manuscript! I feel like this industry is evolving so quickly. It seems like every time I turn around, there’s a new publishing option. By the way, I enjoyed your writing as well as the information.
And thank you, Christie, for sharing this on your blog.
#MLSTL
Hi Kristen…congratulations on working on your book. That’s such an exciting time. Afterward is when the honeymoon is over…? The publishing industry has made some important strides recently with the hybrid movement, allowing new authors more control, higher royalties, and a better shot at having their work seen and appreciated. Thank you for reading. I wish you every success with your manuscript.
Please excuse the name typo – Kristin. ??
You’re welcome Kristin. I agree it’s best to focus on completing the manuscript first. Good luck with your writing!
Hi, Louise and Christie – Thank you for this interesting post. I hadn’t realized that there were so many different publishing options out there. I am very glad to hear that there are. #MLSTL
You’re welcome Donna. I’m glad you enjoyed it. Do you have plans (or dreams) to publish?
Hello Donna. Thanks for your comment. Yes, when it comes to publishing, there are a variety of choices. I always advise authors to do some homework before determining the best fit for their work. Have a great week! ?
Lots of great information here for writers. I am so glad I found you at #MLSTL. I have lots of followers who are also authors so I am sharing this out on twitter.
Hi Evelyn! I’m so happy you’re here today. I always enjoy meeting fellow writers on this journey. Feel free to reach out at any time. Thank you for sharing! ???
Thank you Evelyn. I appreciate the share.
Hi Louise and Christie – Thank you for this interesting post. It’s great that there are options for writers. #MLSTL
Hello Natalie! It’s my pleasure to be here with Christie and her readers. I agree! Options are so important. Thank you for your comment. ?
Hi Natalie. I’m glad you enjoyed it. I was so happy to host Louise.
Hi Louise and Christie, thank you for an insight into the publishing world as I had no idea until I read your post. I would love to write something and to me I think the hardest part is actually making the commitment to start and actually produce something. I totally agree that not everyone has marketing skills so it is good to have some idea of what is available on the publishing side. Thanks Christie for sharing at #MLSTL and I’ll be sharing on SM. x
Hi Sue, You are correct; committing to a writing project is sometimes the toughest part. However, once you’ve met that initial challenge, there are others to follow. Many writers don’t have the marketing know-how to successfully promote their work. Thankfully, there are publishing partnerships available now to step in and assist.
Many thanks for being here! :))
Hi Sue. It’s so nice to have you back. I missed you. Writing a book is a big challenge, and like most things, getting started is the hardest part. If you decide you really want to, I know you will. I’ve never known you to shy away from a challenge. Thanks for sharing.
I hadn’t realized what an enormous undertaking it is to get a book published and then actually put in front of the public long enough for it to be seen and read. It seems that you need Oprah or someone famous to be seen reading your book for it to make any headway these days! Still, there are lots of success stories so I guess you find the publishing method that works best and then put it out into the universe and try not to be too invested in the outcome (easy to say and I imagine a lot harder to do!)
MLSTL and I’ve shared this on my SM 🙂
You pretty well described it in a nutshell, Leanne. My first big hurdle was to get the book written. Now I’m working on polishing it so that I feel proud to share it with the world. Then I’ll have to face the challenge of publication and marketing. Each step of the way I’ve thought, “I can’t do this! What was I thinking? But then I settle down and do it. I’m hoping the publishing piece is like that too.
Hi Leanne…ah yes! It is the fortunate writer to have an endorsement by Oprah. It is a dream of many authors out there. The writing community is incredibly large. While it does seem that a great percentage of writers make it through to traditional publication, an even larger portion are still waiting to reach that goal. Waiting for years, in fact. The good news is that there are choices for writers seeking publication. That certainly helps to keep things moving in the right direction. Thank you so much for your comment. ?
Hi Louise and Christie, thanks for an interesting post and an insight into Hybrid Publishing. I have self published a book – a children’s novel – not a very good one!
I wrote it from a dog’s point of view about a stray dog, with quite a bit of lavatorial humour because at the time our children weren’t very keen on reading. Then donated the proceeds from the book to an orphanage in Manila which we were helping to support at the time.
I agree, the writing was one thing – but the marketing was quite another. Costly, timing and exhausting even on a small scale.
I love you lines: “Writers are a unique breed. We are part hopeless idealists, part hard-nosed word warriors. We pour our hearts and souls into each line we create.”
Oh #MLSTL
Congratulations Jo on publishing a book and having any proceeds at all! I think it’s lovely that you donated them to an orphanage and that part of your motivation for writing the book was to encourage your children to read.Which method of publishing did you use?
Hello Johanna! Your book actually sounds clever! How awesome that you were so charitable with it, as well. You are spot-on, Marketing is a FULL time job, for sure. I thank you kindly for sharing your thoughts. :).
Thanks Louise and Christie! I’ve self-published two books but have done no marketing around them. While I’ve considered hybrid and knew a bit about it — I appreciated the information provided here. I’m in the middle of several manuscripts but have just recently committed to focusing on one with the hopes of launching by January. I’ll need to relook at the hybrid route before then. Thanks again!
You’ve been busy Janet! Congratulations on getting two books published and two more on the way. I’d love to share your experience with self-publication some time. If you decide to go the hybrid or traditional route this time around, I’ll be interested in your comparison. Thanks for joining the conversation.
Hi Janet…thank you for joining the chat. I’m impressed with your self-publishing two titles! That in itself is a big accomplishment. I currently have one book in the KDP program. I’m not marketing it and the sales aren’t great. I think the promotional aspect is something that is so relevant. If only one had an endless supply of free time, lol. All the best to you!
Hi Louise, thanks for explaining hybrid publishing for us! We just have to choose the best option for ourselves when publishing. Yes, I’m working on writing my own book too! How’s your grandbaby?
Thanks Christie for this post with Louise. Are you any closer to deciding what to do with your book? I’m anxious to read it!
I’m excited to hear that you are writing a book Dee and look forward to the day it’s ready to publish. I am slowly plugging away at mine. Right now, I plan to query agents for a set amount of time, and then if no bites, I’ll look at hybrid or self-publishing. I think what I want most is the assurance that the book is ready for publication and some legal advice, since the book is fiction based on real-life events.
Hi Dee! Oh the granddaughter is absolute heaven on earth. But, then, I’m sure you know all about that! I’m excited for you on the work-in-progress. As i always say… a writer writes even when she’s sleeping. It’s just one of those things. Thanks so much for commenting. 🙂
Hybrid publishing sounds wonderful–the marketing answer. I have friends and family who’ve published the “traditional” way and the marketing efforts of their publishers were–how shall I put it?–underwhelming. You would think writing the book was the tough part but it’s not–not if your aim is for lots of people to read your book.
like everyone else on this string, i’ve got a work in progress. It’s hard to think now about the essential marketing to come–should I ever near completion. I’m keeping the ASJ link handy.
Got luck on your writing project. I look forward to hearing more about it. At least we’re all in this together. We can encourage each other and share our experiences. I can relate to your comment “should I ever near completion.” I’m so close when I look at the totality of the writing, but this home stretch is daunting and feels like I’m moving in slow motion.
Hello and thank you for joining this discussion. I’ve also known writers who have had that same experience with traditional press. It’s certainly disappointing. Feel free to reach out to me when your project is completed. ?
Nice post on publishing options! Sharing on my Writer’s Zen FB page for MLSTL.
And Christie — I’ve been looking all over FB for the link to thank you for my drawing prize that I got in the mail last week. I couldn’t find it, and now I see…Duh! It’s because you’re through the MLSTL links. I got the little ‘Lovlies Box’ and I love, love, LOVE it!!!
THANK YOU!!!
I’m so glad to hear that Trisha. It’s always tricky choosing a gift for someone you’ve just met. I hope you continue to enjoy it and that we’ll be blogging together for years to come!
Interesting read. Publishing is scary to me. That could be because I haven’t a clue as to how to do that without coming out the other side with my ego torn to shreds. TFS
I definitely understand that fear, Clearissa. Writing is so personal, and publishing is so…well, public.
Wow, so many options for publishing! Thank you for explaining Hybrid publishing! I too have books in different stages of completion. A lot to think about.
Thanks for linking up with us #BloggingGrandmothersLinkParty32
I hope this information was helpful in deciding how to go about publishing your books. Good luck with them. And thanks for sharing.