Hi!
I’ve tried to stay away from this debate that I’ve seen in writers’ spaces, but I decided to stop by and share my thoughts on this question: Should anyone pay to publish a book?
There are different ways to handle this question, but I will start here: You absolutely CAN publish a book without paying one dime, but everyone is not skilled or patient enough to do it. Some may have the skills but may not want to do it.
If someone wins a publishing contract to publish traditionally, they do not pay to publish (unless they hire editors or beta readers). If someone decides to self-publish (there are different reasons why authors choose this route), there’s the daunting task of figuring out how to self-edit, how to create a book cover, how to ensure that everything is formatted and lined up just right for the publishing platform to approve the files, and how to set everything up on the platform to ensure that all the moving parts fit correctly to produce the book of your dreams.
This is where the hybrid publisher comes on the scene. Authors will pay for certain packages to get their books completed without surrendering their rights. (Traditional publishers purchase the author’s rights when a contract is signed.)
Over time (since 2015) I’ve evolved from one-on-one writing coaching, manuscript editing, to publishing – mainly because clients have asked (and asked….) and I decided to give it a try. To be honest, it was not very difficult because I have 5 books listed, but it was different doing this for someone else. Now with several clients on my publisher’s list, I am preparing to get more into this space. This means becoming more educated on the finer details and preparing to offer clients high-quality service as needed in a timely manner.
So, do you have any questions about hybrid publishing? Do you believe it’s a necessary service, like several of my clients believe?
Life, Love and Other Topics: My Commentary 