Thanks for joining me for Part 2 of my Hybrid Publishing series! Today, I’m sharing the details about my experiences with two hybrid publishers — both the good and the bad!
A Tale of Two Publishers
As I mentioned in How to Decide if Hybrid Publishing is Right for You, I was offered not one, but two hybrid publishing contracts. Yes, I was ecstatic when this happened. But my enthusiasm was tempered by so many questions.
Obviously, I can’t reveal the names of the publishers since my conversations with them were confidential. For the sake of this post, we’ll call them Publisher A and Publisher B.
Publisher A is the hybrid publisher that I loved and wanted to sign with. However, there’s no way I could afford to work with Publisher A. Sigh.
Publisher B is the hybrid publisher that offered variously priced and solid publishing plans, but they didn’t offer the high level of services that I’m looking for. They also seemed just a little bit shady.
Submitting my manuscript to hybrid publishers
Submitting my manuscript to hybrid publishers was the easiest part of the whole process. The two publishers I applied to didn’t require a query letter, per se, but I did have to send over similar information with some sample chapters. Like literary agents, each hybrid publisher will have different submission requirements.
Once I submitted my manuscript, I was informed via email that I would hear back within two weeks. Turns out, I didn’t have to wait that long.
Considering Hybrid Publisher Options
Publisher A
Publisher A contacted me within two days to say that they were interested in publishing Hyggely Ever After.
Admittedly, I was a bit suspicious at first. I mean, two days?? Really? That’s all it took to review my submission and decide it’s worthy of publication?
I was also super excited and intrigued. So, I set up a virtual meeting with Publisher A for a few days later.
My good experience with a hybrid publisher
The meeting with Publisher A went beautifully. My contact was still reading the rest of my manuscript, but she already had a lot of positive feedback about my story to share with me. It was awesome receiving praise for my work after the rejections I’ve gotten from literary agents over the past year.
And, of course, Publisher A and I discussed the elements of Hyggely Ever After that would need to be edited before publication. One of my main goals in getting a literary agent/acquiring editor is working with a developmental editor to tighten up my stories. Publisher A was offering this and had a great group of editors on board to help with this.
A few days later, Publisher A finished reading Hyggely Ever After. An email outlining their publishing proposal followed, and the contract was promised once we ironed out the publishing package details.
Things I loved about Publisher A’s hybrid publishing proposal:
- It was clear that Publisher A had read Hyggely Ever After. The proposal specifically praised my characters, my story, and my grasp of the women’s fiction genre.
- It outlined some specific aspects of my manuscript that required developmental editing, and I agreed with all of these suggestions.
- Publisher A emphasized how Hyggely Ever After would appeal to the market, as well as focused on the international potential for my book since hygge is a Danish concept.
The price of hybrid publishing: Publisher A
Overall, the editing, production, marketing, publicity, and sales plans that Publisher A offered were exactly what I’ve been looking for. This hybrid publisher offered a package that’s almost identical to what an author receives from a traditional publisher.
By the time I received Publisher A’s proposal, I was convinced that hybrid publishing was the way to go for me, and that Publisher A and I were meant to find each other. Everything was lining up….
Except the price. It would cost me $30,000 to publish Hyggely Ever After with Publisher A. And that was just the basic package.
Why I didn’t sign a hybrid publishing contract with Publisher A
If I had $30K up my sleeve, I would sign a contract with Publisher A in a heartbeat. Based on my research and my conversations with them, this hybrid publisher offers everything I want for Hyggely Ever After, as well as for the other books I want to publish down the line. I feel like I’d be getting all that a traditional publishing deal would give me.
However, there are more books I’ve written that I want to publish. And I can’t be shelling out $30K each time I want to publish something new. If I’m looking for a long-term publishing option that will eventually allow me to make money, Publisher A isn’t it.
Which is why I contacted Publisher B….
Publisher B
My experience with Publisher B wasn’t nearly as good. Like with Publisher A, I heard back from Publisher B soon after I’d submitted my Hyggely Ever After application and manuscript for consideration. Publisher B reached out to arrange a meeting with someone at their company, and once the meeting date was sent… they sent me a hybrid publishing contract.
This was an immediate red flag for me. What kind of publisher just hands out their standard publishing contract? It was great to be able to see, in black and white, all that Publisher B was offering, but it was also surprising that they would offer me a contract without knowing more about me and my book, other than the minimum info I’d sent them.
I met with Publisher B anyway, and the meeting was…disappointing. To say the least.
My bad experience with a hybrid publisher
The person I met with at Publisher B very clearly had not read either the manuscript or the proposal for Hyggely Ever After.
I understand that a group of readers “behind the scenes” were the ones who screened and approved my novel for publication. However, the person I talked with – who is representing the hybrid publisher – should at least have a basic knowledge of my book. Like, they should know what the title is. What the general plot is about. Thoughts on what makes it good.
You know, things that first graders can tell you in their book reports.
Publisher B failed in all categories. They discussed my book in very generic detail – to the point where my title was never once mentioned – and that made me extremely suspicious.
So, I started asking questions. Here are some examples:
- What are some recent women’s fictions titles that your company has published?
- What are some general areas where you think my book needs editorial attention?
- How do you expect my book to do in the market?
Publisher B had no answers for me. Well, no answers about my book. Again, I was given plenty of generic answers that can be applied to any manuscript. But there was no feedback about Hyggely Ever After. Publisher B couldn’t even name titles that they’ve published in the women’s fiction genre.
Wait, it gets worse…
In a final attempt to see if this guy was bullshitting me (which he pretty much was), I threw him a bone. I told him:
“Literary agents have given me mixed feedback about Hyggely Ever After. Some think that my story contains a unique concept that they don’t know how to market. Others have said that my story still isn’t unique enough. With this in mind, can you tell me why you want to publish Hyggely Ever After? What about my story do you think will appeal to readers?”
Publisher B then got real testy and told me that if I’d have to sign their publication contract if I wanted to learn their thoughts about my book. Being the straightforward bitch that I am, I replied that I wasn’t going to sign a contract until I talked to someone who’d actually read my book.
The conversation went downhill after that. I got the pricing structure from Publisher B, which was between $5-$12K to publish my book, depending on what package I chose. The meeting ended short thereafter, and I told Publisher B a few days later that I wouldn’t be pursuing a contract with them.
My thoughts on Publisher B
Let’s get something straight: the questions I asked Publisher B are very basic. They’re questions that 1) Publisher A was able to answer, and 2) any good literary agent would be able to answer while offering an author representation for traditional publishing. I wasn’t asking for detailed editorial feedback or for their step-by-step marketing and publicity plan; I was just asking why they wanted to publish my book and what their expectations for it are. And this guy wasn’t able to answer me.
While I don’t think Publisher B is a vanity press, it’s clear that they’re looking to take advantage of writers who are desperate to be published. They do have guidelines and I don’t think they’ll publish anyone who pays them. However, they’re counting on attracting authors who won’t ask a lot of questions and will just be grateful that someone’s offering them a publishing contract.
They’re not a bad hybrid publisher. But they’re also not a great one.
The price of hybrid publishing: Publisher B
The main thing that was good about Publisher B was the price of hybrid publication packages. They offered several different packages starting at several different price points, between $5,000 – $12,000. Publishing isn’t cheap, but the packages they offered were similar to what it takes to self-publish.
However, they didn’t place enough focus on editorial work, which is key for me. They mostly focused on marketing and publicity plans, which I already have a handle on since I’m a book blogger. For the money I’d be shelling out, Publisher B just didn’t offer the comprehensive hybrid publishing package I’m looking for.
Am I still considering Hybrid Publishing?
You may be surprised that I’m still considering hybrid publishing for the future. I’m still querying literary agents for Hyggely Ever After, and I do plan to contact agents when my next novel, Novel #4, is ready. My ultimate dream still is to be traditionally published. I want a literary agent I can develop a rapport with and a book editor I can work with on a regular basis. I want to build a long-term career as a published author, and traditional publishing offers me the best shot at doing that.
However, if traditional publishing isn’t in the cards for me, I’ll pursue hybrid publishing. Because I believe my books are just as good – if not better –than many of the books I see sitting on the shelves at Barnes and Noble and Target. I know people will enjoy my stories. I just need to find the right hybrid publisher for me.
What’s next
Speaking of finding the right hybrid publisher…
My third and final segment about hybrid publishing will come out next week. I’ll be talking all about what everyone should look for when screening hybrid publishers, as well as what you, specifically, should look for. Stay tuned!
Bonus: don’t forget to check out the Dark Side of the Word episode about hybrid publishing.
