H is for Hybrid, Traditional, Self-Publish

H is for Hybrid, Traditional, Self-Publish.

At the beginning of my author journey, I found this very confusing, so I will share what I have learned in hopes that it helps other authors.

There are three avenues to publishing a book: hybrid, self, traditional and there are pros and cons to each.

Hybrid Publishing – work with a publisher to blend concepts of both traditional and self-publishing
Pro: collaboration with publishing team which allows author to be very involved
Con: smaller distribution than traditional, cost at beginning

Self-Publishing – publish using online Amazon KDP or another similar platform
Pro: faster timeline, pay for specific services you need (cover design, editor, etc.), full control as author
Con: limited distribution, can be very expensive and more risky

Traditional Publishing – published by established publisher with larger team to support
Pro: greater distribution in bookstores and libraries, advancement at beginning, larger print runs
Con: difficult to get picked up by traditional publisher without an agent, this path seems to take the longest from idea to publication, smaller royalties after initial advance, very competitive

The Kindness Machine was published with the support of a hybrid publisher. I will forever be grateful to the publisher for seeing something special in the manuscript and sample illustrators from my husband to allow the dream to become a reality.

Did I learn a lot along the way? You bet I did. Are there things I will change in the future for the next book? Of course. I truly believe that the author journey is filled with the greatest speed bumps and amazing moments of success. It is the job of the author to figure out what they can do to make the writing and publishing better for every single book moving forward. It is my goal to one day be traditionally published and also self-published. After publishing all three ways, I look forward to seeing which path I preferred.

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