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I’ve guided clients through traditional publishing, self-publishing and hybrid publishing across 54+ ghostwriting projects, and each path has real advantages and real drawbacks. For one author’s experience, see a self-publishing success story.
I’ve got strong feelings about this choice because the wrong one can cost an author years.
People pick a path based on what sounds prestigious or what a stranger at a conference told them, and then they’re stuck with it. The book was supposed to open doors, and instead it sits in an agent’s queue or in boxes in a garage that the author paid for. I’d much prefer to have that conversation before the manuscript is finished.
How does traditional publishing work?
Traditional publishing means a publishing house acquires your manuscript, handles editing, cover design, formatting, printing, distribution, and marketing.Share on X
With traditional publishing, a publishing house acquires your manuscript, handles editing, cover design, formatting, printing, distribution, and marketing. The publisher pays you an advance against future royalties. Your book has a chance of appearing in physical bookstores through the publisher’s distribution network. For more, see self-Publishing platforms.
People pick a path based on what sounds prestigious or what a stranger at a conference told them, and then they’re stuck with it.
The appeal is obvious. Someone else pays for everything and handles the logistics. Your book carries the credibility of an established publisher’s imprint. For certain categories of books, especially literary fiction and high-profile nonfiction, traditional publishing still offers the widest reach. For more, see self-Publishing from someone who has done it 113 times.
The reality is slower and far more restrictive than most authors expect. Getting a traditional publishing deal typically requires a literary agent. That means querying dozens of agents with a book proposal before anyone agrees to represent you. Once you have an agent, they submit to publishers. That means more waiting.
If a publisher acquires the book, the timeline from signed contract to published book is often 18 to 24 months. (See also a planner that dates every stage of a book)
The entire process from finished manuscript to bookstore shelf can take three years or longer. During that time, the publisher makes most of the decisions. They choose the title, the cover, the release date, and the marketing approach. Authors often have input but rarely have final say.
Each stage of traditional publishing adds waiting, from the first proposal to a book on the shelf.
Royalty rates for traditionally published authors typically run 10 to 15 percent of list price. You see no royalty income until the advance has been earned back through sales.
The publisher keeps most of every sale in exchange for carrying the risk, and I don’t begrudge them that. Too many first-time authors never run the numbers until the contract is signed, and then learn the advance may be the only money the book ever pays them.
Three of my clients went traditional. All three already knew somebody at a publisher. That’s the only reason it moved at any speed. All three were satisfied with the result, and none of them would call it fast or easy. I worked with them on manuscript revision and book proposals, a common role for ghostwriters in the traditional path.
The book proposal is your sales pitch to the publisher. (See Larsen’s guide to book proposals) It has to prove the book has a market, that you’ve got a platform, and that the content is strong enough to justify the publisher’s investment. I tell writers to treat it as a business plan, because that’s how the acquisitions editor is going to read it. One kind of author gets the most from traditional publishing: one with an established platform, willing to wait, who wants the credibility and distribution reach of a recognized publisher’s name on the spine.
Self-Publishing
Self-publishing means the author handles everything. You’re the publisher. You control the content, the cover, the pricing, the release date, and the marketing. You keep the majority of the revenue from every sale.
I like this path best for most nonfiction authors because nobody else gets to decide whether your book deserves to exist. The trade is that every mistake is yours too, and a self-published book with a bad cover and no editing does real damage to the author’s name. Readers don’t grade on a curve because you did it yourself.
For most of my clients, self-publishing is the right choice. The reasons are practical.
My clients are typically business leaders, executives, coaches, and entrepreneurs who are writing a book to build their authority, attract clients, or create a legacy. They’re not trying to land on the New York Times bestseller list. They need a professional, well-produced book that they can use as a business tool. Self-publishing gives them complete control over that process and gets the book to market in months instead of years.
The drawback is that every task the publisher would normally handle falls on the author. Editing, cover design, interior formatting, ISBN registration, distribution setup, and marketing all require either the author’s time or money to hire professionals. For authors who are running a business at the same time, this can feel overwhelming, and my publishing package exists for them.
I offer a complete self-publishing service that puts the book on Draft2Digital, Amazon, and IngramSpark in both electronic and paperback formats, with an option for hardcover through IngramSpark. That’s three distribution platforms covering virtually every retail channel where books are sold, in multiple formats.
Most ghostwriters hand you a manuscript and wish you luck. I take the book through to publication.
Draft2Digital distributes to Apple Books, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and dozens of other retailers and library systems worldwide.
Amazon covers the largest single book marketplace. IngramSpark connects to the wholesale distribution network that supplies physical bookstores, libraries, and international retailers. Between these three platforms, the book is available everywhere a reader might look for it.
The hardcover option through IngramSpark matters because hardcovers carry a different perception.
Some books get given as gifts, used at speaking events, or placed in a client’s office. For those business books and memoirs, a hardcover communicates a seriousness that paperback and electronic formats don’t. Not every book needs one, but for clients who are using the book as a credibility tool, it makes a difference.
My Publishing Package
Self-publishing royalties are significantly higher than traditional publishing. Amazon pays 35 or 70 percent on ebooks depending on pricing. Print-on-demand paperbacks and hardcovers through IngramSpark and Amazon pay based on list price minus printing costs. That typically leaves the author with a much larger share than the 10 to 15 percent offered by traditional publishers. Self-publishing works best for authors who want speed, control, and higher revenue per sale, and who either have the resources to manage the publishing process or are working with a ghostwriter who handles it for them.
What is hybrid publishing?
Hybrid publishing sits between traditional and self-publishing. A hybrid publisher provides professional editing, cover design, formatting, and distribution, similar to a traditional publisher. The difference is that the author pays for these services upfront instead of the publisher absorbing the cost. In exchange, the author keeps a higher percentage of royalties than traditional publishing offers and retains more creative control. The concept sounds appealing. You get professional support without giving up control or waiting years for publication. The reality is more complicated. Costs for hybrid publishing typically range from $10,000 to $50,000 or more depending on the publisher and the scope of services. For that investment, you receive professional production and access to the hybrid publisher’s distribution channels. That sometimes include relationships with major distributors like Ingram.
The problem is quality control. Hybrid publishing has attracted a crowd of predatory companies that charge premium fees for work that isn’t worth them, and some are vanity presses with better branding. They accept every manuscript regardless of quality, provide minimal editing, and deliver a product that doesn’t meet professional standards. The author pays tens of thousands of dollars and receives a book they’re not proud of. For more on identity and self-publishing, see Richard’s interview with Urmi Hossain.
I can’t stand these outfits. They sell hope to people who’ve just finished the hardest creative project of their lives, and they set the price by how badly the author wants to hold a finished book. The author carries all the risk, and the company’s income never depended on a single copy selling.
Every client who came to me after a hybrid deal told me the same thing. Not one of them was satisfied. The upfront fees were real, and the publishers required most of those clients to purchase a large quantity of their own books as part of the deal. Selling through that inventory became a burden instead of an opportunity.
If you’re considering hybrid publishing, research the publisher thoroughly. Check whether they’re listed with the Independent Book Publishers Association. Read reviews from other authors who have worked with them. Ask to see examples of books they’ve produced. Clarify exactly what services are included, what the distribution reach looks like, and whether you’re required to purchase copies of your own book.
I had one client who almost signed with a hybrid publisher. The testimonials on its website were all glowing, of course. Since it was a lot of money for him, he looked the names up on LinkedIn and messaged them, and they were happy to tell him how it went. It wasn’t glowing at all, and he went with me.
The book on this: Publish Your Book is 198 pages on every major publishing path, how the platforms really differ, and how to pick the one that fits the goal you have for the book.
The authors best served by hybrid publishing want professional production support, are willing to invest upfront, and find a reputable publisher with a track record of quality work and honest business practices. For most of my clients, self-publishing with professional support achieves the same result at a lower cost with more control.
Comparison
My take
For most of my clients, I’d recommend self-publishing with professional support. Traditional publishing takes 18 to 36 months and gives the title, cover and marketing decisions to someone else. Hybrid costs $10,000 to $50,000 up front and leaves you sharing control. You’ll reach readers in three to six months by self-publishing, with your royalties and your decisions intact. Choose traditional only if you want the bookstore network and can wait, and vet any hybrid publisher hard before you pay.
Which Publishing Path Fits Your Book?
What the book is for should drive the publishing decision. If the book is a business tool designed to build authority, attract clients, or support speaking engagements, self-publishing is almost always the right choice. Speed and control both matter here, and the book has to work for your business on your schedule. A publisher’s release calendar doesn’t care about your speaking season. My publishing package handles the production and distribution so you can focus on using the book instead of figuring out how to publish it.
If the book is literary fiction or high-profile nonfiction aimed at the broadest possible audience and you have the platform and patience to pursue a traditional deal, that path offers distribution reach and industry credibility that self-publishing can’t match.
If you want professional production support but don’t want to manage the publishing process yourself and aren’t a fit for traditional publishing, a reputable hybrid publisher can fill that gap. I mean reputable. The predatory ones are vultures: they target authors at their most hopeful and leave them poorer, holding a book they’re embarrassed to hand out. Don’t become their next customer.
| Path | Best fit | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Self-publishing | Business books built to build authority, attract clients or support speaking | A bad cover and no editing damage the author’s name |
| Traditional | Literary fiction or high-profile nonfiction, with a platform and patience | 18 to 36 months, and the publisher decides title, cover and marketing |
| Hybrid | Authors who want production support and aren’t a fit for traditional | Predatory outfits; check IBPA listing, author reviews and required copy purchases |
Just do the research before writing the check. The publishing world has more options than ever. The right one depends on your goals, your timeline, and how you plan to use the book once it exists. Schedule a free consultation to discuss your book project and which publishing path fits your goals.
Publish Your Book is my self-publishing guide, written after I clicked Publish on my first book in 2016 and got two weeks of zero sales. The book compares five publishing platforms.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Model Trade Book Contract, Section 5: Royalties, The Authors Guild
- IBPA’s Hybrid Publisher Criteria, Independent Book Publishers Association
