Hybrid Authors: A New Mode

Kelly St. Clare - Indie author and Staff Reviewer

Before digital ways of publishing came into being, traditional publishing was the only way to go. With the e-book revolution, self-publishing exploded and many authors got a chance to display their talents. In the last few years, there is new mode of author forming.

You know how Wolverine is a bit uranium and a bit human?

How Ariel is half fish and half human?

How the beast from Beauty and the Beast wasn’t always a beast?

What I’m trying, unsuccessfully, to say is: There is no longer a need to pick either traditional publishing, or self-publishing. *cue celebration* There is a hybrid author forming; Those who do a bit of both.

…Why would I want to do a bit of both.

Reason One: I want to be in more bookstores, but I self-publish.

You are an indie author and you love what you do, but would like your books to be in more stores. It is hard to for indies to get into bookstores on a large scale. Traditional publishers have global networks which make this much easier to achieve. This is a different market, and you want to reach it!

Reason Two: It takes too long for my publisher to release books. It is not financially stable for me.

This is a biggie. It can take one to two years from signing the contract to release day. This is after you jump through the agent, submission, and selection hoops. On top of that, many publishers will only release one book per author each year.

 Unless your book is a smashing hit (let us hope it is), then making it from release to release may prove difficult. Many authors are now self-publishing novels between releases from their publishers to stay afloat.

Reason Three: You want a leg up into the traditional publishing world.

You want to build a readership, so you are more desirable to the marketing teams of publishers. You can show them what they are missing out on by releasing a few great series the indie way.

On the other hand, you may wish to focus on writing in the long term, instead of splitting some of your time with marketing. In self-publishing, marketing your work is essential and you cannot afford not to market. With traditional publishing, you can dedicate as much (or as little) time to this area. You may want to begin as an indie, with the goal of shifting into the traditional route over time, simply because you detest time away from your stories.

Reason Four: I self-publish, but do not have enough time!

Time can get tight in self-publication. Especially with a number of books in your catalogue. You must market, plan releases, write the book, and stay engaged with your readership, too. But there are other avenues of profit you may be missing out on because of these time constraints. In place of cloning yourself, you can lease your rights to traditional publishers. Audio and foreign translation rights can all be leased. If you hand over some of these projects to publishers, they will handle the translation of your manuscript—or the recording—the cover, product release, and marketing. You relinquish some of your royalties, yet you are now able to bring these different products to your readers.

There is no wrong avenue to take when publishing your book. There is only the avenue which is right for you. It is now easy to tailor publishing your book to suit you.

Think about what you want; are you into the marketing side? Do you hate it? Are you stretched to the limit? Do you want to see your title in bookstores? Will you self-publish between your publishing contracts to ensure financial stability?

Are you an aspiring author? Comment below; What kind of publishing do you believe would suit you best? Traditional, Hybrid, or Indie?