Hybrid Publishing - Torchflame Books

Torchflame Hybrid Publishing

The publishing industry has been changing.

It is now both easier than ever before and more competitive than ever before to get your work published. After all, with a few clicks of a mouse, anyone can put their book up for sale on major retailer sites. On the other side of the coin, the requirements for manuscripts in major corporate publishing houses and those requirements from the literary agents who can get your work in front of those editors can feel like a moving target.

Hybrid Publishing walks the line between the Do It Yourself option of author publishing (which has a major learning curve), and the traditional path of publishing which requires a bit of skill and a lot of luck. It ensures a professionally published book while also providing an experienced book publishing team, exposure you won’t get on your own, and marketing support, guidance, and opportunities.

This makes it an ideal option for debut authors looking to be professionally published but who may not fit the box defined by current industry trends set by Big Five publishers.

Ready to Take the Plunge?

Publishing models — what is the difference?

In traditional publishing, the publisher fronts the costs of production for the book. These costs include various types of editing, book packaging with cover design and interior layout, as well as marketing materials and support. The author is then often either given an advance and 15% royalties, or slightly higher royalties with no advance.

In author publishing (more commonly known as self publishing), the author determines every step of prodution–how many rounds of editing, who does the layout, what cover to use, who designs the cover, what title to use, etc, as well as drives all marketing opportunities without major access to those deals that drive attention at major retailers. The author does, however, get 100% of the royalties from books sold, which makes this an appealing option for many authors, even if they spend a few thousand dollars on production (for editors, cover designers, and in distribution options) to get a good product in the end.

Hybrid publishing offers the same professional standards, connections, and end products an author would receive from a traditional publisher with one main difference: the author invests with the publisher in the production costs. In exchange, a much higher-than-industry-standard share of royalties is paid to the author. (We pay our authors 60-75% royalties.)

Hybrid publishing is not right for everyone, and not every manuscript is right for a hybrid publisher. Publishing with a hybrid press requires a dedication to your work, both in your writing career and your willingness to take on the business requirements of being an author (such as engaging in your own book marketing and trusting our publishing professionals to utilize our expertise for the betterment of your career).

Who should work with a hybrid publisher?

Hybrid publishing is ideal for emerging authors of well-written manuscripts who do not yet have the experience or the sales history required for traditional publishing. Hybrid publishing is especially attractive financially for authors who participate in events where they will sell their books directly to readers. Hybrid publishing also makes it possible to publish meaningful books on niche topics which may not be initial blockbusters but will sell well over a longer period of time.

What is the difference between a hybrid publisher and a vanity press?

Both a vanity press and a hybrid publisher require authors to cover the costs of book production. So what are the differences?

This is something the Independent Book Publisher’s Association (IBPA) set out to determine. They have provided a list of criteria all reputable hybrid publishers must follow. Their criteria are listed below, but Greenleaf Book Group (a successful and beloved hybrid publisher) summed it up this way:

A vanity or “subsidy” press requires payment from the author to publish their book, but there are no restrictions on what a vanity press will publish. … Vanity presses do not invest resources into adding value to an author’s work. They don’t provide the high-quality production, editorial work, marketing, and distribution services you’d get from a team of industry experts at a traditional or hybrid publishing house.

The major difference between a hybrid publisher and a vanity press is that a hybrid publisher cares about the author’s and book’s success. They only take on books they can get behind, and they add value and professionalism to every project they sign.

The IBPA Hybrid Publisher Criteria

These criteria are explained in more detail on this page, but for your convenience are listed here. The Torchflame Books team had the privilege of being part of the board that determined these criteria.

Define a mission and vision for its publishing program.
Vet submissions.
Commit to truth and transparency in business practices.
Provide a negotiable, easy-to-understand contract for each book published.
Publish under its own imprint(s) and ISBNs.
Publish to industry standards.
Ensure editorial, design, and production quality.
Pursue and manage a range of publishing rights.
Provide distribution services.
Demonstrate respectable sales.
Pay authors a higher-than-standard royalty.

At Torchflame Books we are dedicated to our authors.

Manuscripts accepted for hybrid publishing must be of high quality and have sales potential. We only publish around 10% of the submissions we receive.

Working collaboratively with the author, we will edit and turn each manuscript into a professionally published book with an attractive cover and a beautiful interior layout.

Our books will have worldwide availability to brick and mortar bookstores and well as online retailers though Ingram. Ebooks will be made available through all major electronic vendors including Apple Books, Kindle, Kobo, and Google. Each author receives a marketing plan from Torchflame Books on what the author and the publisher will do to promote the book, and our team routinely meets with our authors to brainstorm, provide guidance, and assist with resources and professionally designed graphics or print materials.

We adhere to the IBPA professional publishing standards and hybrid publisher criteria.